Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1934-12-13

vast sum by means of a government
sales tax on EVERYTHING. The tal
would average about 10 per cent, hs
said, being low on necessities ant
high on all luxuries. Whatever the
ultimate success of the Townsend
Plan, 1t is for the moment providing
quite a "pensioning" for It's aged
sponsor. From cramped office quar-
tiers and a force OF only himself and
an ambitious real estate salesman
through the sale of his little book
going to thousands in every part OF
the country where Townsend
Clubs" are being set up, he has gar
nered in sufficient income to keep
an office force of nor than SO
| clerks. His promotion scheme had
induced almost 5000 900 people to at
tach their names TO petitions urging
Congressman to put the plan into eff
rect at once.
We r certain that, out of the
than a month, will come some Kind
OF either old age pensions or unem.
ployment insurance-perhaps both.
Public sentiment is demanding 1t.
President Roosevelt is for it. We are
equally certain that in both are to be
found much merit and one of the
best assurances against another &C.
onomical debacle such as that
through which we have just passed.
Care for the country's old people
people who through no fault OF their
own have been left without means
OF supports an obligation which
has always been recognized. There
are no more deserving people than
those who, after an honorable and
useful life, are left to spend their de
Ginning years in shameless poverty.
and all too often stunned by those
who measure ones value to Society
by only money OF position or have
not yet tasted the bitter dregs of
loneliness and .dispair.
Personally, We believe the only
value OF the Townsend Plan will be
to focus the attention OF the nation. |
including Congress, IN the need for
some form of old age pensioning.
The Plan itself seems altogether too
fantastic, embodied with ~extravagant
and impossible provisions when
could never receive the approval of
any laW-making body. To think of
s2ddllng onto the people of the Unit
ed States a sales tax that must pro
duce almost $1,000, 0O0.0 900 a month is
something that hasn't the slightest |
or becoming an actual reality.
such a tax We're to average 10 per
cent, with the high rates, perhaps /
running up 10 80 aud 40 per cent ON
'luxuries," pray tell me, just how
many would there be left who would
be enjoying "luxuries." AS We see 1t,
what we consider necessities |
would have become luxuries, and
only those OF the idle rich, number
less than ten per cent Of the
country's population would find 1t
possible to indulge in Injuries. What
kind of automobile would you be
driving, paying a tax of some % or
80 per cent? How many picture
shows would you be seeing each
month with the price Of admissions /
increased by half?
But we see other flaws in DR.. |
Utopian ran. Think OF
all the people you know between cod
and 10 years of age. How many OF
them r still active in gainful &C
cu%pation? We venture the opinion
se~venty-fiye per cent of these
are still active, ambitious,
still looking towards the future with
endeavor. Many of them
could retire, but they are not ''old
people," They want to work. They
find JOY in activity, happiness In use
pul endeayor. Force that entire
group into virtual idleness, legislate
them out Of the possibility of ever
working again, managing their own
farm, their own business, holding
own jobs, and require that
they suddenly fall into the Utopian
lap of luxury and use their time In
learning how to spend 5000 every
When you do this, hundreds
these people, kept strong In intel
lect and body through their active
lives, will lose their hold on life, and,
to way of thinking, you will have
but FASTENED the infirmities of old
age and a nor untimely death.
Let us care for Il poor generous
ly. Let US provide a life of comfort
and happiness. not only with money
but with social recognition, for those
deserving persons who in their de-
years have exhausted their
own and their ability to-
provide the necessities or life. Let
us give constructive thought to some
form OF insurance against unemploy-
ment, endeavoring to carefully find
the way that LIS best-through feder-
al or state control, or set up by each
separate industry itself. But, while
doing all this, while recognizing the
need for readjustment OF our econ
omic system, 1t will be well to keep
our heads above water and our feet
solidly on the ground.