The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1938-01-20
A DOG NAMED TAX

A DOG NAMED TAX
1.-THE American citizen, since the
Roosevelt accession on March 4,
1888, has fallen victim to a torrent
Of high-powered propaganda which,
in extent. plausibility. subtlety, and
universal application, has never
been equalled by any foreign die
tatorship. During the past four
years, DR.. Roosevelt has adopted
personally the technique of the
European publicity experts, refined
much of 1t, added Left-wing i'm
provements of his own, and set out
to show the world how a real prop
uganda machine, geared to soaring
political ambition and the modern
collectivist tempo, should regulate
the lives and votes Of 128 ,OO0, 900
gullible persons" So writes Gordon
Carroll in the last September 'Mer-
curry"
In full length moving pictures,
over the radio. on signboards, thru
pictures and mimeographed press
sheets of asserted news" stories
furnished by the bale to newspapers,
tackled on public bulletin boards,
spoken before public gatherings,
disseminated in the schools, limited
in churches, Haunted In postoffices
and other government buildings,
and by throw-away handbills on
the doorsteps, this perpetual pub
Lefty machine grinds out its UNI
savory bologna.
It is estimated the cost of print
ing and distributing this promotion
al hooey has been $217 ,453 ,O43-and
that is about two hundred seven
teen and a half Million dollars-a
sizeable sum. Remember, too, this
is only an estimate, for it is impos-
sible to obtain exact figures.
Printing costs alone are estimated
at $74,371 ,422- presumably in gov
eminent printing offices, maintain
ed at public expense through taxes.
The FHA's press agents have gen.
erously broadcast space-fillers to
newspapers telling the housewives
of America how to convert cellars
into recreation rooms, how to dec
crate the sun parlor-if you
should have one, how to panel the
living room in Circassian walnut,
how to brighten the bathroom, or
what have you? The farmers who
had no bathrooms were also in
structed in the building of a neat
little affair which now dots the rur-
al countryside as monument to
the more abundant life.
The FILA publishes a weekly,
eight-column clip sheet for real es-
tate editors, besides a monthly
Housing Legal Digest" and sim
liar Insurance Mortgage Portfolio"
It has also accomplished the bur-
eaucratic feat of establishing sixty
seven urban centers with zone,
state and district offices"
All this booster propaganda is
carried through the mails in PEN
atty envelopes, devoid of postage
stamps. Of the previous mentioned
two hundred seventeen and a half
millions, $l18.849, O20 is allowed for
lost postal revenues. The New
Deals mailing lists are said to in
clude 100000 names. The govern
ment printing office can furnish in
addition mere 1,404,6 66 names,
supplied from 1910 mailing lists of
executive agencies. In 1886 alone
the post office department carried
more than billion pieces Of gov
eminent mail, total weight 157,661,
622 pounds, at cost of almost $34,
100000. No wonder that depart
ment always ends the year in the
red!
In his anxiety to increase govern
ment revenues or at least to at
tempt to balance the post office
budget-the President is now cast
Ing longing eyes at publishers using
the second-class rate of postage,
expressing the thought they are
being carried as subsidies and
should be made to pay more. The
large metropolitan papers will not
be affected. as they employ their
own carriers, but in the rural Sec
tions of the country where there
are few advertisers to carry the
cost Of running newspaper, the
publishers will be compelled to
raise their subscription rates land
the readers will be paying another
hidden government tax.
We have been led to believe the
government Of this country to be in
the hands Of executives and law
makers elected by the taxpayers. Is
it, then, the will of those taxpayers
that their government use the mails
free and unhampered, while the
taxpayers continue to pay a tax Of
one cent on every first-class letter
they mail? Is it their will to fin.
ance a host Of high-salaried pub
1icifu yyoav, RI vry,.ito fbic no u,r11o a.