Evening star., 1943-01-21
McLemore-
Tukes Toxi Ride
In Fools Purudise
BY HENRY McLEMORE.

Dy
"How's hacking?" I asked the cab
driver as we rolled down Lexington
avenue.
Terrific" he said. "Terrifici
Never seen nothing like it. Why guys
are fighting for seats. Other night
fellow hops in the door, shoves
five-dollar bill in my hand, and
says, That's just for getting in"
That's SWELL" I said. Time you
hackers got break. You nearly
starved to death for a long time.
didn't you7"
You're right, buddy, but the
dough is pouring in now. I used to
drive 40 and so miles day and
think I was lucky II I went home
with three bucks in my pocket. Now
I'm driving 100 miles a day, and
making myself rs bucks a week.
Other night I cleaned up 35 bucks"
The cab stopped for a red light.
The cabbie stuck his head around
the glass partition. But 1t amt
no good" he said. "What2" I said.
not believing my ears. Amt no
good" he repeated. "All the guys
are kicking about It," Whats
wrong with rs and 80 bucks a weekPs
I asked.
It's Them Taxes"
Taxes" he said. pulling his wind
breaker around his neck. Them
taxes. You know what I'm gonna
have to pay if keep on at this rate?
You know what the Governmental
nick me for? Three or four hum
dred! Yeah, maybe more than that,
and I amt got it. I can't pay that
sort of cut. He'll, I keep driving
through reds trying to figure out
how much gotta pay out. Amt no
good"
That's just one little sample Of
how people are talking all over
this country. They're making mora
money than they ever made before
In their lives, and they're complain
ing. I don't know anything about
the national income, but right now
1t must be at peak. And the
result of its being at a peak is
complaints-complaints about hav-
ing to turn back share of the
unprecedented wealth to the Gov
ernment that is fighting a war to
see to it that men are paid decent
wages, and not crushed by powers
who would work them for nothing.
The cab driver is no different
from all the rest of us. We're all
gripping. A rich man told me in
all seriousness that he was going
to have to give up gambling be-
cause he couldn't afford it any more.
wouldn't have the spare money.
That's too bad, isn't It'll
Defense workers by the score have
told me that what worried them
most was the thought of the taxes
they would have to pay for the first
time. That's too bad, isn't it!
All over the country people are
saying that there must be some
sort of change In the tax plan, else
there'n be millions and millions
OF tax delinquents. There aren't
enough judges to convict them or
tails enough to hold them, is the
general tenor Of the tax song that
Is being sung. IS
This, mind you, In a country
where no one but the soldier has
been asked to make a real sacrifice.
With our money we can still buy
butter. meat, milk, eggs. warm
clothes. stout shoes, almost in
abundance. Even with taxes, we
still have 10 times as much money
left than the civilians of any other
country that is fighting this giobal
war.
What we need to do in this
country, when we start to complain
about how much we will have to
pay out in taxes. Is to sit down and
ngure out how much better off we
are than the people of any other
country. Sure. Uncle Sam wants a
lot, needs lot and will take a lot
OF the dough we are making but
how do you think the people OF
Poland, Greece, France, England,
China, Belgium and all the others
would feel II they could still have
all the fruit and vegetables and
meat and fats and clothes they not
only required but wanted?
It's shame. We have more cash
In our pockets than we ever had
before. The stores are still packed
with the things that make for COM
fort. Yet we complain. Suppose
we had to pay that tax on an
empty stomach. Suppose we had to
pay it when we were cold and with
little hope of ever getting warm.
Then we might have a cause for
fussing.
But right now we Americans are
living in paradise when compared
to the rest of the world. A fools
paradise, maybe, but still a para
disc.
Distributed by McNaught Syndicate, Inc,