davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
What Effect Will Additional
Taxes Haue on JobhoIders?

Very important also, in my opin-
ion, is the effect this additional tax
will have upon the mind of the job
holder. You know, jobholder very
frequently is most willing, even anx-
ious, to spend the taxpayers money.
1t is one way by which he can curry
favor, make votes for himself. I
have feeling that many of those
jobholders are going to stop and
think wee bit more. He may pos
sibly stop to think how much it will
take out of his pocketbook. That
ought to be helpful, because it ought
to reduce the number of flannel
mouths going about the county or
district, shouting for another bond
issue before the ink on the last one
gets dry. One of the results, there
fore, possibly may be to cause that
type of public official and advocate
of Improvement to favor living
within the income of tax receipts.
To make it complete, now, we
ought to have the same kind of re-
ciprocal taxation of income from
federal bonds and bonds issued by
state and local governments and
their agencies. Mr.. Roosevelt has
said he believes these can be taxed
that is, those to be issued in the
future-under present laws. Some
very fine legal minds in congress
believe, on the other hand, that cre-
alton of such a taxing right will re-
quire amendment of the Constitu-
ton. In any event, it ought to be
done for the good of the country.
There can be no doubt in the mind
of anybody that "tax free" bonds
sell like hot cakes. They bring bet
ter prices than bonds of industrial
corporations and the like, because
the interest from those bonds must
bear its fair share of tax.
G Western Newl paper UniDn.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
Bruckarf's Washington Digest
Time Has Come to Pay the Fiddler
New Tax Sources Must Be Found
Supreme Court Decision Opens Way to Tap Salaries of
Federal, State and Local Government Employees;
Never Has Nation Had Such Gigantic Debt
By WILLIAM BRUCKART
WNU Service, National Press Bldg, Washington D. c.

WASHINGTON.-Court decisions
as rule are difficult things for lay
men to understand. True, most ev-
eryone who hears or reads an opin-
ion by a learned justice will know
what the result is-Whether one side
or the other wins But, generally
speaking, the public as whole fails
to understand the full importance
of decision. 1t is not their fault.
Comparatively few persons are
trained in law, and good many of
those only believe themselves to be
lawyers.
For that reason, as well as the
fact that many persons do not have
the time or the opportunity to exam
inc court decisions, have been Won
dering whether it is clear exactly
what happened when Mr.. Justice
Stone recently read the decision in
the case involving taxation of fed
eral and state employees. No doubt,
most persons realized that Justice
Stone had ruled there can be taxa
tion of the salaries of federal employ
ees by state governments and that
the federal government may tax the
salaries Of state officials and employ
ees and employees of lesser govern
ments like cities and counties. But
there is more to the ruling than the
simple statement just made, very
much more.
AS a matter of fact, believe that
those who were privileged to listen
to Justice Stone that day heard an
opinion that is going to go long
way in changing the course of gov
ernment from the federal govern
ment down to the loWliest township.
/ think frankly that it will be sew
eral years before the full force and
effect Of that decision will be ex-
erted, both nationally and locally,
but am definitely convinced that it
will be felt and that it will have i'm
portant effects upon governmental
policies.
And beyond that, the decision told
another story. 1t told the story that
our national, state and local govern
ments are hard up for tax sources.
1t actually shouted to all who would
listen: boys and girls, your spending
dance is over; now, it's time to pay
the fiddler.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
Trade

State trade barriers are usually
grandchildren of panicky, depres-
sion-ridden legislatures. Though Sec
tional barriers Qike North-sponsored
high freight rates in alleged dis
elimination against poorer Southern
states) are also to blame, most of
them spring from a forlorn hope
that the individual commonwealth
can protect its own prosperity by
discriminating against tradesmen
from neighboring states. Sample
barriers are: Cd preference to
home-state industries, often result
ing in monopolies and exorbitant
prices; CD excessively high license
rates for out-of-state truckers; 90
unreasonable sanitary laws which
esr dairy imports.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
Combining Jacket
Being MOdernized

