Imperial Valley press., 1938-04-04
POLITICIANS AND THE
STANDARD OF LIVING
tCollier's Magazine)

Wright Patman representative from Texas,
introduced in Congress a bill TO levy new tax
on chain stores. Mr. Patmah salo 1ha1 mole % o taa,
seventy-fve congressman have asked that ther
names be included as oo-authors OF the pro
posal Evidently they they there are votes III
that bill. .....,..,. -
measure so intrinsically popular. Mr.. Patman
savs its purnose is to regulate selflShneSS ana
to prevent greed" Its goal is certainly not TO
raise revenue which used to be CONSIDERED 1ae
object OF taxation
Tq,e aetual object is to destroy the large
c,ain-store organizations by the imposition OF a
confiscating tax Mr.. Patman predicted that the
chains would be broken up within two years after
enactment of his bill.
He nroposed to exempt small chains from
this new tax company owning only nine
stores would be free from this tax. Beyond nlne
the rates would be piled up. A company ~ouda
nay $1,000 a store for all stores in excess OF ooo.
The tax would be increased II stores are opel-
ated in more than one state. The graduated
taxes would be multiplied by the hhmoer OF
states in which a corporation maintained stores.
Mr. Patman's bill is another political effort TO
destroy national markets and to make business
local rather than national. The effect of such
efforts upon our standard of living Is one oil the
vital considerations that politicians prefer TO
ignore Consumers seem 10 De poiilicaiis hesh-
gible. ..---,.,.
Our high standard of living is made possible
by big business. Consider the radio, for example.
Broadcasting is only about eighteen years oia.
House the radio fan was inclined to build MS
own receiver The business was small enough
When receiving sets were offered to the public.
the price about $500. Last year the average
price of new set was S31oO.
Big business gave the radio beyond all
question Just as large-Scale production MADE
possible our use of the motorcar. No other m
dlstry has ever done more to increase values
and to lower prices.
Ten years ago car buyer paid two dollars
for as much horsepower as he now gets for one
dollar Comfort, safety, utility and beauty nave
been enormously enhanced by large corporations
Large-scale enterprise did It,
The approach of Congress to proposals such
as the Patman chain-store bill is purely politi-
cal Nobody in Congress pays any attention to
any other consideration. Whether consumers get
better service or worse service whether prices
are higher or lower under one system or the
other is distinctly outside the range OF political
interest
Sometime somebody will have to do some
clear thinking and plain talking If our high
American standard of living is to be preserved,
restored or raised Governments can destroy
what we already possess but up to now no gov
ernment has raised any peoples standard OF
living.
The kind of business that can provide the
great majority of American families with such
luxuries as motorcars and radios does not have
to be apologetic. The sort Of enterprise that
created in the United States the highest stand
ard of living ever attained by any people any
where does not have to feel inferior.
Politicians think about politics because that
is their business. The rest of us have other and
broader concerns. One of those concerns is to
retain the good things We already have and to
keep up our American standard OF living. If
we want to keep it or raise it, We shall have
to do it ourselves Congressman won't do it for
US Congressmen are interested in how we vote,
not in how we live
ourselves that our own standard of living won't
suffer