The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1943-06-17
LOOKING
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DUE CREDIT
~ GEORGE S. BENSON
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Some time ago a startling suggestion
came from the United States Treasury
Department. In substance, the Treasury
asked for authority to raise or lower
rates on the Withholding Tax every
month. Congress refused Of course, re-
fused Indignantly, just as trusted rep
resentatives of the people should have
refused. But think what it would have
meant if Congress had meekly handed
over its power to tax.
II you we're an employee, how would
you like to dig into your envelope
next pay day and find II 10 per cent
short; find that your employer, on
orders from the Treasury, had boosted
your tax 10c on the dollar? Taxes on
income are burdensonme enough when
voted deliberately by elected representa-
tives. Letting some government man
boost rates whenever the notion struck
him would be hard to take.
A Good Lesson
Now that congress has crushed the
absurd idea, maybe it's a good thing that
somebody had the thought and blurted
it. Let this be a lesson to people who
in haste and Impotence suggest doing
away with Congress for the duration,
having government by executive edict.
Bureaucracy, unrestrained by any parli-
ment, would mean giving up ~independ-
ence; yes, giving up income on short
notice without a hearing.
There never was a time when the
American people had more reason to be
grateful for a loyal and competent
Congress than in this wal year Of un-
usual emergencies. Critics have a way
Of saying, Congress is slow, selfish,
short-sighted, even ignorant. In war
the country needs quick, expert action.
Not Half True
First the foregoing charges against
Congress is true. Congress is deliberate
and it's a good thing. The other charges
are false. l am convinced that there is
less selfishness, less indifference, more
enlightenment and more penetrating Wis
ion in the Congress- Of the United States
than in any assembly of men on Earth.
Well considered acts Of Congress are
more helpful to the war effort thar all
the illconceived steps Of hasty experts
combined.
selfish spirit of Congress could be
singled out than the much-discussed and
little-understood Pay-As-You-Go income
AK. 1t will win no words of praise from
selfish voters, none from our enemies
at home or abroad. The tax will cut
off the biggest slice Of payroll that the
American people ever gave up in one
year, mostly from workers who never
before felt the pangs of an income tax.
1t was not a political measure. Congress
did it to win battles, not ballots.
Being Specific
Who put tagging airplane production
back on schedule about a year ago?
Charles Wilson, placed in charge after
a Senate committee insisted on a COM
petent man to break the bottle-necks
Who took the tangled rubber prob
lens out of the clutches of seven bu-
reaus and gave it to William LETTERS to
straighten out? Donald Nelson, guided
largely by the report of a Senatorial
committee.
Who unscrambled the manpower prob
lem that last winter was cramping war
production and food production as we'll
as selective service? The President,
honoring a suggestion from the Senate
committee.
Who rang down the curtain on the
WPA? You know the answer already.
But enough! This count could run to
monotonous length. We can be thank
full that. we live in a republic with hon.
orable representatives. Ife We had a hub
Der stamp assembly or none at all we