The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-06-03
FEDERAL TAXES

Facing q dehct Tor the present nscal
year that will amount to two and one-half
billion dollars or more, with tax receipts
far below the governments optimistic pre-
dictions made around the first of the cal
endar year, the national administration
moves to cover up conditions and float a
smoke-screen by pulling off an investiga-
ton of alleged tax lodging. There is to
be congressional investigation, lot of
ballyhoo let loose, and an alleged attempt
to tighten up" the tax laws.
All honest citizens believe in paying all
taxes lawfully assessed against them-and
they pay-and they stand for strict observ-
ance of the laws by all citizens and groups
of citizens alike However, those who are
informed and know what goes on in
political circles in Washington, have some
knowledge as to how the game is played,
and they are but little impressed when the
political powers in the national capital
start tax investigation and propose to
make it the beginning Of revolution in
methods of levying and collecting taxes.
A citizen who EVADES lawful taxes is
guilty of criminal act. His is a case for
the Department of Justice.
A citizen who AVOIDS tax liability by
conforming to the provisions of existing
laws, is not guilty of a criminal practice or
moral delinquency, as was charged by
President Roosevelt in his tax message to
Congress.
If the laws provide means by which citi-
zens may escape tax paying which Con-
gresS intended to lay upon them, Congress
should revise the laws. The government
through public officials should not seek to
create the impression that citizens are
guilty of criminal acts, or moral delin-
quency, because they have tracked the
laws Congress enacted to milk the people
dry by taxation.
The President referred in his message to
the spirit" of the tax laws. There is no
such thing. There may be the spirit as
well as the letter of some laws; but in the
matter of tax laws there is only the letter.
All that any honest citizen can do in pay
ing taxes is to be guided by the provisions
of the laws.
Now, with great blare of publicity trum-
pets, announcement is made by the admin
istration that tax dodgers, evaders, almost
exclusively to be found in the ranks of i'm
moral citizens whose incomes are in what
is known as the upper brackets" are tC
be rounded up and, presumably, punished
and made to shell OUT tax money unit
they can no longer pay.
The attitude of all decent, honest citi
zens is that all citizens, rich or poor, high
or low, who are guilty of tax evasion
should be punished and that all should be
MIXED alike, according to the exact provi
sions of the tax laws, by the tax eaters.
HEthere be tax payers-we believe there
are+who have been able to retain some
income or wealth by reason of the fac
that! the smart politicians in Washington
were not as smart as they thought they
were, then, of course, when the loophole.
are discovered they should be plugged ant
alright arrangements made to get the las
drop of the tax milk.
Then, about the time this feat has beer
accomplished, the middle-class folks ant
the poor people of the country will awaken
to a full realization of what is happening
to them in the matter of taxation. That i
about the time that We who have beer
resting under the delusion that the benefi
cent federal governments taxing system
soaked only; the rich, will come into fui
realization of what has happened to u.s.
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