The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-05-14

and means COM
mittee, has been doing the lions
share OF headaehing over the prob
lem lately, since all such legisla-
ton has to originate in the lower
chamber on Capitol Hill and that
/ committee must draft II initially,
!. after which the whole house tink-
ers with it for awhile and finally
passes it, maybe somewhat altered.
Then Chairman Pat Harrison's
senatorial finance committee and
subsequently the whole senate will
take a crack at the proposition, as
presented by the house. Ultimate
~ the two branches will come to
an agreement and the law will be
enacted.
Naturally, Treasury Secretary
Henry Morgenthau and an assort-
ed lot Of economists are doing
plenty Of advising. President
Roosevelt likewise has his ideas.
But. in the last analysis, the puz-
zle's up to congress.
tn be a matter Of weeks or
maybe two or three months before
the coming tax schedule is re-
vealed to us definitely. We can
depend on one thing confidently,
though From the taxpayers
standpoint, it'll be sockdolager.
What particularly interests me
Is the item of income taxation as
it'll hit us middle bracket victims.
There also will be various excuses
and nuisance levies and perhaps
sales imposts, too. Well, we can
ration ourselves, thus partially dis
counting that classification Of ex-
tortions. Indeed, that's the econ
onlists' aim, which is to prevent
imitation by curtaiiing our buying
power.
No Economlzing Here r.
But you can't economic on an
income tax.
Not being a plutocrat, I'm not
much concerned as to that groups
fate. Indeed, 1 understand that
they won't be much hiked. They're
so severely soaked already that
the government can't greatlr 51ost
'em without taking their all ana
more, too-more, too. being un-
collectable.
The very low outfits hardly are
worth bothering with. Either they
literally can't pay at all or they
can't pay enough to signify.
We middle bracketers are the
bunch who'll get hades. We, col
lectively, are worth sticking. Our
exemptions (for dependents, etc.
will be reduced. Our assessments
will be showed up. Dear reader,
you doubtless remember what your
Dlast income tax was. Next time
it'll be at least so per cent more,
possibly twice what it was, maybe
three times!
Yet, according to the economists,
whatH happen IL Uncle Sam
doesn't take steps to keep his
mounting indebtedness under con-
troll?
Why, his credit will slump. That
is, his money won't be worth as
much as 1t has been. In other
words, prices will go up to beat the
band. TIN be equivalent to a
fierce cut in pay. If you're union
laborer you may, with considerable
difficulty, by loud hollering, posi-
bly, supplemented by strikes and
picketing, force wage advances,
but it's doubtful If they'll keep
pace with soaring living costs.
And there are q lot Of US, on fixed,
moderate incomes, who simply will
be in the unqualified soup. 1t looks
as II terrihcally increased taxes
alone viii semi-save our economic
/ lives.
They say the situation in Eng
lands a darned sight worse. /
don't know about England. but I
do know something about Canada.
Canada Stiff, Too
Here In Washington we have.
among others, a Canadian news
paperman who has been here six
months, reporting to his home
daily as TO our aid-Britain activi-
ties. The other day II came time
for him to make his income tax re.
turn back to Winnipeg. He made
II Shortly he got reply. 20. X"
said the Winnipeg collector, "as to
the last six months you spent in
Canada That money l want. But,
for the six months you've spent in