The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-11-05
Whitney Says

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shortage, measley little sales tal
stamps, printed at great cost, arr
passed out for every transaction, will
some exemptions, involving sale o
10 cents or more There is also the
great expense and nuisance to mer
chants and others in collecting ant
accounting for this shakedown meth
cd of taxation.
| refer to the sales tax as shake
down, because it fleeces consumers
without their direct awareness.
urge members of congress to jump tc
the conclusion that this characteristic
makes it an ideal tax to impose on
voters. Voters of today are better in
formed and are persuaded by what
they feel as well as what they see.
Do not mistakenly believe that be-
cause some defense workers, by work
ing as much as two or more days in
one, now have sufficient money to
absorb a sales tax without complaint.
Millions of people in America, includ-
ing railroad workers, are still on wage
and salary rates established before
the Pearl Harbor attack. The con-
Stunning and voting people of America
are sufficiently intelligent to recog-
nize the sales tax as a shakedown of
the poor by the rich.
In his syndicated column of Octo-
Der 8, 1913, Raymond Clapper, col
umnist for the Scripps-Howard news
papers, argued for sales tax. He
magnanimously admitted that some
what more could be squeezed"
through income and corporation taxes,
but declared:
a.. although there is always the
threat of a strike against produc-
ton if they -corporations) are
pressed too hard. 1t ought not to
be that way but they can get away
with it and refuse to produce If
there is not enough profit in it. SO
the corporations have to be babied."
Mr. Clapper does not advocate a
'no-strike" pledge for corporations.
A sales tax must be paid from in
come, although Clapper makes the
specious contention that individual
and corporation incomes have already
been taxed so much that we must now
turn to sales tax as "the one big
source of untapped revenue left"
There can be only one reason for
sales tax-to shove the load onto the
backs of those already burdened with
frozen incomes, social security taxes,
bond deductions and a greatly in
creased cost of living. Mr. Clapper
calls for levies that "bear down on in
dividuals." Certainly the income tax
precisely fits this requirement. 1t is |
tailored" to fit the individual. 1t |
taxes an individual on what he has,
not on what he needs.
1t is shocking to realize that a pro-
gram to place a Constitutional limita-
ton, or ceiling, Of rs per cent on all
income, estate and gift taxes has been
secretly, if not mysterious
ly, promoted among the several states,
the idea being to proceed under Arti-
Gle V of the federal constitution and
force the congress a call consti-
lullOud1 COlN MANY hiSiioNio
of congress know Mr.. ]. A. Arnold,
who was well exposed by the senate
Caraway investigating committee,
which expressed amazement that
business men of ordinary sagacity
can be induced to contribute to Arm
olds purposes" man who has had
mo training or experience either as
an economist, a statistician or tax
expert that would fit him to be of
service in any capacity in connection
with revenue legislation" Working
through the Western Tax Council of
which claims several states
have already enacted resolutions call
ng for such a constitutional conven-
lion, Arnold now hopes to use the
states to force the hand of congress.
Under such tax exemption of wealth,
our nation would seen degenerate into
with few Millionaire lords
md masses of serfs. IL
With sober judgment and measured
words, declare that the patience of
he common people will be strained
almost to the breaking point If they
ire saddled with the infamous federal
,ales tax, of however small per
,ent. While labor periodically adj
leres to it's no-strike pledge, selfish
are taking an outrageously
Unfair advantage. Leaders of con-
,ress must sense this dangerous !
rend, which, if not promptly checked,
urely will result in a reservoir Of i'll
will that will plague all of us in the
era, for which big business
s now so feverishly planning"
Sincerely yours,
A. WHITNEY. President s