The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1948-01-29

and plan Of national public officials
from here on will be for political
purposes. That Is, for purposes OF
getting elected, or reelected, as
the case may be.
We are told that the Presidents
Estate Of the Union" message was
a political job. That, of course, in
cludes the $40-tax-cut plan. AND
we are told that the Republican
reply was for the same purpose,
especially Mr.. Taft's reply.
/ The statements probably are
true. Now it would be nice if we
could have all public questions de-
cided upon a basis of scientifical-
ly ascertained fact, but also it
would rob us of one of the great
and intriguing features Of democra-
cy.
There are some questions that
ought to be decided upon such a
basis and there are some that prop
erly belong in the arena Of public
debate.
We have put foreign policy fair
ly we'll into the field of non-parti-
san determination, approaching inn
partial ascertainment Of fact. We
ought to do something like that
with taxes.
No branch of government goes
about taxing on a basis of scien-
tifically ascertained fact. They all
go about it hit or miss, piling one
patch atop another
As one has put 1t, governments
try to take most from the goose
that squawks least.
Thus we get taxes on dime store
cosmetics, on cigarettes and on
movie tickets; also the tax on oleo.
Where we ought to have true
tax structures we have crazy quilt
attacks on all of us, hitting hard
est those who can least afford to
be hit. Mostly the patch taxes are
easy to collect. That makes them
attractive to taxing bodies and
tax collectors. It's sure-fire stuff
And effective complaint is difficult
if not impossible.
Perhaps something will be done
some day to give us scientific tax
alton, but we shall not reach that
day until there is a great public
clamor. And to be truly effective,
that clamor will have to be built
around a proposal. 1t cannot be
negative.
Right now taxation is a very SER
ious matter, to those who like to
look ahead.
Today we have almost full en-
A lot of taxes are being
paid without too much suffering.
But, if we pay heed to the re-
port of the Council of Economic
Advisers we get "A pretty good idea
that the current boom is building
up to a bust. When the bust comes,
with it will come, surely, a drop
in the volume of nuisance and So
called luxury taxes. Treasures
everywhere will be hit and when
that happens budgets get kicked
end-wise.
1t may be that government will
jolt itself into action and prevent
first class bust. There may be, as
there can be, an easing down, so
hat we don't land as if we had
stepped on a banana peel.
However, whether we go plunk
II just slide gently down hill, we
shall feel all to quickly the gap in
he taX-take.
Now, true as this economic ad- I
Users forecast may be, it merely ,
ends added emphasis to the need
or deep-cutting tax plan revision.
The maladjustment is there,
we are riding high or {
low. The evil of it goes c
N, day after day, year after year. i
There is a theory that the prop |
r way to tax is to tax heaviest s
hose best able to pay. But we don't [
10 too much of it that way. To G
ften those ablest to pay also are
blest at avoiding and ablest in !
,etting legislative bodies to ease t
p. C
In other words, taxing today is v
S political as anything can be, v
While if there is any aspect of gov C
that ought not be politi- n
al, in the sense of being a football s
f partisanship and power, it is k
aXation. I
Our tax troubles will not be solv- /"
d by Truman ineptitudes, by Taft
por by Wallace mystic .
;m. r
Complete relief will be a long 8
me coming, but it is likely never r
D come unless a lot of people start O
lllling about it seriously and d
loughtfully. d
What's your idea? W
!.