The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1941-10-16


otto American. 1t Is important To
him as a consuming individual. This
IS true because when we reach the
goal of one-third OF all our national
income being spent for war pur-
/ poses, that means. roughly. that our
standard of living will be reduced
considerable fraction OF that
amount
II would be easy to say that the
man who has been spending @l00 Z
month to maintain his family would
have to get along on $40 = month.
But this Is oversimplihed. Perhaps
the man has been saving ~ 4
month. II he diysrts that ~ Z
month to buying the baby bonds that
will be part Of the reduction, and
therefore will not AFFECT his spend
inn, Because that ~ a month will
be put into war spending by the
government.
Not So Simple
Nor is it possible to make il -
simple as this-that one-third Of our
annual income must be devoted to
war expenditures; therefore the man
with an income OF $3.50 a month
must give $50. either in bond-huy-
ing or taxes, to the government.
1t may be that with the rise in
prices, which is sure to come, his
income will be slightly increased.
However, by the same token rise
in prices will mean that the govern
ment will have to spend just about
that proportion more-in dollars
to get the production now considered
necessary for war purposes.
But even If it is not possible to
draw an accurate diagram OF what
will happen in any individual case,
it is certain that things will get \
lot worse before they get any bet
ter.
There Is just one element OF salts
faction which may comfort the
American worker and housewife
during the tough period ahead. The
tougher it is, the more OF our income
is devoted to war expenditures, and
therefore the less We arc able to
spend on the things we would like
to have, the sooner the war Is likely
TO end-always assuming that We
are going to win. Any other assump-
ton, naturally. Is unthinkable for
Americans, no matter what Lind
berRh and the isolationist senators
may say to the contrary.
Pork Barrel
10 Being Opened
Just IS the new excise taxes
forerunner Of the heavier income
taxes-begin to bite congress will Be
pushing through one Of the biz
rest pork barfels bills in the nations
history. Pork barrel it win be n
the most vicious sense Of the old
expression.
"I'n vote for your pork i you
vote tor mine," II what 1t virtually
makes individual members Of con
gress ray to one another. One coult
substitute graft tor pork.
though Of course there i no though
Of individual. erAft. The "po<k." q
graft" i merely f1defal uaonsy =
81 spent in the districts and etated
Of the individual Legislators
Just another manifestation Of tn.
old political doctrine TINT the con
gressman who brings home the b.
con--the ons who i aba to pry fed
erai money loose tor expenditure
IN the territory of his own constitu
ents-is the one who gets reelected
Rather = silly notion, one would
think. in time when our people
are about to be taxed to the bone
to provide for war expenditures. and
even sillier when one thinks Of mos
Of these pork barrel projects - use
less waste. not only Of federal funds
but OF labor. And al this II time
when the government i clamorinl
for more defense materials thar
present capacity can produce. and
urging sub-contracting In any com
munity which can do the work.