Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-10-10
AGAINST SALES TAX

mary result in the state of New
Jersey brought out an interest
ing editorial on the retail sales
tax in the Minneapolis Tribune.
The sales tax advocates lost out
which virtually insures the re-
peal of this tax in New Jersey
in 1886.
The public there had taste
of the nuisance and unfair fea-
lures of the sales tax and ex-
pressed themselves at the polls
in the nomination of legislators.
The majority opinion was intelli-
gent enough to realize that the
sales tax was discriminatory to
their best interests and OF ad-
vantage to the forces of special
privilege and concentrated wealth.
1t is to the credit of Governor
Olson and the group of progress
sive minded legislators of Mime
sofa, who gave opposition to the
advocated sales tax program dur
ing the last session of our leg
islature.
The Minneapolis Tribune edi-
tOrial entitled THE Sales Tax in
New Jersey" follows:
Because sales taxes are lively
political issue in several states just
now, the result of the primary cleo
ton in New Jersey last week, in
which that state S sales tax was an
issue, has attracted wide interest.
Forced to take the tax to the people.
Governor Hoffman lost the decision.
A sufficiently large number OF the
members in the state assembly were
nominated to virtually insure the re-
peal of the sales tax in 1896.
In the course of the campaign those
who defended the sales tax argued
that the state was forced to find rev.
enue somewhere to meet the costs OF
relief and that no better method for
raising funds was to be found than
the sales tax. Just how the state is
going to solve this dilemma next year
remains to be seen and it is not at
all unlikely that the search for a
levy to replace the one on sales may
prove an insurmountable task.
1t is not difficult to appreciate why
the opposition to this tax in New Jer-
sey proved so powerful in the pr1-
maries. AS a general rule people do
not like to be taxed, regardless OF the
purpose of the levy or the manner in
which it is to be imposed. AS a con-
sequence any politician who is able
to make convincing promise that
he will do away with an unpopular
tax is likely to find the voters eX-
ceedingly ready to listen to him.
This is particularly true in the case
of the sales tax, since it reaches so
large a part of the voting population.
Under almost any circumstance the
levy on sales is unpopular and every
purchase reminds the voter OF its ex-
istence. Yet the sheer force of nee
essity is bringing this tax into ever
wider use.
1t is not surprising, therefore,
that in a political test on an issue
of this kind the apOlogists for the
sales tax should find themselves at
a disadvantage. The situation in New
Jersey was also aggravated by the
fact that it's sales tax did not ex-
empt food. This gave the opposition
to the levy a ready-made talking
point which can always be effectively
employed New Jersey citizens were
also painfully conscious of the fact
20 N q
a tax of this kind. which it was said
exercised an adverse influence on
local business. With the use OF the
sales tax spreading to an increasing
number of states each year. this lack
of uniformity between states may be
eliminated some day, but as long as
it exists it is likely to continue to
be the source of opposition to the
levy.