Evening star., 1942-07-25

ROoe1Uly AnSC tllc
future.
I'VE have had tough times in the
past" the note read, "but somehow
We have managed to pull through.
But, on reading the new bill that Is
now before the Senate realized
that I didn't have any more chance
of making ends meet than a one
way street. So, good-by, dear fam
lily, good-by."
Here the note trailed of In an
illegible scrawl of red ink.
We were sorry to lose our little
budget.
In tribute We lowered the pig
bank on the living room mantel to
half mast, and gave the department
store bills, cooped up in the desk,
the night off.
X
1t was a good little budget, the
one who reduced itself to ashes
rather than face Morgenthau and
the future. 1t had been with US
seven years, and neither of us could
recall it having ever complained
about the treatment it received. And
we did treat it bit roughly. Many's
the time we robbed its medicine"
column to play long shot at Bel
mont. And many's the time we In
Vaded its rainy day fund" for
cherry smash at the Stork Club. We
could only remember it pouting
once. That was the time we ruined
its "incidentals" to buy an exer-
clsing machine, give the white sales
at Macys a whirl. and splurge on a
couple Of loge Smoking allowed)
seats to Gene Autry premiere.
Year after year it took an awful
beating. We were always sweet to
1t at the first of the month. We
could almost hear it purr as we fol-
lowed Its guidance during the early
days OF the month. Then we would
start kicking it about. An evening
OF bridge, when the illnesses didn't
work, would leave it groggy. Just
wnen 1t was regaining its balance
P. Hal Sims or Bud Kelland would
get us at golf, and it would have
70 take nine count. BY the end
OF the month It would be q hospital
case.
| Today we shopped for a new
budget.
After hours Of searching We found
one we liked. A sturdy little fellow
al 1oolscap and yard wide, that
looked up from the stationer,s
counter with defiant look In its
eyes.
We took it home, determined that
1t would be given a sheltered life
and never be tempted to find the
tate OF its predecessor. But how to
DO this? With the new tax bill anv
budget. no matter how tenderly It il
treated, is bound to endure grievous
hurts.
We set to work to find a way.
\ II
The first thing we agreed on was
That from now on eating was out of
the question. BY giving up food, We
inquired. We could save enough to
pay tax accountant to tell us next
March how much We were short of
having enough to make the first
lnstallment of what we owed the
Government. 1t Is not going to be
easy or pleasant to go without food.
but better to be a skeleton than
spend 10 years trying to kid your.
self that the man who said bars do
not prison make knew what he
was talking about.
We decided that entertainment
must be stricken from the budget
list. The saving here will 20 quite
aways toward absorbing the new
surtax on incomes already so low
that the better-g grade wolves are
hiring stand-ins to sit on the front
porches for them. Starting tomor-
row our entertainment will depend
on how loud our next-door neiehbor
plays his radio, and what sort of
programs he prefers.
OF course, we are not going to
pamper our new budget too much.
II 1t ever gets around to complain
ing, and putting up too much of a
squawk about being persecuted.
We'll just remind it of the bows in
Egypt. and the boys in Russia, who
could have an orgy on a tin of K
ration and lemonade. We1l even
tell 1t that If things come to the
worst. We'll pick it up, imitation
leather cover and all, and throw it
at the enemy.
Taxes are tough, but slavery Is
tougher, brother.
Distributed by McNaught Syndicate, Incl
mnYirn Hints hnnrnvaI