The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1940-07-19
By WILLIAM BRUCKART
WNU Service, National Press Bldg.
Washington, ID, C,

Washington, d. c.
Observation-Disclosures the hands
on my fathers farm when I was a
boy was big Negro named Noah.
He was good worker, and strong
as the team of mules that he
claimed and always used. Noah was
q good farm hand. But my father
could always count upon Noah be-
Ing of Of the job two or three days
| after he was paid his wages each
month. Noah, generally called
Chalk" because he was so black,
would disappear as soon as he got
his money and he did not return to
work until that money was gone.
It never seemed to concern Noah
one bit that he was broke and
couldn't even buy tobacco for his
corncob pipe unless somebody gave
him money. He was that way
throughout his life because he said
he never brought muffin here" and
he would take muffin away" when
he died. He really carried out that
philosophy Of life, for my father
paid his burial expenses.
I have been thinking of Noah and
his ideas of living, lately, because
Of certain developments Of national
import. His philosophy was recalled
especially when President Roosevelt
asked congress for an increase In
taxes to defray the cost of the vast
new program of national armament.
1t was recalled again when, out of
clear sky and in the shortest mes
sage ever sent to congress in Mr..
Roosevelt's seven years as head of
the government, the President pro-
posed that congress take q second
step In raising taxes. He asked for
"steeply graduated" excess profits
tax.
Additional Taxation
Has Been Needed
Now, believe anyone who has
ever read my columns will agree
that I have urged additional taxa
ton, constantly. On that point
never have wavered. It might be
supposed then that I would 70 of
OF the deep end for the new taxes.
That, however, Is not the case.
find myself willing to support only
half Of the program, for reasons
that will be apparent as the situation
La analysed.
The first tax increase was proper.
1t was needed. The second proposal,
that which congress Is yet to con-
slider, Is not proper, but the revenue
Is badly needed. The difference Is
that the first program will yield
revenue that, generally speaking,
will be received by the treasury in
its entirety. The second program
will yield vast sums and only part
Of the tax paid by the consumers
will reach the treasury.
1t Ii a strong statement to make
when one says that the treasury will
get only part of the amount paid by
the taxpayers. 1t is true, however,
because In a levy like the excess
profits tax, every dealer, great or
small, collects more than the
amount OF the tax. We saw II when
an excess profits tax was In opera
ton during the World war Of 1917
1918. A tax that amounted to half
q cent was paid as one cent for the
very simple reason that one has
some difficulty in cutting q penny
into two pieces. The seller 10 never
going to absorb any tax, and I
think he probably cannot be blamed.
He raises the price to protect him
self, and you and / and every moth
er's son carries the load Of tax when
1t La laid that way.
The first tax program offered by
Mr.. Roosevelt was bad enough in
that direction. On it's good side.
however, 1t can be said that II lev
led direct taxes on incomes, q meth
Cd by which the tax, all of It, goes
into the treasury. That tax bill also
extended the income tax to some
thing like 1850, 900 additional tax
payers, by reducing the personal ex-
emption allowed. That is to say.
after July /, Of this year, a mar
ried person with an income of 81, 900
. year will pay income tax above
that sum and a single person re-
ceiving $500 also will pay income
tax for the first time. Previously.
the exemption was 81, 500 for q mar
ried person and 81 900 for a single
person.
Ten Per Cent SupsrtGx
Added to Regular Levy
There was included in the taxing
act also an increase in taxes from
the previous rates. It was provided
in the new law that a person receiv-
ing $1,000 a year, for example, will
pay the old rate of tax and then
will add a fiat 10 per cent TO that