The fussy combining jacket" that
mother used to wear has been super.
seded by trim rubber cape which
has many other uses besides keep.
ing stray hairs from settling on
clean dress or blouse. Slipped on
and off in jiffy. it is ideal for re-
pairing compilations and for wash.
ing up at odd moments when there
isn't time to disrobe.
One of the newest makeup capes
on the market has a little pocket in
the form of a flower for holding hair
pins, powder puff, or comb. The
soft rubberized fabric takes to soap
and water like a dish cloth; thus
making it possible to keep it's deli
cate pastel colors f1ower-fresh.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
Now, They're Seeking Money
To Pay Their Fiddlers

Now, the time has come to begin
paying off the debts. The states
and the cities and the counties have
been looking for money to pay their
fiddlers. The national government
has been looking for money to pay its
fiddlers. Each unit of government
has had to look around for new
spots, new things, to tax. Taxes
are as high as can be regarded as
productive in many of the usual
ways of taxation. So, where shall
we turn? was the question.
President Roosevelt has believed
for long time that it was rather
silly that officers and employees of
the federal government should not
be taxed by their home states. He
has believed. too, that the federal
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
Neuer Before Has the Nation
Had Such a Gigantic Debt

It can not be construed otherwise.
Never before in our history has the
nation had such gigantic debt, a
debt of more than 40 billion dollars.
Never before have the states or the
cities or the counties had such debts,
where their state constitutions per-
NIT creation of debt, as they have
today. do not know of anyone who
can give accurate figures on the
debts of governments of states, cit
les, and counties. 1t is tremendous
sum. They have danced, and they,
too, must pay their fiddler.
In the lush days when most folks
were working and there was good
business, the taxes rolled in and
there was little or no thought about
spending money for new roads, new
post offices, new county courthouses,
new city halls, new bridges and so
on. Money was spent rather lib
orally in those days. There were
bonds sold, and the proponents cam
paigned for bond issues in a big
way. They said, in effect, Jaw
come on and vote these bonds. We
can pay them off over 20 years and
the little teeny added tax won't
hurt" 1t probably did not hurt, in
those days. But there came the
depression and there came 10 mil
lion men out of work, and there
came the worst business in half
century. Then, that teeny little bit
of tax did hurt. The taxpayers
weren't paying taxes, because they
had no money to pay them.
There was, however, debt. The
destitute had to be fed and clothed.
First, the local authorities did it;
then the states and then the days of
the real dance began. Billions upon
billions were poured out of the fed
eral treasury to be used for feed
ing and clothing and housing those
whom the states and cities had
cared for, but could care for no
longer. And up zoomed the national
debt. 1t was about 16 billions to
start with because only 9 billions of
the World war debt had been paid
off. Since the taxes were not bring
ing in enough money, the federal
treasury borrowed and borrowed
some more.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20

Most such regulations tread on
questionable ground, assuming
roundabout jurisdiction over inter-
state commerce which is really a
federal power. Early this year
Washington became so alarmed that
several officials like Secretary of
Agriculture Henry A. Wallace
threatened to use a federal mallet
to knock down the barriers. The
most important result came from
intervention by the Council of State
Governments which called a ma
tional conference on interstate trade
barriers" in Chicago. Surprisingly,
though most of the A states repre-
sented were themselves guilty, they
condemned barriers to a man. A
clear-cut prophecy, actually key
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20

MILLINERY has indeed come
w into its own this spring. The
new hats are everything a spring
hat should be-the most refreshing
" springlike hats that have graced
fashions stage for many a season.
In them romance in millinery has
been recaptured
The very ecstasy of spring
oreathes through the flowers that
oedeck the pretty straws and
through the ribbons and fantastic
scarf trimmings on colorful felts
and suedes, likewise through the
dainty lace and immaculate lingerie
trims, new this season, and through
the glorified spring colorings and
beyond all the final touch of charm
is achieved via miSts of frivolous
whimsical yelling that swirls and
whirls and cuts pretty capers
throughout the entire picture.
You can be as choosy as you like
in selecting your spring bonnet.
Whether you decide on one of the
very new and amusing elfish tall
crowns that style the latest models
or whether you declare in favor of
a crownless type, whether your hat
be huge OF brim or have no brim
at all Glover toques with pert bon
bon colored wells are quite the rage)
whether it be a breton or Gibson
girl sailor you choose, or if you are
ultra enough to want one Of the
very smart .Paris-inspired bonnet
types that tie under the chin, no mat
ter in what direction fancy leads
you, you can't go wrong in fashions
eyes.
New in crowns is the position.
See it pictured in the group to the
left above. This model in miniature
blue Tan attractive blue featured
this season. felt is trimmed with
contrasting plaid taffeta ribbon and
an allover crisp blue veil. Plaids
and stripes have invaded the mil
inery world with great display Hat
and bag sets of striking plaids or
stripes are among the fetching con-
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
Fashion DESIGNERS
Turn LilQC-Minded

