Askov American., 1943-02-11


with those in the regular armed forces
during and following the war. At
the rate we are now building mer-
chant ships, we will emerge from this
conflict with the greatest merchant
fleet in the world and Congress should
do everything possible to foster the
growth and well-being of that most
important arm of our commercial
structure.
Smear Campaign Exposed.
One of the most dramatic and tell
ing addresses delivered in the House
in my time came from the lips of
Representative Martin Dies of Texas,
one day last week. In a speech that
consumed more than an hour, Mr..
Dies showed by irrefutable evidence
that a group of New York radicals
had banded themselves together for
the deliberate purpose of defeating
those Senators and Representatives in
Congress who have opposed the Ad-
ministration's program to socialize
America. The campaign failed, as
we all know. It was largely financed
by a group of internationally minded
persons of wealth who have enlisted
in a movement to set up a super
world government after the war of
which America is to be a mere part.
This group poured many thousands
of dollars into the state of Minnesota,
alone. 1t is conservative to say that
in the Sixth district they spent in
excess of $4,000 in the primary and
general election campaigns. On my
visit to Minnesota two weeks ago l
saw many mute evidences of these
expenditures in the form of large
billboards bearing the inscription
"Scrap Knutson."
Europe is hopelessly lost to totali-
tarianism, which is a Synonymous
term for Communism, Fascism and
Nazism. The purpose of our inter-
nationally minded crowd is to have
America join the procession but
continue to have implicit faith in the
good sense of the American people
They can be trusted to do the right
thing when the time comes. Amer
lea will continue to remain land of
opportunity, free and independent.
Canned Goods Rationing.
Almost two months in advance the
Office of Price Administration an
nounced that rationing of canned
and processed foods on point basis
will start on Monday, March l.
do not pretend to know just what
need there is for all this rationing
but we all know that giving such a
long advance notice of impending
rationing of any particular commod-
ity can only lead to excess buying
and boarding with resultant increase
in prices. In addition it gives ample
opportunity to the speculator to go
into the market and corner the visible
the consumer at a substantial in
crease in price.
Congress Busy.
This promises to be an unusually
busy Congress. Already the House
has passed its first appropriation bill
(treasury and post office) carrying
IL thousand million dollars, which
is several weeks earlier than in pre-
vious sessions. In the immediate Of
fling we have legislation to increase
the national debt limit from 1875
thousand million dollars to 210 thou
sand million dollars; also legislation
to extend the life of the reciprocal
trade agreements law.
The Ways and Means committee
continues to put in its full time on
pay-as-you-go tax legislation, the
purpose of which is to place personal
income tax collections on a current
basis. AS stated in last weeks let
ter, the number who will have to
pay personal income taxes in 1943
has been increased to about 35 mil
lion because of the lowered exemp-
tions carried in the 1912 income tax
law. Very few of these new recruits
to the taxpaying army have ever
before paid income taxes and it is
largely for their convenience that
it is desirable to 60 onto a pay-as-
you-go basis and collect from the
pay check and from dividends and
interest an amount each month that
will aggregate the estimated total
for the year. This method will place
an added burden and expense upon
employers who already have to col
lect and remit the Social Security
taxes. Unfortunately, this cannot be