The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-07-10
TRESPASSINC AT THE CAPITAL

. the Hitler barter economy after tn
2 war
But the plan seems to be exper
encing some difficulties 1t propose
r a sort of giant corporation in whicl
! all the countries of this hemispher
Will pool their surplus agricultural an,
industrial products as we'll as rev ma
terials for export. Such control o
exports, 1t is thought, will enable tn
| Western Hemisphere to sell its good
! at an advantage, rather than at a dis
advantage which would be the case
each country pursues an Independent
course
Under the plan, as now conceived
growers and manufacturers would re
ceive subsidies for that part of thu
surplus withheld from the market
and Uncle Sam would be expected tt
foot either all or the major share O.
the bill. Hence the opposition to the
plan that is developing here. How
ever, economists, it is pointed out
have as yet not devised a better plan
The old procedure would be to dump
goods withheld from the market into
the ocean. But the national emer
lgency has brought home to many real
Iization of the fact that an economy
based on scarcity adds neither to our
national strength nor to the material
we'll being of the great masses Of our
people. So maybe, If the plan goes
Through, the old order of things may
be reversed and the hungry people will
be given the food rather than the
fishes in the sea.
Would Tax Intangible Wealth
A new tax proposal is to be sub
mitted to congress by Rep. Knpte Hill,
Washington, for 5-mill yearly levy by
the federal government on all intangi-
BILE wealth (stocks, bonds, securities,
moneys and credits, etc. in excess Of
$4,000 designed to raise from $780,
100000 to $1,000 100000 annually for
defense purposes. 1t would do away
with tax-exempt securities.
The purpose of the new tax scheme
is aimed at bringing tax relief to the
consumer, making wealth bear more
Iproportionate share of the tax burden,
and removing the incentive for accum-
ulation of idle wealth.
The tax bill has been drawn by
Robert Bell, Jr., son of Federal Judge
Robert Bell, Minnesota Explains At
torney Bell: Most of the fortunes to-
day are represented by intangible per-
sonal property. Income taxes cannot
reach such property. In most states
the property taxes on million dollars
in intangibles is less than the proper
ty tax on a $4,000 home. 1t would
be very desirable to even up the in
equalities of our tax structure in order
to obtain a wider distribution of mass
purchasing power. This is what a ma
tional tax on intangibles would do"
The only difficulty with getting this
tax bill through congress is that the
in congress are more inter-
ested in tax inequality than they are
in equalizing taxation.
Witness the failure of all past eff
forts to do away with tax exempt sec
urities, which is scandalous favoritism
shown to the wealthy investor.
Enter Profiteering
Proof of profiteering on the part of |
local business groups in shipbuilding
centers where work on government
contracts is being done was submitted
last week to members of the National
Defense Committee and other govern
nent officials.
The evidence was gathered by union
representatives and involve such
places as Camden and Kerney, New
Jersey; New London, Conn; Quincy,
Mass; Bath, Me-, New Orleans, La,
Ind other shipbuilding localities.
According to the union spokesman,
ocal businessmen, taking advantage
If the fact that workers are now
,iven steady employment at the pri-
rate shipyards, although at no in
rease in pay, have boosted rents,
rices of food staples, and everything
hat enters into living costs out Of all
roportion. Similar increase in living I
osts in other sections of the coun- l
ry check shows, have not occurred, +
establishing definitely that it repre- 6
ents unadulterated profiteering by c
zeal merchants. Y
Government officials are looking +
Ito the situation in an effort to avoid
lbor difficulties resulting from in
erased wage demands justified under Z
lie circumstances
urrent Capital Chatter s
1t has been suggested that prisoners II
the various penitentiaries be put Il
work making munitions for Uncle II
am. Seems to us that there are IL
enty of people not in prisons look d
e for work to do i. . One OF the !"
lsiest offices on Capitol Hill these :,
iys is that of Rep. Abe Murdoch, u
r the United States Senate, is one Il
the few men whose record Is both IL
70 percent labor and farmer ~
he Willkie people accuse those who ~
IL attention to the fact that their v
ndidate is public utilities magnate "
throwing mud" Are they ashamed u
how Mr.. Willkie has been earning "
s livelihood? :. The Chamber of
of the State of New York !"
making very vigorous campaign
the senate in behalf of the Smith 81
1endments to the NLRB, already
ssed by the house. %
lde