Each season this flower or that
flower is especially featured. Paris
mllllners have turned lilac-minded
this spring, either trimming with IL
lac clusters or in some instances
making toques and even tiny sailor
hats of them. Wear a lilac spray
on your dark or light coat, it is one
of the popular flowers of the moment
in fashions realm. Carnations are
also worn.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
Taxation

Time was when the ambitious u.
S. mother wanted her son to be
banker. But nowadays the hand that
counts money keeps far less of it.
Today's ambitious mother should tu-
tor her son Cor daughter) to enter
the motion picture industry. At
Washington, the house ways and
means committee received its an
nual list of top flight U. S. wage
earners and their salaries for 1887,
disclosing that Movie Magnate Louis
B. Mayer led the pack with $1,296,-
SOB Isl, ,161.753 as production execu-
tive for Loew's, Inc, S134F50 as vice
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
People

Invited, Col. Charles A. Lind
bergh, back home to help the house
foreign affairs subcommittee in an
urgent task, shaping an ideal neu-
trality policy in the event of war.
. Needed, a successor for Illinois
late Sen. James Hamilton Lewis,
age-concealing, sartorially elegant
Democratic statesman since the
1905.
eFacing trial, Kansas City's Dem
ocratic boss, Thomas j. Pendergast,
on grand jury indictment charging
income tax evasion.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20

president of Metro
Goldwyn Mayer.
Second place went to
Loew President ].
Robert Rubin, $751;
1913; third, Publisher
William Randolph
H e a r S t, $500, 900;
fourth, LoeW'S N. M.
Schenck, S489, ,602.
OF 63 salaries top
ping 5000, 900, an
even 40 were report
ed by movie work
erS HIGHEST Maid
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
Europe

There are in Europe ftoo niadmen
-. Hitler and MuSsOlini. There are
in Europe f,oo damn fools ichO sleep
chamberlain and Daladier."
Such was the parting shot of Al
bania's King Zog as he fed Italian
invasion. Symbolic of British
French lethargy were Mr.. Cham
berlain's warships, which lay at an
chor off Greek Corfu, within can
non range of the invader. One shot,
said Zog, would have stopped the
Italians. But one shot might also
have been the sendoff for conflict
more frightful than the one which
started from a pistol shot at nearby
Sarajevo 25 years ago.
When II Duce captured Albania,
a month had passed since Britain
and France dropped their futile ap-
peasement policy for Stop Hitler
Stop Mussolini program. Poland,
Rumania and Turkey were fairly
well lined up with the democracies
but such Balkan states as Jugo-
Slavia, Bulgaria and Hungary knew
when they were well off. Align
ment with Britain would invite in
vasion from Italy or Germany.
Meanwhile Berlin's covetous eyes
began looking at Switzerland and
the Netherlands, while Herr Doktor
Paul Joseph Goebbels shouted from
his propaganda office German an
swer to the key question facing Eu-
rope today: Will Britain really fight
to defend any lesser European ma
tion's independence?
Herr Goebbels said no, and many
an alert Britisher said the same
thing, wondering if aggressive Ger
many and Italy were not right in
maintaining that Great Britain has
passed her empirical peak and is
falling into decadence. Under the
appeasement policy it was only
passingly embarrassing for Mr..
Chamberlain to make repeated con-
cessions for peace's sake. But under
the new policy Britain at last faces
reality; Europe's dictators are OBJ
viously forcing a showdown to dem
onstrate that Mr.. Chamberlain will
never fight to protect them, there
fore the little nations had best beg
for mercy from Hitler and Mussolini.
Hence observers agree the worst
of Europe's recurrent crises-and
England's, too-may come within
the present month. Neither Britain
nor France have backed up their
new umbrellawaving policy in the
case of Albania, whose occupation
was direct violation of the Anglo
Italian pact of 1888. A swift Ger
man jab at Poland or an Italian
march into Greece would provide
the ultimate test; if Britain fails to
march in such a situation, then Eu-
ropean democracies are indeed de-
cadent and the Old World has new
undisputed masters in Hitler and
Mussolini. At the same time Mr..
Chamberlain government would
undoubtedly collapse.
On the other hand, if Britain and
France act to block the next dictator
aggression, there is a pathetically
good likelihood of general European
warfare.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20

