The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-08-31


leading.
What we are actually facing is al
unprecedented propaganda campaign
of manufacturers to liquidate wartime
controls and restore government tc
the role of granting privileges and
subsidies to corporations, without
compelling them to take responsibility
for full employment. Does that sound
unfair? The record proves it.
Not few large corporations, and
we are discussing principles and not
personalities. have attained their dom
nance through private monopoly of
land or other natural resources, pat
ents or suppression of patents, trade
marks. price maintenance, tariffs, or
some special privilege in credit To
make these more profitable they have
set up trade associations, or other
devices to keep out effective competi-
ton.
A special privilege is something
that ceases to have any value when
it is made available to everyone. Bust
ness and landed farmers have done as
well by themselves, as by the nation,
during the war.
| shall not burden you with Stats
tics. Here are few round figures.
At the end of 1871, the surplus
and undivided profits of some 100000
corporations were almost s55 billion,
of which 426 corporations had nearly
half
About 100 corporations got nearly
seven-tenths of the war contracts.
For the six years, 1939-44-corporat
profits above taxes, were almost SAT
billion, while profits of unincorporated
business jumped from 500 billion in
1889 to $12.3 billion in 1914.
The selling price of farm lands in
creased about S14 billion during the
war, and profits of landed farmers
topped all records.
Business is guaranteed postwar tax
rebates. Congress is now rushing
through, without public hearings, leg
islation to increase tax-exempt cor
poration profits. Prices of 80 import
ant farm crops have been guaranteed
for two years after the war in the
Pacific ends-at a cost to consumers
of about So billion year.
Congress, The Smaller War Plants
Corporation, and the department of
commerce have been framing a pro-
gram to help little business become
big business through subsidies. and
from the cradle to the grave.
They realize that about a third of
small business ventures fail the first
year, and only one out of five lives
for 10 years, and are seeking the
remedy through the subsidy of cheap
credit and governmental assistance.
Even the fact we spent nearly 81
billion for alcoholic drinks last wear
doesn't fully explain our mental state
when we call this private enterprise"
To offset this outpouring of govern
nent help to large and small business.
we are now spending In subsidies to
$2.5 billion a year to keen
prices from rising further. This es-
sential antidote to subsidized private
enterprise amounts to about four
times the expense we incurred for
consumer subsidies three years ago.
The Peoples Lobby is attempting to
stop some of these inflationary trends
)y securing government inyestiga- |
ion of the capital structurel of cor
oorations, which will probably reveal |
It least $50 billion of inflated stock |
also to secure legislation
ewing a special tax on the wartime
Increase in the selling prices of city
md farm lands. | have already in
Heated that we must have widely ex-
ended public ownership, if we are not
o head into postwar unemployment.
We don't have to be so foolish as
o wait and we run serious risk of
rouble at home, if we do. We are
ejoicing over the concept of post
var United Nations.
An economy of abundance will help
0 make us stay United Nations.
Let us call the roll of some of them.
RUSSIA has socialized economy
or which the American term is public
= and it has brought adj
ancing production standards, despite
ONE mistakes made. These we can
void as we did in the Tennessee
ALLEY Authority and Grand CouIee, to
lention two
THE BRITISH LABOR PARTY,
7hich is close second in popular
ote, demands public ownership
hats their term - of the fuel and
over industries, inland transport,
ION and steel and the banking and II
redit system, and public supervision
monopolies and cartels", as well /
s land naturalization.
FRANCE is committed to major
ublic ownership, and most of Europe
yill adopt it. if British and American
'ories don't block it.
AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND II
re headed far to that economy, and Il
Hydro-electric enterprise H
as given it impetus in Canada. II
CHINA, as Madam Chang Kai Shek |
as warned imperialists everywhere,
ready to have her resources used
,r all her people.
America doesn't need to wait for
mother unemployment disaster, which
ould inevitably mean much violence,
, obtain public ownership-we really
ave much now-bought and paid for,
Rough not signed and delivered.
Uncle Sam owns about SO billion
industrial plants, which some of
Is grasping children are trying to Sc :
Ire. Every member of congress and Il
very federal official knows this. All
q need is to prevent ourselves from Z