Milford chronicle., 1950-03-10
Pity the Consumer


Pity The Consumer
THE OLD ADAGE. "A penny
saved is a penny earned" ap-
plies to government as wen as Co
individuals. President Truman has
demanded new taxez that win pro-
duce at least another billsn dof
lars Of government revenue
Congress hesitates. as wen B
may, but congress also ehesitates
about saving from two TO four BIZ
lion dollars Of our money by adoDf-
ing the Hoover commission recon-
mendations that would cut out
from two 70 four billion dollars Of
needless government expenditures.
Such reduction IN cost would not
reduce the functions the govern
ment performs for the people. but
would enable such performance TO
be made at much less cost and with
far less confusion. It would simply
cut out the doubled. tripled and
more costs Of doing the same thing.
Most Of Us. myself Included.
cannot visualize a billion dol-
lars, 20 say nothing of mul
tiples Of that vast sum. e O. 80
large that we cannot imagine
ourselves having any part CD H-
We refuse 20 consider e a. our
problem. Wheeler nIcBTlfleu,
editor Of the Pathfinder. has
reduced that saving congress
can 50 easily make 20 q level
each Of rs can understand. He
says i means a saving. on the
average. Of $50 for every
American family. Instead Of
Increasing the tax on produc-
tive corporations, as the Pres
ident has asked, q tax an con
sumer families would pay fn
the form Of an increased price
for the commodities We buy,
to produce another billion dob
lars, congress can save four
times that amount, and &c the
same time simplify the present
tangled operations Of govern
ment.
The members Of congress, our
senators and representatives, do
not relish any reduction in the
patronage. the jobs. it is their priv
ilege to bestow. and the passage
Of the Hoover commissions rec
concentrations would reduce the
number Of jobs. But congress will
make that saving when the weight
OF public opinion forces the mem.
bers to support such legislation.
When the members Of families.
who could use that S86 TO better
advantage in the supplying Of fam
lily needs, tell the senators from
their states and the representatives
from their districts Of their demand
for such saving. the result will
be achieved. Without such a de-
mand the tax load will continue 70
grow.
More revenue win be produced
by more taxes. More will continue
to be wasted, and less can be spent
on the needs Of each family. The
family, the consumer, pays the tsx
in the form Of increased prices for
commodities, that are levied
against all producing corporations.
large or small.
When President Truman
asked congress 20 increase
government revenues 20 the ex.
tent Of not less than one billion
dollars 20 be added 70 the
leVies on corporation income
taxes, he was proposing an adj
ditiOn to the tax load Of every
family in the United States.
That additional tax would be
added TO the prices Of the COM
mOdities the corporations pro.
duce.
A large portion Of the taxes col.
lected is paid as corporation IN.
come taxes. Every dollar Of such
taxes is passed along to the con.
sumner in the form Of increased
prices on commodities, with the
result that, as an average, each
family is paying $S17 each year as
its portion Of the corporations in
come taxes.
It is the comparatively poor man.
and his family. who pay the great
er portion Of the corporation in
come taxes, but he refuses to real
ize that fact, and is satisfied when
congress calls for more revenue
from those who produce the com
modities he uses. and taxes on
commodities multiply at an alarm.
ing rate as they pass from raw ma.
terial to finished products in the
market baskets Of American fam.
lies.
As an example: There are i5l
taxes charged in the price Of a
loaf Of bread They represent a
total Of one third Of the price Of
that loaf Of bread.
If business did not pass along
these tax costs the producing cor
porations would soon be broke and
close down. With them would 20
the jobs that keep our economic
wheels turning. and we would
quickly be in a depression.
Socialism Is not a nostrum that
may be taken in small doses. Tt
cannot be administered with an
eye dropper but, if taken at all,