noting the session, came from Mis-
souri's Gov. Lloyd c. Stark:
1.-The point is this: If the states
try to get these additional revenues
at the expense of their neighbors
they are gaining only temporary
advantage. They are laying the
groundwork for an unprecedented
economic breakdown and eventually
nationwide financial chaos which
will affect their own citizens along
with citizens of all other states"
Assents came from U. S. Solicitor
Gen. Robert H. Jackson and Fred I.
Kent of the American Bankers as
sociation. Principal dissent was
from Arkansas Gov. Carl Bailey,
whose complaint about sectionally
discriminating freight rates was
finally included in the conferences
resolutions. Other condemnations
ID discriminatory state alcoholic
beverage laws; Cd sales taxes and
use taxes, in states where no
"offset" provision is made for goods
produced in another state having
sales tax; CD discriminatory out-of-
state truck permits.
Homeward bound delegates were
admonshed to work generally for
uniform regulations among the va
rious states. If they must diScrini-
nate, it was decided to do it ''di-
rectly, and not by masquerading un-
der the taxing power" But every
delegate knew it would be tough
job-even political suicide-to de-
stroy the invisible barriers which
folks back home consider a justi-
fable protection for their states in
dustries.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
4viatiOn

Some 4. 100 miles southwest of San
Francisco and $3.50 miles northeast
of Australia, just south Of the equa-
tor, are Canton and Enderbury is
lands, the former named for Mas
sachusetts whaler wrecked there in
1854. Both islands went officially
unclaimed until March, 1888, when
President Roosevelt saw them as a
vital link in U. S. defense and log
ical base for trans-Pacifc aviation.
When Great Britain disputed the
claim it was announced last August
that both countries would use the is
lands for commercial aviation, but
not until recently was a formal
treaty signed. Its 50-year provisions:
U. S. and British administrators will
reside there, exercising powers to
be determined by consultation;
American interests will build an air.
port, to be used by British aircraft
in return for fee.
Pacific aviation is doomed by the
pact, for Canton and Enderbury lie
only 1850 miles from Hawaii, direct
ly on the route a ship would take
to Sydney, Australia. Canton boasts
a quiet lagoon nine miles long and
three miles wide, ideal for planes.
But aviation to the contrary, many
a congressman was dubious when
asked to ratify the treaty. Reason:
If Britain were involved in war, an
attack on British property in the Pa
cific might force the U. S. to defend
the islands, thereby getting its OVID
feet in the international puddle.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
agriculture

While congress wreStleS with
huge U. S. cotton surplus which
threatens to engulf southern plant
ers unless it can be dumped abroad,
department of agriculture officials
begin to see a faint sunrise over the
huge mountain of wheat which con-
stitutes the other major part Of
Americas farm problem. With win
ter wheat well under way and spring
planting estimates taking definite
form, the situation might be sum-
married as follows:
In 1888 the total U. S. wheat pro-
duction was 931, 900, 900 bushels (687,-
600, 900 in winter wheat, 244, 164, 900
in spring wheat. But 1895 winter
planting is cut to 46, 1890 acres
compared with $685., 900 last year,
and spring planting is dropping
about II per cent under 1888. Thus
1889 prospects are for slightly more
than $1,000, 900 bushels, only mite
above normal domestic require
ments. This means the July sur
plus of 275, 100000 bushels (com-
pared with l54, 900, 900 bushels year
previous) will be reduced if export
volume is maintained during the
coming season.
The ''if'' remains a big fac
tor, however, U. S. delegates to the
forthcoming world wheat conference
can boast that America leads the
way in trying to slash surpluses,
but that accomplishment holds lit
tie satisfaction because pace-setting
U. S. farmers can find no nation fall
ing in line behind them. With most
European paintings bigger than last
year, with Argentina just harvesting
its second largest crop on record,
and with Canada almost certain to
offer a price guarantee, there re-
mains slight hope that Americas
carry-over from last year will be
reduced materially by sale abroad.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20

