Milford chronicle., 1936-01-17
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~ JAMES PREsroN

r ~ JAMES PREsroN
Congressman who came back /,
- the National Capital for the new
le sessions work were greeted witt
ge talk about a reduction in expendi.
a lures. They literally cheered, foI
those who had paid any attention to
y fiscal Affairs had found some as
q founding facts.
~ As the session opened FOR in
n stance. the Associated Press calcu-
!, lated that In a little more than two
years, the Federal government had
spent or loaned $4,000, 600, 900. OF
n the loans, percentage must be con-
4 sidered bad
Sixteen billion dollars even in
these days isn't a sum within nor
NAL human comprehension. So one
Southern Congressman went to
2 work with his pencil and translated
the total into understandable fig
ures. He found that at the present
rate the expenditures ran to nearly
/ $3.50 a second. In other words, every
time the clock tieked, Uncle Sam
paid out $3.50.
But Uncle Sam, this Southerner /
/ reminded, didn't have the $3.50. He I
actually was taking in only about 1
| $125 each second. So with each
clock tick he was borrowing an
other $125. And paying interest on
the borrowed money. He now owes
nearly SS1,0OO.0OO,O 900. Someone has
figured out that If 81 had been spent
eli,
Christ the total would not yet be
one billion dollars.
The question Of where to get the
money to pay back that borrowed
continued to worry some legisla-
tars. The President assured them he ,
would not ask for additional taxes I
this session. Chairman Harrison Of I
the Senate Finance Committee J
would say only he was hopeful" !
there would mot be any general tax
Legislation" soon. Harrison left the 4
lOOphOle open for tax to pay crop a
benefits. 4
Even cOnceding the dubious fact /,
that present tax rates would raise q
enough money to pay the debt. Ii
here was another problem. The de- u
preston forced the states and fed W
sral governments into overlapping ri
axes, which bit every man, woman
Ind child in the land. The loaf OF 10
,Tead, for instance, bears So taxes. ia
lost states and the Federal govern a
nent have duplicate gasoline and pI
lcOme levies, not to mention sales SO
axes. That in itself is an unhealthy ge
ituation. But to do anything about Ia
now would mean giving up highly tic
ssential revenue. le;
% ini
Also. If conditions continued to qu
improve, the size OF taxes paid to do
le federal government would in
'ease. So probably. would the cost
living. And when the taxes got no,
g enough 70 draw real attention Nil
ON those who paid them, the de- ~
and for Q reduction would grow il
g quite q quandrg. dn,
19s
The Congressman, Incidentally, eve
epped into situation that remind tina
them Of how living costs are abs
airing. The restaurants in Senate "
d House, where many members pra
!, boosted the luncheon prices to min
so, and IS cents. Session before can
It, they we're 35 and so. bon
o. anc
Maybe because of living costs, but
ybe because Of election year. trea
ny members wanted to rush the
rk through and go home. Il was n
sresting, though, that while of (
,aker Byrns forecast adjourn inni
NJ Dy May At tne iaIest' ChaI and
q O'COnnoT of the House Rules ron,
nmittee picked the first week in weri
e, and Representative Taylor OF eric,
DradO. acting Democratic leader fend
session. said things would run Orie
until midsummer. reci,
ane analyses of the Townsend
sion plan showing exactly why ia
ouldn't be made to work are be- aseh
ling to force its hackers into the lIlV'
of political strategy. Washing fFss
generally believes that the poll nave
are just as amateurish as the tnat
ionic falIacies on which the addil
! is based. pc
10 AlEbt ONglL AiuNE Dl Aut AuMAt-
lites was to say they would put sessi
lird party ticket into the field only
nbiicans and Democrats well cara
ed the idea, many Of them say VIII
they would like to run against Cong
idates whose only plank was or Ju
plan.
hen that attitude became known, Al
F. z. Townsend made a change
rOnt. He remarked the third
2 idea was little premature.
.her words, he threatened to SET g -
third party unless the old-line oaii4e N
Idates embraced his idea. They " y. ~
l. The good doctor will find out en ene n
even politicians think little oV %
e promising. iie ~
sss Sf.siyii
ne statistics which worried the iiensi
sendites Into their new en- I 5sa,
n included these. 5i,Iian
! doctor and his economists cnn.
IL would take $24,924, ,OO0, 900 ,oiI ~ ~
lily to pay 5000 a month to war.,,
n mi