The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-09-18
Facing The Foc+s
With PHILIP PEARL

People don't start thinking until
they feel the pinch of suffering. They
don't start yelling until they are hurt.
In our opinion, the new tax bill now
under consideration by Congress is
bound to promote a little thinking
and lot Of yelling, and it's about
time.
AS tax measures go in this world
of today, the one now being enacted
here is extremely mild. In Great Brit
ain, for instance, incomes in the
higher brackets are being taxed to
the extent of S4.75 out of each SIS.
Nothing nearly like that is contained
in the revenue bill which Congress
soon will adopt. Still, it is much
harsher in it's treatment of the tax
paying public than ever before and
millions of persons in the low income
group who were not heretofore taxed
directly are going to have to kick in
part of their pittance to the Govern
ment.
Again, we say, it's about time.
This may sound like heresy, but we
think it is sound common-sense. For
too long America has followed pain
less methods of financing the greatest
war in history. For too long we have
been putting off the day of reckoning.
For too long we have concentrated on
keeping comfortable. The only result
has been that the people of our coun-
try are not as excited about the crisis
the nation is facing as they should
be. The bills still have to be paid.
We Can Take 1t
Let's see if we can make our mean
ing a bit clearer. Some of President
Roosevelt's friends are complaining
that the people are asleep, that they
have to be walked up to the dangers
confronting America, that they can
no longer continue "business as
usual" that the time for making real
sacrifices is here.
We agree with them, except that
we think the time for making these
sacrifices has been too long delayed.
We think that the American people
would be more alert and more aroused
today if pay-as-yougo policy had
been instituted from the beginning.
We think the Government should have
said to its citizens at the beginning:
"This is going to hurt, but it's the
only way we can be saved" We go
back to our original text-people don't
start thinking till they are hurt.
So, we personally are not going to
yelp about the present tax bill even
though it's going to hurt US just as
much as the next one-if not more.
When we know we are going to suffer
pain, when we are forewarned in ad-
vance and when we are convinced it
Is for our own good, we can take it.
In our opinion, the American peo-
pie are going to take it and like it
at least lot better than they are
going to like the tax bills of the
future. These are going to be much
heavier than the present one-in-
evitably. We might just as we'll get
used to taking punishment right now
Important Victories Won
Everyone knows that in the end it's
the common people who really pay
the taxes. Even if they are not taxed
directly, the burden of the taxes are
passed on to them in higher prices
and rents. So the five or six million
persons who will pay income taxes fol
the first time next year because OF
lowered exemptions should realize
that they are not being victimizet
more than usually.
In several respects, the American
Federation of Labor won important
victories in the tax bill finally adopted
by the Senate. All proposals for pay
roll taxes and sales taxes were de.
feated. These forms Of taxation con
stituted the chief threat to workers.
1t was only just and proper thai
heavier tax rates be imposed on the
middle and high income brackets. The
"war prosperity" that is temporaril!
in our midst might otherwise create
"war millionaires." The American
people wouldn't stand for that again
We had enough of constituencies
profiteering in the last war. In norma
times expansion of industry naturall.
should bring expansion Of profits. Bu
when America faces a crisis, bust
ness and industry should be ready t.
forego increased profits and be con
tent with reasonable returns on in
vestment.
In the same way, it would be fata
for workers to want or expect another
"silk shirt" era. We believe tina
wage increases already obtained ant
now being sought are perfectly jus
tilted by rising living costs. But WI
are against "boom" wages in the de
fense program because they woul'
only boomerang and hasten the de
structive spiral of initiation.