government should have the right to
tax the income of those who were
held to be exempt from income tax
alton because they worked for a
state government, or city govern
ment or a county government, or
some agency of those governments.
Likewise, Mr.. Roosevelt has con-
tended that income from federal
bonds and income from bonds issued
by state and local governments and
school districts and drainage dis
tricts and irrigation districts should
be taxable. He has thus far been
unable to accomplish anything in
this direction, and the matter was
not before the court. 1t, therefore,
did not figure in Justice Stones opin-
ion. Sometime, such taxation may
be brought about. l hope so, any
way, because it is proper subject
of taxation, it seems to me.
But to get down to another direct
result OF. the Stone ruling which, by
the way, was supported by seven of
the nine justices of the highest court.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
Aromatic Earrings

Perfumed earrings are recent
whimsy. They colne in the form of
tiny metal flowers, in color to match
your ensemble. The perfume fra
GRANGE rises through gold mesh
center from a wad of cotton insert
ed below.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
Pay of Federal Employees
Tax Exempt for So Years

For the last SO years, the pay of
any federal official or employee
could not be taxed in any form by
any state or local government OF
course, there was no income tax
during most of that time, either ma
tional or state, and during most of
that time, as well, there was not the
press for government revenue that
now obtains. But, to repeat, for 60
years state or local governments
could not touch the pay of fed
eral worker, nor could the federal
government touch the pay of state
or city or county worker, even after
the federal government turned to in
come taxes as revenue source.
Some judge, somewhere, sometime,
had said the Constitution prevented
it. 1t was just taken for granted.
All of that now has been changed,
however, and if the pay of county
judge is sufficient to fall within the
federal tax brackets, he will pay.
from the governor on down and from
the mayor on down. It will be the
same with federal officials and other
federal employees stationed or liv-
ing within state that imposes in
come taxes on its residents.
No one has yet calculated how
80 = -,
by the federal government as a re-
suit of the decision. Nor has any
one made a real guess as to what
the ruling will mean in additional
dollars and cents to state govern
ments which may now safely i'm
pose the income tax on all federaI
employees. In the case Of the fed
eral payroll, the civil service COM
mission figures there are something
like 800 thousand receiving checks
twice each month. There are in
addition, hundreds of employees of
outfits like IVA, RFC and other cor
porations. The stock of these is
owned by the federal government
and they are, therefore, 'instrumen-
talities" of the federal government.
hitherto with payrolls exempt from
state income taxes.
There is one thing, however, of
which we may be sure: the jobs,
the political plums, the 5-thousand
and 10-thousand dollar jobs have
suddenly become less juicy. They
are less lucrative by about $500 on
a 10-thousand dollar job.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
Miscellany

Total U. S. expenditures for the
fiscal years first nine months tS6.-
764, 1853, 1850 exceeded income (S4.-
800, 177,3l2) by S2,374, 176, ,l24.
Q Ninety-fve per cent of the voters
in Europe's tiny Liechtenstein (pop-
ulation, 10000 have signed a pri-
vately circulated declaration re-
jecting union with Germany.
o The U. S. Steel corporation will
soon, begin marketing completely
prefabricated steel buildings, includ-
ing residences for small towns.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
As Good as New

A softly shirred chiffon blouse in
lilac or fuchsia will help to carry
your black suit right on into spring.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
Checked Costume

1t is considered smart this season
to have at least one Shepherds
checked costume in the wardrobe.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
Silk for Action

Washable and noncrushable silks
for active sportwear have been en-
dorSed by Paris.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20
Shells fnr T,anaIc

Tiny bouquets of flowers are made
entirely of shells and are to be worn
in your lapel.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20

EDITORS NOTE-When opinions
are expressed in these columns. they
are those of the news analyst. and nor
necessarily of the newspaper.
The Coolidge examiner., 1939-04-20

Newest fashion Whimsy is to wear
bouquet bracelets matched to the
color of your nails. Flowers on a
band of velvet that are matched to
nail-polish shades will make your
hands the talk of the card table.
Flowers in fuchsia are matched to
fuchsia polish, pale faun-pink buds
are matched to regency, tulip nails
match tiny tulips. Winning hands
at beauty as well as at card table
may be graced with dainty orchids
at each wrist as pictured.