Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-09-13

income taxpayers and place additional
burdens upon.the great'mass of Amer
lean consumers.
These men have been powerful lead
ers in the ranks of the most reac-
tionary group in our political life.
They were amongst those most re-
sponsible for putting over the OBJ
noxious Hawley-Smoot tariff law, the
worst tariff legislation ever enacted
into American law.
The sales tax proposal also had the
support Of the American Bankers AS
ISOLATION, and various groups who
paid income taxes in the higher
brackets.
In Congress the sales tax has had
the opposition of such outstanding
progressives as Senators Norris. La
Toilette, Shipstead, Cutting, and Co.'S
tigan. Former Congressman La
Guardia, now mayor of New York
City, and Congressman Kvale of Min
nesota, were among the leaders in the
House who defeated the attempt to
put over the sales tax.
Farm Organizations Oppose 1t.
The American Farm Bureau FEEDER
alton, through it's representative,
Chester H. Gray, appearing before a
Congressional committee, made the
following comment:
A general sales tax is instantly OPP
posed Dy the American Farm Bureau
Federation for the broad reason that
1t is based on the necessity to consume
rather than ability to pay.
The Farmers Educational and Co.
operative Union of America, of which
the late John A. Simpson was presi-
dent, sent a resolution to Congress
opposing general sales tax.
]. S. Jones, secretary of the Mime
stoa Farm Bureau Federation, who
has given considerable study to the
tax problem, especially as regards the
farm population, says:
The sales tax is not a new idea. 1t
ago and it's history has not been en-
cOuraging. Revenue accruing from
this tax must be paid by either the
producer or the consumer as is being
The National Grange Committee on
Taxation submitted to the Ways and
Means Committee of the National
House OF Representatives resolutions
containing the following comment:
The National Grange expresses it's
conviction that any just system Of tax
alton requires that taxes be levied in
proportion to benefits received and to
ability to pay.
We urge the passage of laws that
a part of the cost of government, thus
relieving farms, homes, and general
business from some of it's too heavy
burden.
We favor distribution of portion of
the proceeds of the federal income and
estate tax among the states on the
basis of school registration or some
other similarly equitable basis.
Labor Against Sales Tax.
Organized labor, through its spokes-
men, has declared that it will fight
to the last ditch against sales tax.
w. c. flushing, representing the
American Federation of Labor, quoted
the Canadian Manufacturers Associa-
tion in their statement to the Can
al W HNlI tO0ClIy ing OS-
fore the Ways and Means committee
as follows:
"In regard to the sales tax we beg
to advocate: That as the sales tax is
a tax payable by the purchaser. manu-
facturerS and wholesalers should not be
held liable for any taxes which they
can not collect owing to the purchaser
becoming inSOlvent or refusing to pay.
even though the manufactures or whole
"a has n q n m q
amount of the tax to the government
when making his monthly returns"
Going on Mr.. flushing said:
This proves effectually that the con-
sumers pay the sales tax.
There is no denial that at least So
100000 people consisting of wage earn
ers and farmers and their families.
have expended practically all their
wolf from the door. There could be
no more cruel method of adding to that
suffering than to force them to bear a
tax on all purchases they make. Those
who advocate such a proposition un-
doubtedly base their argument on the
Biblical Injunction
For unto everyone that hath shall
be given. and he shall have abundance.
but from him that hath not shall be
taken away even that which he hath"
People Object If They Know.
Mr.. flushing continued his state
ent to the Ways and Means committee
by asserting that the argument ad-
vanced by those advocating a sales
tax is:
If you tax the people they do not
know it they can object; but if they
know they are paying a tax they will
object.
He further stated:
We pay an indirect tax on every
purchase we make. In 1927 only 20
percent Of our then 114.0O0,000 pOpula-
ton paid income taxes and three-tenthS
of l percent paid 95.5 percent of the
total income tax. For 1880, percent
of the population paid all the income
taxes. THESE are treasury figures.
The only persons to be benefited by
the consumption tax are the 2 percent
OF the population who pay an income
tax. On the other hand, the burden of
taxation would fall upon the SO percent
who do not pay an income tax. Be-
sdies they now pay an indirect tax on
everything they buy. The sales tax
will Increase that tax load.
Theodore Roosevelt, in a message
to Congress in 1907, said:
heavy progressive tax upon a very
large fortune is in Snch "A