The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1940-04-11

ana Otner necessary expenditures
made necessary by local self-gov-
eminent. Discussions pro and con
were usually on a sound basis that
showed an intelligent understand
ing.
A town meeting Is Democracy in
it's purest form for there the people
act direct instead of through repre-
sentatives. The strength Of demo-
cracy lies in active participation
Of people in public affairs. I am
wondering whether our people as
a whole, pay as much attention to
their government as did our
fathers. We have so many things
to divert us these days that we do
not have much time to give to
government as we should. Now it
takes perfect weather to bring out
as much as sixty per cent of the
vote. I can remember when we
used to have to break the roads
in order to get to the polls. Nothing
but serious, illness could stop us,
1t isn't that we are getting softer.
Rather, I would say we are be-
coming more different. 1t is signif-
icant that as our interest in gov
eminent declines the cost of its
operation increases.
Would Tax Machine Production
Senator O'Mahoney Democrat)
of Wyoming. thinks that we can
solve the unemployment problem
through granting concessions in
the form of tax reduction, or wage
subsidies, to employers who use
manpower instead of machinery.
Under the Senator's plan the tax on
machine production would mater
tally increase. Veteran Senator
Norris, in commenting upon o.
Mahoney's proposal said, I'VE
ought to hesitate a long time-I
think forever, before we put a
stop sign along the road of human
progress. I'm afraid that's what
this would have a tendency to do"
Mr.. Norris expressed the opinion
that government should welcome
all chronological improvements
that reduce human labor" and
then meet any ensuing problem of
unemployment by a reduction in
hours with out reduction in paw.
I came on the scene just about
the time that machinery war be-
coming extensively used. Many an
acre of corn have I helped to cut
by hand, and the same Is true in
the digging of potatoes. That was
drudgery. I started to learn the
printers trade on the old Clear
Lake Times. We had a Washington
hand-press, which was all the name
implies. Typesetting of all kinds
was done by hand and only the
more fortunate weekly papers
could give their readers as much as
Is columns of local news each
week. The rest of the space not
used for advertising was filled with
plate matter of dubious value. AS
a result of the introduction of
labor-saving machinery MANY
weekly newspapers now give their
readers so and 60 columns of local
news and nearly all employ more
help than they did back in the
days of hand work.
To drive out labor-saving mach
inery through taxation would be
equivalent to turning the hands of
the clock back to the stagecoach
days, when the homes were heated
with fireplaces.
Al nx l.
much easier way. Give industry the
green sign to go ahead, reduce
crushing taxes, and remove burden
some governmental restrictions
that hamper and hamstring all
activities. Brakes are necessary
but none save a fool would apply
the brake when climbing a stiff
grade, and that is precisely what
we are doing now.
Military Bill Slashed
The House last week passed the
Army appropriation bill carrying
7S5 million dollars. The budget esti-
mate was cut by 68 million 357
thousand dollars. Some members
wanted to make it straight ten
per cent cut but the committee
warned the House that the cut al
ready made by the Committee was
all that could be slashed without
endangering national defense. That
is, of course, something no one
would think of doing especially in
these troublesome times when we
know not what lies ahead.
The peace that is to follow this
war should provide for drastic re-
duction in arms or complete dis
armament. We are spending about
2 billion 500 million dollars for
national defense in one year. If we
could take that money and apply
1t to our national debt, or in pro-
noting recovery, how much better
1t would be for all. One thing is
certain and that is that the world
cannot indefinitely go on bleeding
itself white for huge and what
should be Unnecessary ornaments.
can conceive of a situation a.
rising where it may become nee
essary to crack down on the
trouble makers as a matter of
self-preservation.
The Right Spirit
Thomas J. Watson of New York,
started in as a $500 a week sales
man. Last year he received a sal
airy of 442 thousand dollars, on
which he paid an income tax to
the Federal government amount
ing to 294 thousand dollars. In COM
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES