The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-04-10
HOW BUSINESS IS TAxED

r. G. Forbes is authority for the state
ment that taxes last year on each phone III
the Southern Bell system amounted to-
S7.O6: and there will be other Increases
this year. 80 @''-'
The telephone company paid approx
mately hundred million dollars in taxes; )
or around 80 per cent. Of its operating
earnings for taxes. 10y .''
Bell Telephone taxes amounted TO $3.50
for each of the eompany's 100000 en-
ployees. If the company had been tree
from this tax bill each of its employees
could have had this amount added to his
or her wages OF salary without imposing
an additional burden on the company.
Every large business enterprise IN the
country is taxed in proportion to the tefe-
phone companies-and every SMALL
BUSINESS pays taxes that are just as
unreasonable and burdensome.
The Times-NeWs uses the case or the Bell
Telephone Company simply as an llustra-
ton of existing conditions, as an example
of taxing systems that have become III
er business enterprise of the country could
be used. All are in the same condition Of
servitude to the tax LEVERS and tax eaters.
There is no Justification in the laws OF
economics, in American business expert
ence, in common sense or in common hon
esty, for the levying Of taxes to the extent
of FIFTY FER CENT. of the operating ex-
penses of any business. A much more hon
orable way 10 take money from American
business would be by the methods of the
highway robber or the gangster.
Citizens who own and operate the bust
ness of the country, however, are no more
interested in robbery by taxation than are
all other classes of citizens. Every person
who has a, telephone or uses telephone
at any time helps to pay the bills Of the tax
extortionists., All the money for operation
OF the telephone companies finally comes
out of the pockets OF: patrons OF the COM
panies. That holds good in every business
in the country. Taxing business is simply
levying tribute on all the citizens OF the
country. Let no citizen imagine that he is
escaping taxation. Those who do not own
a dollars worth of property are paying
taxes. If they ever earn and spend dol
lar, OF spend a dollar obtained from any
source whatever, they pay taxes. - {
No patriotic, public spirited, good clt-
zen objects to paying reasonable taxes 1or
the legitimate expenses of local., State
nd n a
this fact is found in the Willingness OF
many people to vote special taxes, even
under the unfavorable and trying condi-
tions and vast uncertainties of this time.
The main point, the one that should
never be forgotten by the voters, when
they have their inning at the polls, is that
large part of the country's tax burden is
the result of Encouragement of govern
ment, of extravaganza, or waste, OF the
widest orgy of national spending IN the
history of this or any other country. Id
the operations of the federal government
were confined to its constitutional func-
tons, probably three-fourths of the cost OF
government could be eliminated In hun
dreds of cases throughout the country this
statement applies to- local and. State gov,
ernments. .5:-a., a..
The wild extravaganza and waste OF
government, and The burdens of taAatiof
created in this way, must be corrected
and eliminated, and that soon, if the coun
trv is to avoid conditions much worse thar
any it has encountered SO far.
... -st+- W,