The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-09-25

lh1 SNA 7NAhpiogNhs sdAh oGOl sc
Roberts, speaking for the Ameri-
can Bar Association, are being dis
criminated against.
Something ought to be done, he
asserted, TO help these people to
help themselves"
ALL RIGHT. But shouldn't
something be done to help par
ents not only to help themselves,
but to help America?
A parent is allowed an income
tax deduction of $500 a year for
each dependent child.
On most incomes, at present tax
rates, that amounts to a real saw
ing Of something like $3.50 TO $500.
Is there anybody who will deny
that il costs many times that much
nowadays to rear boy or girl
from infancy TO young manhood or
young womanhood-that is to say,
TO American citizenship?
A deduction of 5000 for each
child is piddllng. It's almost an in
suit to American fathers and moth
ers.
AS ! recall, the deduction was
$500 way back years ago, when
dollar was dollar.
Somewhere along the line, some
big-hearted Congress upped the
ante to $500.
Maybe the Sf00 increase made
some slight sense at the time it
was passed. Dollars were still dol
lars then although even then a
saving OF $3.50 wouldn't rear a
child for year, or even come
close to il.
Today, The 5000 deduction is fan
!astically low, The deduction for
each child ought to be raised to at
least 81 200, merely TO put parents
in the same position they were in
when the $500 figure was first
adopted.
And even that wasn't a position
to throw your hat in the air about.
A deduction of $1,000 would
mean, for most parents, tax saw
ing of, say, $500 or possibly S400.
Anybody interested in trying to
rear family in a city for that
amount? 1t can't be done now
adays, not if the youngsters are
TO have the proper food, clothing
medical and dental care. and SO on
Still, it would help. And / think
it's high time Congress got around
to doing some thinking about help
ing parents.
Without parents, there wouldn't
be any America.
We spend fabulous sums on pro-
noting public health, combating
juvenile delinquency, and that sort
of thing.
Ii would be lot cheaper in the
( long run to get down to the source
and help fathers and mothers pro-
vide proper environment for their
( families.
II you're IN business or indus
! try or most any kind OF enterprise,
you can deduct from your income
\ tax So steaks, rounds of expensive
drinks, night club and theater par
ties, and even sillier things when
you're entertaining prospective
customers
You can deduct Cadillacs, Pull.
mans and any other luxury you
fancy, so long as they're in the
Zine of business.
You can be merely salarlec
employe sent out to show visit
ing fireman" good time, and yol
can live like an oriental potentats
as long as your constitution car
stand il.
But the minute you open thu
door of your home, which is thu
foundation of America and of civ
ilization, you're the forgotten man
Congress worries about everybod,
but you. You're expected to carr,
the whole future of the nation ol
your back-and for thanks you &c
a concession of something lik
$3.50 a year for each of tn
youngsters who will make or brea
America tomorrow.
| propose that the House Way
and Means Committee give tn
matter a good big long think.