The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1936-05-21
GOOD, IF TRUE

ticket and all expect to visit Ashe before the
primary in June-which is only few days
away.
So far, we have heard only one candidate
DIR. Ralph McDonald-a school teacher turned
politician. And as is to be expected from col
lege professor who holds a doctors degree in
the literary field, his plans sound far better
than any of the other three men could possible
figure out, but will they work? The average vot-
er falls for few jokes and, realizing that things
are not perfect as they are applauds freely
when the present way of doing things is crit
cised and all of us have tender spot when we
are promised tax reductions all of which DR..
Mcdonald did in jefferson Wednesday.
But we hope the other three candidates,
when they come to us will have something
little more practical and little less theoretical
to offer. Dr. Mcdonald promises to take the
sales tax away, to reduce telephone and light
bills, and to put a five-dollar tax on automobile
tags. We all favor this We are loud in our praise
of keeping our land free from taxes. But how
is he going to do this? First by increasing the
tax that is already on profitable corporations.
Has it ever occurred to our voting friends that
the corporations provide us the lights and the
telephones that we are going to get cheaper
rates on? Is anybody foolish enough to believe
that we can put higher tax on business
concern and then expect to be able to get their
products at lower rate? And has the good
professor considered what higher tax on cor
porations might do to the industry of the state?
Already we are the second highest corporation
taxed state in the union. Will future business
develop in our state such as the Reyolds Tobacco
Company and the Duke Power Company if they
can start elsewhere where they will not be taxed
to the limit? And if it were not for these and
like corporations to furnish employment to our
thousands what good would it do us to be with
out the despised sales tax? We would have little
market for what we have and no employment.
1t is all right to tax the rich, but if it were not
for the rich the poor would have an even worse
time making a living.
DR.. Mcdonald promises to take the sales tax
away and put in it's place tax on chain stores.
Individual stores do not like chain stores quite
naturally since they can buy in larger quantities
than smaller store and then sell to the people
at lower price. We have only one chain store
in this county, but the next time we followers
of DR.. Mcdonald walk to Smithey's because
prices are cheaper, consider the professors plan
of taxation.
The promise of five dollars fiat for car tags
sounds fine, but it is followed by a proposal to
tax all major oil companies. If we pay higher
gasoline and oil tax result of lowered car
tag where are we? Within a years time, our
profits have disappeared.
What DR.. Mcdonald did not do in giving the
devil his dues was to tell us that Ashe county
paid only III, 446.46 in sales tax to the state in
1885 and received for operating schools the sum
of Sis, 10000. If we can swap dollars like that,
should we weep because young married couple
must 60 to the secondhand store to buy their
furniture and pay sales tax? On what does he
base his proof that the sales tax taxes the little
man and lets the big one go scott free? If we
can buy more, we pay more If we are poor and
can buy little, we pay little What about that
great source of untaxed wealth that the sales
tax strikes in men and women who do not own
any taxable property, but help us pay taxes
every time they buy something?
His proposal to put tax on interest and
dividends is fine for those who own nothing
get little ahead and put it in bank Stock or
somewhere else at interest, but have it taxed
We may be stingy and not buy enough to bother
us when we pay sales tax but according to the
plan proposed, we get tax clapped our
dividends if we fortunate enough to save
some money and put it where we hope to be able
to live off the income in our old days instead of
date so ably advocates.