The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1944-08-24
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Moral Courage

Moral Courage
Only three dangers seem big enough
to threaten Americas direct course to
postwar prosperity. They are (1) scare
ity Of capital, CD loss Of foreign mar
kets, and (3) government bungling in
matters Of business. Two previous chap
ters Of Looking Ahead" discussed the
first two obstacles. Either Of them
could wreck Americas hope Of world
leadership; both can be avoided.
The courage Of our people to brave
the first two hazards depends on know
ing what government means to do about
the third. By investing the cost of six
months of war, industry can create the
7 to l million new jobs needed. Com
petent American workers can make these
jobs pay good wages and returns on the
investment. Industry and labor can sue
coed together with favorable government
regulations.
Pays to be Ready
Sailing and delaying at the wars end
may, in three ways, stop all progress of
labor and industry back toward pros
perity. Indeed one obstruction can keep
recovery from even starting, might
wreck Private Enterprise before it
starts. Taxation is the deadly tool. No
new laws are necessary. Many a small
industrial plant will never turn a wheel
after the emergency until present tax
laws are changed.
A factory in Texas works $50 men. /
know the owner. His taxes ran 81, 900 a
day last year, about the same as his pay
roll. He manages today because the
government takes his complete outputs;
no risks to run, no selling to do. After
the war it will be different: Uncertain
demands, sure selling costs, competition
to meet. Without tax relief he does not
now he can afford to take such risks.
Time Has Value
The case is typical. Most manufactur-
ers believe tax revisions will come, but
they fear delay. If work starts on a new
tax bill after V-Day, it will be a year
in the making and a serious business
depression can get underway in that
time. If employers might know today
how peace-time taxes will be figured
they could estimate prices and shift in
to postwar production and employment
without a shutdown.
Something else business men can't
wait for too long: News about govern.
ment competition. The U. S. owns out
wight ESQ of the nations manufacture
ing plants and equipment. Will these be
sold into private ownership, or what? If
supported by taxes, such plants could
make anything from foot-valves to
lightning rods and leave the employees
of bankrupt competitors weeping in the
streets.
SeditiOn is Unlawful
Sabotage is governments third fear
to remove. Alien agitators u~n-mu41lvd in
this country can be expected to start
promoting revolution as soon as hostili-
ties have ceased. Many new-made Amer
leans still hold slave-land notions and
believe anything hat Injuries their EN-
plCyer helps them. Arson, violence ana
vandalism should be restrained in years
when life and liberty depend on effici-
ency.
The worlds only free people must
sway iiSe. independence must De retain
ed by the worlds only nation not re-
duced to %beggary. No sane baseball play
er would go to bat with two strikes on
him, and, by the same token, Americas
rational business men deserve an open
statement of government policy on three
things: Cd taxation, co sedition and
90 government competitor. If govern
ment will clear the track industry will
come through.