Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-28
Fact And Opinion
Will Congress Permit 1t?
BY e. C. Stengelsen.

Will Congress Permit 1t?
If Congress votes in accordance
with the wishes of Messrs. Roose-
welt and Morgenthau and the recon-
mendations of the Ways and Means
committee, even those of small in
come are going to be hit by the new
income taxes, and they are going
to be hit hard. Indeed, l am be-
ginning to wonder whether they are
not going to be hit harder, proper
tionately, than anybody else.
It will mean, in the first place,
combined normal and surtax, aggre-
eating probably not less than II per
cent on the first $4,000 of net in
come, and, secondly, lowering of
exemptions to $500 for single per-
sons and to $1,000 for those who are
married. In the. case of the latter,
there will, of course, be allowance
for dependents.
If the new tax bill is passed in the
form that is proposed, single per-
son earning more than 1892 per
week must pay an income tax of
II per cent on the excess up to $4,000.
Thus, a salesgirl in the five-and-ten,
earning Is per week, will be required
to pay $47.60, or nearly 81 per month.
m IF &c
large sum. But to the underpaid
salesgirl it may be large. To set
aside this amount out of her meager
earnings will mean something more
than giving up luxuries and amuse-
ments. It will mean giving up neces-
sites. To the girl, living away from
home, as many of them do, SIS per
week allows precious little margin
for luxuries and amusementS.
1t may mean eating in hamburger
joints to skimp on food; it may mean
going without articles of clothing
necessary for her comfort and health;
it may mean putting off the neceS-
sary trip to the dentist and letting
teeth 60 to decay; it may mean in
ability to patronize hair-dresser and
beauty parlor.
To a mere man, the last mentioned
may seem unimportant. To wom-
an they are not. To her, they are
necessity. Ask Mrs. Roosevelt or
Mrs. Morgenthau and see how ridic-
ulous those well manicured and
marcelled ladies would consider the
suggestion that it be denied them.
But, quite possibly the wealthy
Mr.. Morgenthau will have his way
and the necessary majority of our
$4,000 per year legislators will vote
a $47.60 annual tax on the SIS per
week salesgirl The next question
is: How will she be able to pay it?
Certainly, not all of them will be
able. 1 suspect that a great many
will not. If they do not, what is
to be done about it, if anything?
If the Treasury department is to
attempt to collect, it will call for a
greatly augmented personnel to look
after the task; and if their efforts
are to be even partly successful, they
must use hard-fsted methods. How
far will they 60 and what will be
the effect?
Or, are they going to adopt a pol
icy of lenience toward these low in
come delinquents? If so, at what
figure in the rising scale of incomes,
do they lay aside this policy to use
whatever harsher means are neceS-
sary to compel payment?
If the Treasury decides to treat
leniently those of low income, what
will be the effect on those in the
higher brackets? However, justi-
fable it may seem, it will be dis
elimination. How will these look
upon it? Will they not be resentful?
Is it not likely to cause widespread
and understandable - attempts at
evasion? Will it bring about the
same attitude of indifference toward
the income tax that most debtors
assumed toward their obligations
during the palmiest days of the New
Deal, when they were taught-by
implication, at least-that the debtor
was very admirable and worthy
fellow, while the creditor, converse
ly, was a crook and an unmitigated
scoundrel?
The majority will, of course, pay.