Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1950-01-19
Taxation Without Relaxation

Taxation Without Relaxation
THE NEW TAX which organized
= labor is levying to pay the 500
a-month pension to its member:
as each reaches the age of 81
added to the taxes levied by local
state and federal governments
means taking from us all more
than SO per cent of our national in
come for the payment of taxes
either direct or indirect.
What the total of the indus
trial pension tax levied by the
labor unions will amount to no
one can say. Numerous esti-
mates have been made on the
basis Of approximately IL to IA
million organized workers, but
there are no actuarial figures
on which to base even a guess.
In addition to the lack of fig
ures, no one knows at what
point the demand for monthly
pension payments will stop.
John L. Lewis started his de-
mand at 20 cents a ton of coal
mined. He compromised that
demand for five cents a ton.
Later he secured the 20 cents
he had demanded and is, at
this writing, demanding IS
cents on each ton.
OF the several estimates ad
vanced as to the total of such q
tax, that of Senator Taft is the
lowest. He places the total annual
cost, on the basis of 500 a month
monthly pensions to each unior
member at the age of IS, at Il
billion dollars year the Ameri
can people will have to pay as q
hidden tax, added to the price OF
the commodities veal of US
may buy, that the members Of
organized labor may be assured
a pension. Members of organized
labor are not to pay my portion Of
that amount directly.
We will pay that IL billion
dollars as an increased price
on all the commodities we buy.
1t must either be added to the
price, or it must be taken from
the 20 million who have pro-
vided the tools and plants that
have made possible the jobs at
which all labor works. Taking
all Of their dividends would
not provide all of that IL bill
lion dollars, but doing so would
quickly stop the investments in
industry, and soon dry up all
jobs.
That estimated total of IL billion
dollars added to the cost of com.
modities means an average in.
creased cost of the commodities
purchased by each of the approx.
mately q million families in the
United States Of $444 dollars each
year. That $444 hidden tax, levied
by labor unions, would be in ad'
dit:on to the more than 81, 400 hid.
den and direct taxes each of the
q million families are, as an aver.
age, now paying to the federal gov.
eminent, levied by congress.
When to the terrific total of taxes
levied by congress to pay for the
operations of the federal govern
ment, and by organized labor, with
the consent of congress, to pay pen
sions to members of organized
labor, we again add local and state
taxes, we have total that repre-
sents more than one half of all OF
our income on which each family
must live. That is what it will be
costing us to pay for government.
local. state and national, plus the
tax to pay for pensions for organ
lied labor, the members of which
refuse to do any part for them
selves, but demand that the con-
sumers of the nation provide for
their declining years.
Can, and will, the American
people accept such conditions?
VIII they meekly turn over
half of all they can earn to be
spent by wasteful govern
ment in supporting an army OF
bureaucrats. or to provide for
special class, the members
Of organized labor, that they
may be cared for through the
years they do not work, and
without any effort or payment
on the part Of such members
to provide, even in part, for
themselves?
My guess would be mo-" The
people neither can nor will support
such extravaganza or such an in
equity. / believe such conditions
will result in a political revolution
in which the people will clean out
the MASTERS Of both political par
ties, and those who permit the
levying Of taxes by organized
labor.
Regardless of party, the people
will vote out Of the congress those
and it means a majority of all
members now holding seats-who
have persistently refused 10 econo-
mize, and those who fail 10 stop
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