The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-08-15
UNCLE SAM. PASSES THE COL
LECTION BASKET

The word taxes comes from the
Latin word tangere, to touch. In
American slang touch" has detour-
ed little to mean borrow; but the
same idea is there, for whether
ones friend or ones Government
puts the touch" on him 1t means
getting his money. And over and be-
yond getting money from you the
word touch carries faint but
disquieting suggestion you may
never see that money again.
The personal touch comes with
ease and a breeze. Not so with Con-
gress, Since the House Ways and
Means Committee met last October
"a to receive Secretary of Treasury
Morganthau's request for an addi-
tional $3,5OO,00O,O00 in defense
taxes, the members have fretted and
sweated, moaned and groaned, and
heard a thousand men beating the
anvil chorus day after day as they
objected to this, that and the other
tax. Nothing may be so sure as death
and taxes, but neither is ever well
come. The committeeman probably
got the impression that death would
be the more welcome in some cases.
Yet, at the beginning, Secretary
Morgenthau made it sound very
simple and easy. Present taxes, he
said, were yielding about $9,20G,-
100000 a year; the addition would
raise the amount to $12,7O0,0O0,000
which would be about two-thirds OF
what the Government was spending
a year. Borrowing the other third
would be simple-and safe. The adj
ditional tax load, he explained,
would be only some four per cent OF
the national income, now figured at
more than 00,000,0O0-and
rising. A modest proposal, he
called it.
Morgenthau figured we shall be
paying less than 15 per cent of our
income for national safety, and he
asserted that the American people
are willing to pay that price. In
stead of considering taxes touch
Mr.. Morgenthau had this to say:
1.-THE American people, I believe,
have outgrown the old idea that tax
es were exactions forced upon them
by their Government. We have come
to understand, especially in recent
years, that taxes are payments for
services rendered..
But the Committee found there
are still a lot of oldlfashioned Amer
leans. They squealed about the gaso-
line tax. They howled about requir-
ing husband and wife to make a
joint income tax report They COM
planned that the autoist was hit
the farmer was hit--the laborer was
hit--that everybody was hit except
the other fellow.
1t was a case of much cry and
little WOOL, as when the farmer
sheared the pig. For while the Com
mittee secured the country and look
ed under beds, behind doors and
into all cupboards to find $780,
100000, Congress got request
from the White House every little
while for another four-billion, a
threebillion, "a ten-billion appropria-
ton, and all were promptly put
through. After voting new appro-
priation of billions, the committee
men would meet again with their
fine-tooth combs and hunt for
another hundred Thousand.
Every item was fought over. The
Committee was determined to raise
more than $s.500.00O,O0O rather
than come short of the goal. Toward
the end they backed down on taxing
candy, chewing gum, cutlery, metal
signs and Communication tickets, and
they lowered the wine schedules set
up earlier. That meant a loss of
about $26, 100000. They had to
make that up. So, ON the last day,
they slapped taxes on radio time
sales, yachts, billboards and sport
ing goods.
In its final form the big defense
tax bill calls for raising $685.
100000 in q full year of operation.
1t represents the greatest increase
In taxes in the nations history.
The Pathfinder.