The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-08-22
BY Roger W. Babson

Gloucester, Mass, Aug. 22-The
chief discussion In Washington and
ottawa today is over taxes. Even
price control is secondary. as
one purpose OF taxation is to keep
people from now rushing to buy
goods. Some change from a few
years ago when governments. were
urging us all to buy more! Guess
If the politicians let us alone at
all times to learn by experience
the nation would be better off in
the end.
Increased Taxes Unnecessary
My purpose this week-however
is not to discuss the pros and
cons of proposed tax bills, but TO
show readers how much they are
already paying in taxes. must.
however. say that the proposed
"joint husband and wife tax re-
turn" is vicious, immoral and I'M
fair. II $3OO,000,0O0 more is need
ed II should be raised by higher
excise taxes on things responsible
for crime. Crime alone is costing
the u. S. and Canada $4,000, OOO,-
600 a year.
A serious offense is committed
in the United States every Fl sec
onds or a total Of l,517.026 major
crimes. This averages one for
every 81 persons, includes a fell
onious homicide every A minutes,
a robbery every 10 minutes, an
auto theft every 8 minutes, a
burglary every l 2-3 minutes, and
a larceny every 35 seconds. Fifty
per cent OF the criminals are under
% years of age. Let us also re-
member that the fire losses alone
last year would have purchased
As great cruisers for the U. S. Navy
and for Canada In other words,
II we all would get busy to
eliminate crime, our taxes need
really not cost us anything.
Taxes Which Everyone Now Pays
Already now 35 per cent of what
we pay in rent goes to taxes. When
buying a loaf of bread now, 20 per
cent goes for direct taxes and %
FER cent for indirect or a total OF
As per cent. From every 500 we
now pay for clothes, the tax col
lectors take So different kinds Of
taxes. u. S. taxes averaged last
year s109 for every man. woman
and child. According TO- the Com
mittee of Americans, 122 East AZ
ST., New York City:
Every time we pay an electric
light bill we are giving 81 out of
every IS of il towards taxes. An
average of $1S is paid yearly in
taxes by every telephone user....
The housewife pays 81 in taxes out
OF every 81 she spends. There are
ever 40 different taxes figured
in the cost of pair Of shoes-even
for the baby....The cost of the av-
erage car is paid out all over
again every four years by taxes
the motorist pays in operating it
In drugs-.a bottle of milk of
magnesia CARRIES 37S different tax
es.... Railroads taxes have more
than doubled since 1916,-now
about 1-3 of our fare is taxes and
so on.
Taxes on Dividends And Wages
The American Federation OF In
vestors of Chicago shows that the
corporations owned by 7.11S,00(
stockholders paid an average tax
of $500 per common share, or al
most double the amount paid in
dividends. If these companies
could have paid taxes only on their
property, either these 7,11S.000
stockholders could have received
1929 more in dividends or else
each employee could have received
$500 more per year in salary. With
lower taxes you would get more
/ interest on savings accounts and
lower life insurance costs.
/ am not now asking that taxes
be reduced, but | do say it is un-
fair to increase them. 1t would
( be far better to eliminate all tax
exempts". Existing state and To-
cal L. S. government securities
total ,000,000,000 with over a
billion new ones being issued each
year. 1t seems unfair not to tax
all securities alike. II these were
taxed-at least the new ones is.
! sued-this would be another solu'
| ton to our problem.
Putting More People 10 Work
We cannot have prosperity by
putting a ball and chain on employ.