The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-03-25
Observations
Middle Class
Has Hard Time
TO Pay Taxes
BY Charles p. Stewart

BY Charles y. stewart
The middle-clsss group was the
one that was hardest stung.
Putocrscy has a sufficient mar
gin not TO feel the levy like the
middle class polloi The TAX cuts
its dividends. but does not neces-
ssrily curtail its household eN.
penSes The bunch in the lower
brackets. caught now for the first
time, are accustomed 10 being
pinched, anyway
The day | consulted a Treasury
expert relative to my return.
found myself preceded in line by
a negro waiter OF my acquaint-
ance also after the bad news.
lie was not particularly mourn
full He knew what his salary
was, but his tips were between
himself and his conscience /
think he was rather inflated at
being required to contribute TO
the war effort
Il is the ordinary guy on a mod
crate salary who catches hades.
He probably has a house he is
trying TO pay for. He has a
middle class family. His 'missus"
does not understand income tax
alton He can not Crimp much
except by borrowing money. And
even to do that. his credit must
be eood-and STAY good. He
has his monthly installments 20
meet regularly. and more loans to
negotiate by June 10, for later
tax instalments.
This is not to mention what
he has had to borrow. He can
pinch household expenses, but
these are fixed charges.
The beauty OF t is that il will
not end with the wars end
The accumulated Indebtedness
still will have to be attended to.
II will get worse. in all probabi-
lily. Debts have a habit that
way.
There is where our postwar
economic sterilization program
enters into consideration. There
is a surmise. too, that inevitably,
il may amount TO totslit8rianism
Congressman say so.
They so diagnose the Delano
plan, intended to meet the situa-
ton
The middle class, obviously. are
the folk who need ii. The compare
tive peewees are the ones who are
in danger The big guys are due
TO be Debated But the poor mid
die classers are scheduled TO
catch it hard.
And they are about most OF US.
Experts all agree that our aver
age living standard is due 10 re-
fleet the pinch. In the abstract.
we see it coming, but we have not
acutely felt it yet. We will in
side another year or two. And IL
will last on into eternity, so far
as the current generation is con-
cerned. according TO all the eco
nomists.
Attendant upon and following
all previous big wars a similar
threat has impended. but 1t never
has been taken very seriously in
advance. II is so recognized this
time. but IL remains to be seen
whether or not the danger can be
ayerted by preliminary planning.
This experiment is a new one.
II is rather doubtful, too For a
country TO burn up all its extra
resources and gamble that il will
not feel the repercusion later
we'll. that is darned hopeful
view to take.
Good management may take
SOME OF the curse OF. but will
II take ALL OF it on?
There will be a postwar period
OF replenishment. OF course. Such
booms never. heretofore. have
lasted long. however. and the nett
one land its collapse) ought 10
be a corker. IL in proportion to
the size OF the current conflict.
How about it,
II Ia due TO be dependent upon
the efficiency OF todsy's proven
tive measures.
And they have not been tried
before in history.
Following past wars there has
been an effort to repair the dam
age they caused. This time the
scheme Gin this country. anyway
has been to ANTICIPATE the
ds mage and discount il.
Most serious is the fact It Is not