Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-11-26
PROPOSED TAN
INCREASES
General Statement


THE pending bill is the seventeenth
l. major tax measure since 1893 and the
third since Pearl Harbor.
AS consequence of the past 16 meas
ures, most of which were enacted in a
hopeless effort to keep pace with the ex-
travagant and wasteful spending of the
past decade, federal taxes have been in
creased 20 fold-from billions annually
to more than 40 billions annually.
To this staggering and unprecedented
burden now borne by the American peo-
pie, the administration is insisting upon
THE ADDITION OF A FURTHER
LOAD OF 1912 BILLIONS, largely
through sharp increases in the already
heavy personal income tax.
The administration has obviously
overestimated probable expenditures for
the current year. since they are running
at the rate of 90 billions as compared with
the 104 billions estimated. The action of
the war department in turning back
some Is billions Of its appropriations is
abundant evidence Of the fact that the
government cannot spend the amount
previously estimated.
On the other hand, it appears that the
probable tax receipts for the year have
been underestimate, and will more
likely come closer to 40 billions than 40
billions. On this basis, it is clear that the
l to ratio of taxes to expenditures will
be achieved without additional taxation
of any kind.
HAVING unanimously opposed the
IL drastic tax program advocated by
the administration, we are pleased to say
that it is not embraced in the revenue
bill as reported to the House, which pro-
vides only for certain limited tax in
creaSeS involving a total Of 2 billions, or
one-fifth the amount of the administra-
TONS request.
SOME MAY ATTEMPT TO-BE-
LITTLE THE AMOUNT CARRIED IN
THE BILL, BUT WE DO NOT BE-
LIEVE THAT THE TIME HAS YET
COME WHEN 2 BILLIONS OF IN
CREASED TAXES CAN BE RE-
GARDED AS INCONSEQUENTIAL,
EVEN IN THESE DAYS OF ASTRO-
NOMICAL SPENDING. THE IN
CREASE REPRESENTS So FOR
EVERY MINUTE SINCE THE DAWN
OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA.
While we Of the Republican minority have
co-operated with the majority on a strictly
nonpartisan basis in the preparation of the
pending bill, we believe the time has come when
henceforth the administration, instead of in
sisting upon squeezing more and more taxes
out of the public, SHOULD AT LONG LAST
BE GIVING SOME CONCERN TO THE
ELIMINATION OF UNNECESSARY AND
WASTEFUL EXPENDITURES. We shall in
to consider the imposition of further taxes
upon the people and upon business. =.
FOR TOO LONG THE OVERWHELMED
TAXPAYER HAS BEEN THE "FORGOTTEN
MAN"
FOR TOO LONG THE WATCHWORD
".s "HEN "SPEND AND SPEND, TAX
AND TAN"
In opposing the administration .1012 bill
lion dollar tax program, and in unanimously,
contributing to its defeat In committee we :
took the position that tax increase of this
magnitude would impose entirely too great a
burden on taxpayers generally, and that it
would THREATEN THE LIQUIDATION OF
THE MIDDLE ~CLASS IN AMERICA, DIS
COURAGE MAXIMUM PRODUCTION FOR
THE WAR EFFORT, AND UNDERMINE
THE ABILITY OF PRIVATE ENTERPRISE
TO PROVIDE JOBS IN THE POSTWAR
PERIOD FOR THE TENS OF MILLIONS OF
PERSONS NOW TEMPORARILY ENGAGED
IN WAR ACTIVITY, BOTH ON THE BAT
TIE FRONTS AND THE HOME FRONT,