Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-06-22


office to enlist my E$$ N xMMM
support of their re-
lief program. My secretary tells me
that with one exception they were
a gentlemanly lot of men. The eXcep-
ton was quarrelsome chap named
Edwin Swanson from Milaca, who
demanded to know if had left town
in order to avoid seeing them. This
is about the first time that I have
been accused of running away from
anyone. The Workers Alliance would
get further if they used better judg-
ment in selecting their leaders. Some
of the leaders whom l have met are
mouthy windjammers who have never
done an honest days work in their
lives, and are faring better under the
present relief set-up than they ever
did before. How their families can
get along with some of them is be-
yond my understanding.
Last Friday the House was in con-
tinuous session from IL a. m. until
after one the following morning, in
consideration of the WPA program
for the next fiscal year. The amount
recommended by the President was
81, Az, 100000, which is 100000
less than the sum appropriated for
WPA during the current fiscal year.
The present program calls for an av-
erage employment of about 100000
workers. The program under the bill
passed by the House Saturday morn
ing contemplates an average WPA
employment Of about 100000 work.
erS.
During the consideration of the re-
lief bill number of gross misuses of
relief money were brought out. Too
much of the money spent in the past
has been wasted on projects that
called for the employment of machin-
cry, and skilled labor who were not
on relief. 1t was disclosed that mil
lions of dollars have been thrown
away without any benefit to those
whom we seek to help. For instance,
in the city of New York skilled labor
ers were employed on WPA projects
who worked 1870 hours a month and
drew from SITS to $3.50 per month,
while around the corner would be a
long line of needy persons who could
not so much as get one days employ
ment.
Millions of dollars have been
squandered in the name of art. In
New York city they put out direc-
tory containing the names and adj
dresses of female artists models, and
each description was illustrated by a
photograph of the model in the nude.
OF course, this was put out for the
convenience of artists who employ
models. Some wag suggested that
this literary effort should have been
issued in vest-pocket form for con-
Venience.
Our Foreign Policy.
Last week the Foreign Affairs COM
mittee reported to the House a neu-
trality bill that will probably be
taken up for consideration at an early
date. The bill represents the Adj
ministration's views on neutrality. In
my opinion it is worse than no law
at all in that it gives the President
full power to impose sanctions and
lay embargoes. l do not consider
any man big enough to carry such a
heavy responsible ty. The measure
also provides for leash and carry"
which means that. only the large
naval powers that control the seas
would have access to our markets in
time of war. We followed such a
policy back in 1914-17 and it drew
us into that war. We must have an
embargo on all commerce in time of
war if we are to remain at peace
Any other policy will involve us in
war sooner or later.
The New Tax Bill.
The new tax bill which has just
been reported to the House by the
Ways and Means committee combines
''relief'' for corporate business with
"grief' for the average taxpayer.
The relief for corporate business is
in the form of notifications of the
existing corporate tax structure so as
to remove certain tax deterrents to
business. The present undistributed
profits tax will be allowed to expire
at the end of the current year, as now
provided by law, and next year there
will be substituted flat ID percent
corporate income tax on those cor
porations which at present are still
subject to the undistributed profits
levy, namely, corporations having net
incomes in excess of $4,000. Smaller
corporations will continue to be taxed
as at present
Perhaps the greatest benefit to bust
ness under the new bill is the pro-
vision allowing concerns which have
a net loss one year to offset it against
their taxable income in the two sue
ceeding years. Originally it was pro-
posed to confne this relief provision
to corporations, but Republican men,
bers of the committee forced its eX-
tension to businesses operated by in
dividuals and partnerships which are
perhaps more in need of it than the
large corporations whom the Demo-
cratic majority seemed to favor
However, we were unsuccessful ir
orr attempt To make the provision