Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-10-13
FAIR
ENOUGH
BY We stbrook
Peqler

IT HAS been estimated that
Il about 5000 900 citizens. who
now pay an income tax by the
checkoff system i'm the shape OF
victory tax. would be rellevedv
entirely Of the income tax under
Henry Morgenthau's proposals,
which appear TO have been re-
lected.
This was a strictly political
idea, intended 10 put on ice
about that many votes for a
fourth term for Mr.. and. Mrs.
Roosevelt by indicating ten
der solicitude for the common
man and TO put on a spot all
opponents Of the plan who come
up for er-election.
| should like TO point out,
however, that no such consider
alton for the common man has
ever existed, and prove up by
calling attention 10 the fact
that tho New Deal, from The
very beginning, has held that no
worker is too poor 10 pay an in
come tax to the admlnlStra-
tons Subgovernment. namely
the unions of the AF'L and the
CIO.
OUCH income taxes have AL
u ways constituted a first
hen on all earnings Of all
workers even IN the lowest
brackets under the So-Called Ia
hor policy OF the New Deal, and
even now, with the victory tax
still in effect, the unions still
get first grab al the peoples
pay in those areas. such as coal
mining, where the closed shop
and union security and union
maintenance shops prevail.
The closed shop is the ideal
OF the administration and if il
were completely realized, as II
may be and as the unloneers
naturally hope II will be. every
individual worker in the nation
employed for wages or salary
would be bound 10 contribute
10 the colossal SluSh fund. n
When / say that even now
with the governments Checkoff'
in operation. the unions get
first chop al the money mean
that if the union isn't paid the
worker is dropped from the
rolls and fired from his Job.
He rs then unable 10 earn any
income on which 10 pay the VIC
tory tax so. II witt be seen that
the union rOmcS before the gov
eminent IN principle.
COME of those. whom large
u hearted Henry would re-
lleVe Of their taxes payable 10
the national government be-
cause he believes that they are
overtaXed. are nevertheless paw
ing their unions much more
than they are contributing 20
the public kitty 10 pay for the
war
Many OF them are also forced
10 contribute 10 various union
social security projects some
Of them SwindleS. and TO Vaca-
ton funds with concealed and
tricky little frauds written into
the articles whereby the midi
vidual gets less for his vacation
than the boss paid the union IN
his name OF gets nothing At all
n 10 Il
conditions
There is no proposal 70 re-
lieve them Of any such taxes
out of pity for their poverty
ENEN un der MOrcenthau'S
IL new plan. individuals earn
ing upward Of say 500 a week.
at inflated rates Of straight and
overtime pay for war work.
would not necessarily have 10
pay their federal income taxes
even though they actually owed
some.
Here again. the New DcalA
places the union before the pub u
III u tdNil anu AIfAN PioAfN wv
party funds ahead Of the war
needs.
Because man. who owes q
federal income tax. cannot be
punished for failure to pay If
he makes q more or less honest
return accompanied by a state
ment that he Is sorry 10 say
that he is fresh out Of money
because the union got him first.
The union. Of course. stands for
no such nonsense
Morgcnthau'S proposal has no
quality OF mercy. II IS Just an
other T. y q FL lie -Defttiraf
scheme which would have the
effect Of further enriching the
unions. which are already rich,
whereas old Sam Is not only
broke. but deeply in debt. all AZ
the expense of the people and
the United States Treasury.
Copyright, 1888 by United Features. synd