The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-18
Communist is
Launch Drive
Against Plan
Prepare Mass Action TO
Place Burden on
the Rich

George White signed the Spaght
bill. saddling the masses with
sixty million dollar emergency" tax
for the next year.
While formally presented as a 3
per cent tax, in practice the working
class consumer will more often be
paying from S to IL per cent on his
purchases. Thus, with l cent tax
on purchases from 8 cents to 40
cents, workers buying a 9-cent ar
ticle will pay an II per cent tax.
Similarly, workers buying ten ar
ticles each worth 10 cents, but at
different times, will have to pay 10
cents taxes or 10 per cent on the
dollar purchase.
The Governor signed the bill at
the last moment when the Legisla-
ture raised the tax on incomes from
intangibles from 5 to 6 per cent. But
the increase in revenue from this
source will not amount to more
than $1,50o,0O0 as compared with
sixty million dollars to be raised
from the sales tax. Even while the
Governor was demagogically threat
ening to veto the sales tax, con-
tracts for printing the sales tax
stamps were placed with four COM
panies in Chicago, Cleveland, Gin
cinnati and Columbus.
How Program Stands
AS it now stands, the four point
program passed by the Legislature
and approved by the Governor, con-
sists Of:
|. The general retail sales tax,
which is expected to raise $780,
100000.
2. The Herner Bill increasing
the rate on incomes from intangi-
bles, which is expected to yield
$1500,0o0 during 1885.
3. The McCluskey Bill increas-
ing excise rates on gross earnings
Of public utilities by per cent
with maximum yield Of $780,
600.
4. The tax on liquid fuel used by
the masses, estimated to bring in
S10,oOO,0O0.
OF the $70,000,000 expected to be
raised from this emergency pro-
gram, not more than $4,000 900 will
come from the utilities and the
bankers. Indeed, because of previ-
Gus tax reductions, the utilities will
actually make net saving of So
100000, while the bankers, absolved
from the real tax burden, will even
get $4,000,0 900 from the mass poverty
tax for retirement of county poor
relief bonds AT the same time, only
S6,000,000 of the sales tax returns
are to be used for relief.
Communists Open Fight
The Communist Party in Ohio
has already taken up the struggle
against the sales tax robbery. Point
ing out that the sales tax cannot be
fought by agitation alone, the Party
instructed all of its sections to use
the next thirty days before the tax
begins to operate in preparation for
q series of mass anti-sales tax ac-
tions. Point four of these instruc-
tons states:
1.-THE central aim of our struggle
is TO defeat the sales tax and
place the burden of taxes on the
rich under the Slogan--'All taxes
on the rich, no taxes on the poor
Since the sales tax hits all sec
tions of workers and the small
middle class, our aim should be to
ape otak
In the nelghborho0ds, in all mass
organizations, in the trade unions,
etc. The fight against the sales
tax can be successful only if we
take it out Of our own circle of in
fiuence and involve broad layers
of new people. In developing the
struggle against the sales tax it is
not necessary to set up new or
ganization except as this should
grow cut Of the struggle itself.
The sales tax affects the masses
in the trade unions, the unem-
ployed organizations and the
home owners. 1t is these organi-
cations that should be involved
first, with the Party playing its
own independent role"
In a five-point program of inme-
diate action, the Party calls for:
/. United front conferences tied
up with relief and other immediate
issues. with the main stress on the
development of neighborhood ac-
tons around chain stores and big
Department stores.
2. Mass delegations to visit state
asssmblymen in every district, de-
manding the repeal of the sales tax.
3. Anti-sales tax hearings in every
neighborhood, involving housewives
and organizations. with invitations
to the state assemblymen to attend.
4 A resolution and petition cam
paign in all mass organizations with
the aim Of outlawing the sales tax
and forcing its repeal.
5. The organization Of special
anti-sales tax committees in the
neighborhoods and wherever pos
sible to lead the fight under the slo-
gans: Don't pay the sales taxi
Against starvation by taxation! Tax
the rich, feed the poor!
Make the Rich Pay
While thus combating the CAPT.
talist tax program, the Party has
announced its own working class
program, whose central aim is to
make the rich pay all the taxes. In
line with the experience of the New
York workers, the Party here has
raised the following demands:
l. Suspension of the debt service
Approximately $124,000,0o0) pend
ing the passage of adequate federal
unemployment insurance. g Trip
ling the present utilities tax g.
Double the present inheritance tax.