Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-29
EDITORIAL PAG
UneconomicaI Taxation

IN THE course of discussions of the federal tax BILL
which has the approval of Congress and the sigma
ture of the Presdut Senator Walsh Of Massachusetts,
supported the vss.e because had been prepared by
the Senate finance committee and "the best the COM
mittee could do under the circumstances
However Senator Walsh was perturbed by certain
faults contained by the bill, expressing belief that
THE burdens this bill should not be imposed until
substantial economies which admittedly be effected
completed
The measure was ultimately passed without provision
for attendant and substantial economies in nondefense
Nevertheless, as Senator Walsh said il was a major
fault impose taxes the people without CIV
ing them relief from enormous exPenditurePaF-
tculary from unnecessary and WASIEFUL expenditure
ONCE the measure was permitted to include such
- fault in its final form the American people gravey
skeptea of the senator's conclusion that Congress has
"done its best under the circumstances.
Il is widely regarded By the people as what Senator
Bailey of North Carolina called 1.-THE worst tax bill IN
history"
Ii is certainly the BIGGEST tax bill in history.
Ii will do more HARM to more people than any tax
bill in history
1t will tax all incomes higher than they have ever
been taxed before and in addition will tax incomes that
have never been taxed before.
In short, its minimum burdens are of such nature,
as Senator George of Georgia commented to require
demonstration of grim patience and high patriotism on
the part of the American people
D Ut why did the Congress of the United States fail to
d make the inevitable burdens of the tax bill the
minimum burdens POSSIBLE in the circumstances?
How could the Congress expect credit from the people
for doing the best possible in those circumstances when
failed make Substantial economies which admit
tedly be effected?"
Is not the responsibility for making economies as
heavy duty Congress the responsibility for raising
necessary revenues?
Would not the necessary burdens of national emer
gency and defense be easily borne by the American
people, if they were relieved of all UNNECESSARY
burdens
Time and again. conscientious American statesmen
and members of Congress have warned that the call for
sacrifices in national emergency must not be addressed
to the people alone but to the peoples government WELL
Secretary of the Treasury Morgenthau said at the
very beginning of the tortuous of the bill
through Congress that the well the peo
pie must expect and agree to forego usual habits and
practices preparations for emergency to be
anything more than gestures.
THE grim patience and high patriotism" of the Amer
i lean people ilmtable in the face of real emer
gency and sound provision for it.
But the patience of the people hardly be expected
to be ilmtable in the face of continued government
extravaganza and continued congressional responsibility
1t is the spectre Of extreme sacrifice and deprlval
for the essentials of national defense that sresses and
alarms the American people
1t is the prospect of the FUTILTY of such sacrifices
and deprvations government fails TO provide security
the reward for what spent that distress and
alarm.