Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-10-24
the basis of school registration or
some other similarly equitable basis :"
Labor Against Sales Tax.

some Otner similarly equitable OASIS.
Labor Against Sales Tax.
Organized labor. through its spokes
men, has declared that it will fight
to the last ditch against a sales tax
w. c. flushing, representing the
American Federation of Labor, quoted
the Canadian Manufacturers Associa-
ton in their statement to the Canad-
ian Parliament when testifying be-
fore the Ways and Means committee
as follows:
I'm regard to the sales tax we beg
to advocate: That as the sales tax
is tax payable by the purchaser
manufacturers and wholesalers should
not be held liable for any taxes which
they cannot collect owing to the pur-
chaser becoming insolvent or refus-
ing to pay, even though the manu-
facturer or wholesaler has in the
meantime advanced the amount OF
the tax to the government when max
ing his monthly returns"
Consumers Pay the Tax.
Going on Mr.. flushing said:
This proves effectually that the
consumers pay the sales tax.
There is no denial that at least
100000 people consisting of wage
earners and farmers and their fam
lilies have expended practically all
their savings in endeavoring to keep
the 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 undoubtedly base their
argument on the Biblical Injunction:
For unto everyone that hath shall
be given, and he shall have abun-
dance, but from him that hath not
shall be taken away even that which
he hath"
Mr.. flushing continued his state
ment to the Ways and Means COM
mittee by asserting that the argu-
ment advanced by those advocating
a sales tax is:
IF you tax the people so they do
not know it they can object; but If
they know they are paying a tax they
will object"
He further stated:
I'VE pay an indirect tax on every
purchase we make. In 1927 only %
per cent of our then ia. O00, 900 popu-
lation paid income taxes and three
tenths of one per cent paid 95.5 per
cent of the total income tax. For
1880, per cent 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
per cent Of the population who pay
an income tax. On the other hand.
the burden of taxation would fall
upon the 9S per cent who do not pay
an income tax. Besides they now pay
an indirect tax on everything they
buy. The sales tax will increase that
tax load"
Advocate Income, Inheritance Taxes.
Theodore Roosevelt, in a message
to Congress in 1907, said:
"A heavy progressive tax upon a
very large fortune is in no way such
a tax upon thrift and industry as q
like tax would be on a small fortune
No advantage comes either to the
country as a whole or to the fndi-
viduals inheritfng the money by per-
hitting the transmission in their en-
tirety of the enormous fortunes that
would be affected by such a tax"
The druggists were represented by
w. Bruce Phillip and Eugene C. Brok-
meyer in opposing the sales tax be-
fore the congressional committee
The latter made this comment:
Sales taxes in any form would in
crease prices to consumers whether
on necessaries or Injuries. or both,
and discourage rather than encour-
age buying"
The National Association Of Retail
Grocers, through c. H. Jansen, sec
retary-manager, wired the COMMITTEES:
Corporate and individual income,
inheritance. and gifts should be given
particular thought for the production
of additional tax levies on the theory
that ability to pay must naturally
enter into the production of any tax
program"
Mr.. Jansen also stated:
Il believe 1 express the conviction
of the many thousands of retail mer-
chants who are members of and affllf-
ated with the National Association Of
Retail Grocers In stating our deter
mined opposition to any form of fed
eral sales tax. whether the same be
on essentials or on Injuries"
Hardware Men Oppose Tax.
The National Retail Hardware As
ISOLATION. through its managing direc-
tor, Herbert P. Sheets, used these
words:
"Unequivocal opposition to any form
of sales tax, turnover tax, or luxury
tax. Objections to these variations
of the sales tax are so well known
that they need not be repeated here,
except that, regardless of the original
theory of the luxury tax, no one can
today determine the demarcation be-
tween essentials and luxuries; so that
it seems manifestly unfair that GER
tain goods should be specially penal