Evening star., 1938-05-11

think the fact that have signed a
contract for a stated number of weeks
to speak at stated times on the radio
in program designed to advertise a
certain company's products makes me
an employe, from now to 65. The
company is contractually permitted
to get tired Of me at the end of
every three months, and I am con-
tractually permitted to get tired of
my employer at stated. moment, and
there is nothing in my contract or in
my philosophy that demands that I
must Immediately seek another one.
For 1 am. with one part Of my
economic life, employed, and with
the other part I am a free entire
preneur, and at any moment I may
wish to be only free lance.
But anyhow. and looking at the out
come mast optimistically. don't want
the Government S5875 q month
when I am IS, at the cost of making
out more of those forms for the next
% years.
I'm ready, in return, to sign a quit
claim with the Government against
this right to insecurity I'm prepared
to bet on my capacity to take care
Of my own old age, If any. Meanwhile,
I want to get what earn in one of
the most competitive and unmonop-
olized pursuits in the world, keep
whatever of it the Governments other
taxing agencies will permit me to
keep and spend or save it as please.
The Government doesn't know what
kind OF an old lady am going to be,
and neither do l. but I think can
guess better than the Government.
And so want to provide for that
particular old age that ], particularly,
anticipate.
Lack Of Logic in Attitude.
But there's curious lack OF logic
In the Governments attitude toward
me as one Of its subjects. Its security
tax collector pursues me with a num-
ber in an effort to provide for my
senility. But its income tax collector
goes on the assumption that 1 am
never going to get old at all The
security tax collector presumes that
my powers are depicting in a graph
able ratio and that in % years I
shall be ripe for pension. But the
income tax collector allows me nothing
for the depletion Of those powers
Apparently he assumes that my head
will be as vigorous and productive
next year and the year after and so
on as 1t Is this Or he thinks that
the source of my income is my type
writer. He allows me to deduct depre-
does not allow me to deduct for the
depreciation of my brains.
If earned my income from a lead
mine I could demonstrate its gradual
exhaustion, but apparently my head
and my nerves are inexhaustible-
to the income tax collector. The Sc
curity tax collector. on the other hand,
assumes that my earning powers will
approach zero at 65. Logically there
fore, the income tax collector, who
represents the same Government,
should allow me to deduct from my in
SoAAAN gdh AoI O 81 dAAoNCd NNPA CN1dtlC2A
Of vital powers, reaching approx
mately 100 per cent at IS.
Mind you, I'm not worrying about
1t. anyway was brought up to be-
heve that there's only one thing abso-
lutely certain in life. and that Is that
one eventually dies. Never having
had the slightest feeling OF security
it's luxury that I do not miss.
1t seems to me that all this soici-
tude for human rights ought to in
clude the voluntary right to live dan
gerously, just for those who happen
to like it that way. 1t seems to be
basic human craving in spite of all
the talk about security. If it weren't
nobody would ever become ski jumper,