Detroit evening times., 1945-08-22
PAUL
The News

Anlltu sNldAtN - SUNS -
world seems developing into
debate.
Mr.. Churchill, still the best
reporter Of international events
in his new secondary role this
speeches give more news) told
Parliament the United States
at the minute stands al the
summit Of the world
He added that in power and
responsibility il would take two
or three years before our great
progress is overtaken.
Yet since peace, all you can
hear on our radio every hour
on the hour are doleful tones
about how many unemployed
there -will be and Mr. Truman
has summoned back Congress
primarily TO raise the unem-
ployment compensation level
from $50 to S25 a week and
extend the allowances from 20
to 26 weeks.
Word being passed around
now. the Truman measure will
surety ne adopted and the Go
may pry addition concessions.
I AM not a master Of the
Il propaganda arts, which be-
come more mystifying TO me as
new techniques develop, but l
do recall many past occasions,
in recent years. when the cry
of wolf, wolf" was raised solely
for the purpose Of shearing the
sheep while the public was look
ing for the wolf.
In this particular case, I note
that tax reduction is subject
further down the list.
Indeed, no program for that
phase of postwar adjustment
was worked up in advance by
the administration. A | tn oug h
some anonymous members Of
Congress were being quoted on
the back pages of the papers
that the normal tax will be cut
from 6 10 3 per cent.
Also l have heard some rather
good authorities suggest the
taxes our people are paying are
greater than the war eXpendi-
lures of all the other nations of
the world.
In any case. every one now is
paying taxes, Or should be, most
people through the nose by the
withholding arrangement. yet
no comparable interest in their
behalf is noticeable You never
hear any one crying: Wolf
the tax collector.
NOT only that but YOU never
~ even get straightforward
picture of the unemployment
situation.
No one has gone on the radio
at any hour / have been on, 10
say that so per cent of the un-
employed are already authorized
10 get the maximum of $50 a
week. but an expert figured out
the fact. and the congressional
experts say it is about right.
The states. Of course. are
flushed POSSIBLY S6,000.000,0O0)
with big unemployment reserves
from war taxes, as in New York,
for instance, where the unem-
ployment sales tax was kept on
before and throughout the war
although there was no unem-
ployment.
When need for the tax passed,
the tax was not repealed.
But why is this? There are
more taxpayers than any other
class.
Nor do I hear anything about
the existing, greatest non-mili-
tary spending program ever con-
ceived in the mind Of man.
Congress has appropriated
81 500,00O,000 for flood control
works and S500,000,000 a year
for highways, fact you will
never find in a Go leafiet pro-
noting increased free compens-
alton.
The CT Bill of Rights is sup
posed TO dispense between So
000,00O,000 and $4,000, 100000 in
compenSations within two years,
with allowances TO pay the way
of many boys through two years
schooling, but there is no adver-
tiSing on that.
I THOUGHT / had a rather
Il good column Aug. s showing
the unadded total of our foreign
spend-lend program was SIS
.700,000.000, including lend-lease.
Export Import Bank. Breton
Woods, army relief and UNRRA.
but that fact is still otherwise
unadvertiSed
In connection with this cur
rent story, it must be considered
an unemployment relief meas
ure.
Now add on the domestic end,
81, ,00O.O00.000 for public works.
So. 500. 100000 for CT and So
0O0.00O.000 in the state unem-
ploNment compensation funds
and you have S1l ,500000.000
-f1ere, or A grand total planned
expenditure OF more than ST.
000.000.000 (billions).
Why Roosevelt in his palmiest
free spending days never spent
one-third of that amount in his
budgets.
In short. the proposed relief
spending is more than three
times the amounts with which