Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-11-26

kEIOkN WHEN HE WAX ENDS, H. The
SAME LAND OF LIBERTY AND OPPOR-
TUNITY FROM WHICH THEY DEPARTED.
In proposing and insisting upon its 1917
billion dollar tax program, the administration
has either failed to give recognition to, or de-
liberately ignored these facts:
I That federal taxes are already at an all
l. time high, being roughly EIGHT TINES
THE GREATEST ANNUAL AMOUNT COL
LECTED DURING THE FIRST WORLD
WAR.
= That IN ADDITION to the more than 40
u billions of federal taxes, taxpayers must
pay annually nearly 10 BILLIONS IN STATE
AND LOCAL TAXES.
= THAT PER CAPITA TAXES IN THE
= UNITED STATES NOW EXCEED THOSE
LEVIED IN OTHER COUNTRIES, BEING
1857 FOR EVERY. MAN, WOMAN AND
CHILD, AS COMPARED WITH 1921 IN THE
UNITED KINGDOM, WHICH HAS ALWAYS
BEEN REGARDED AS HAVING THE
HIGHEST LEVIES.
That under existing law, there will be two
4 very substantial increases in taxes next
year, namely (A) most individuals subject
to income tax will have to pay in 1914, in addi-
ton to their regular income tax for that year,
1919 per cent of their 1912 assessment, and
will also have to make like payment in 1915;
OBJ beginning Jan. l, 1914, the present i per
cent pay roll tax under the Social Security
Act will be doubled on both employers and
employees.
- That under the operation Of the 1872 per
= cent carry-over above mentioned it will be
impossible for any person, regardless of how
great his income, to have more than S24,0 900
left after taxes in 1914 and 1915, and that in
the highest brackets taxpayers will have to
pay to the treasury even MORE THAN THEIR
TOTAL INCOME FOR THESE TWO YEARS
q III G
y SO APPLY SAID. "YOU CAN SHEAR A
SHEEP INDEFINITELY, But YOU CAN
SKIN HIM BUT ONCE"
We are reminded that it took only one
straw to finally break the camel's back. Yet
the administration, instead of diminishing its
demands for additional revenue s-the- tax
load has been approaching the limit, has in
recent years virtually doubled each new re-
quest over the previous one.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN 1910, CONGRESS
WAS ASKED TO RAISE s., 900, 900 900 UN-
DER THE SO-CALLED DEFENSE TAX
BILL. IN 194l, THE TREASURY'S RE-
QUEST WAS FOR 81 BILLIONS ADD
TIONAL. LAST YEAR, 1T WAS FOR 7.6
p BILLIONS. THIS TIME, THE ANTE HAS
BEEN RAISED TO 1917 BILLIONS.
In other words the more the American
taxpayer has become burdened with increasing
taxes, the more the administration has sought
to pile on even greater increases.
CtINCE 1910, federal tax collections have
- risen approximately 700 per cent, as shown
in the following table,
Fiscal Year Ending Total Tax
June 30 Collections
1910 1925 100000
1871 S,268 100000
1912 1868 100000
1913 23,3S4 900 900
1914 40,350 100000
It is apparent from the foregoing figures
that the recent increases have been sharp and
substantial. Taxpayers have not had time to
adjust themselves to one increase before an
other even greater one has been imposed, and
it is no wonder that they have become
"groggy" under the load
- The Need for Economy
e5,irInp tho. rl'- 1~,~- -
! participation in the present war, military, avt-
preparations had to be made quickly and on
faith, lin whatever amounts requested by the
military authorities.
THE TOTAL WAR PROGRAM HAS NOW
REACHED THE STAGGERING SUM OF
345 BILLIONS, OR APPROXIMATELY THE
AMOUNT OF THIS COUNTRY'S ENTIRE
NATIONAL WEALTH.
1t is inevitable that in the expenditure of
any such amount tremendous waste and
eXtraVaqance will occur This colIntrv'e ey-