Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1950-11-10

~ = M quarters from whence hundreds
Pete Zvara of millions of good American dol
lars have been funelled into Italy via the Marshall
plan.
The CIO, of course, supported and still supports
the Marshall Plan Through the Marshall Plan coun-
tries like Italy was TO be helped back to normal
and healthy economic existance. Certainly If 1t
hadn't been for the Marshall Plan dollars, and other
assistance some of the West European governments
would be in a tough position Without this aid the
present Italian government would have been de-
feated long ago
yXIELL, under these circumstances one would ex-
w pect that the Italians themselves would 60 all
out to re establish themselves both politically and
economically But that isn't the case. The truth u.s.
at least according to the report of Mr. Stevens that
the situation in Italy is very bad. Especially on
the income tax front. You see, the rich-although
enjoying fabulous incomes-hardly pay any taxes
al all
Take for example Giulio Brusadelli, wealthy tex
tile tycoon a man who somehow has money enough
10 maintain luxurious yacht and large villa on
the Italian Riviera, but only pays income Tax on the
preposterous sum of $4,000 per annum. Another
case is that of famous Italian movie actress who
last year starred in three movies at $4,000 pic
ture and would up the year by paying-on $24OooO
income tax amounting to $40.
Still another but equally notorious example is
gent owns a beautiful country house, a large town
house and is waited on by retnue of servants, put
he only pays tax reported income OF $l ,zoo
per year.
ACCORDING to MIR. Stevens however, financers,
IA movie stars and corporation lawyers are not the
only tax dodgers in modern Italy. The huge land
owners do likewise. But these people have spe-
cjal device of their own. They organize dummy
holding corporations and issue stocks that ridlc
ulously under valued. One such person, Mr. stevens
points out owns 900 hectares Zone hectare equals
247I acres) of good farmland in Lombardy valued
at 900 900 lire ($1 000) hectare. This person set
up a holding company for his land and issued 2,OO0
shares at 1900 lire each on which he pays tax "A
little arithmetic will tell you that this valuation is
worse than open banditry. But he gets away with
it, So do the rest of Italys gentry while the poor
people are living under conditions of poverty that
truly appalling.
DON'T SUPPOSE all this would make too much
difference to me to anyone else in America,
but for the fact that while all this is going on our
own government-out of our taxes, and Brother we
sure pay 'em here is handing hundreds of mil
lions of dollars to keep Italy afloat 1t seems to me
that the wealthy of Italy don't particularly give
damn whether their country floats or sinks. Ger
tainy that is the only impression one can get from
facts such these.
II seems TO that own people now sta
toned in Italy - from Ambassador Dunn on down
ought to serve notice the Italians that 1T isn't
quite fair for them to expect the tax dollars OF the
American people while they themselves steal their
own government - and our to boot - blind It's all
right for Uncle Sam to be kind hearted. But why be
such sucker?