The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1956-03-09
Federal Take Away

A popular record played over and over again
for these many years may well be titled, Federal
Aid TO Education 1t spins on and on with its
theme so familiar to Catholics-"not one dime
for private schools" Not so familiar, however,
is the other side of that record A Congressional
Committee turned it over this week and played
the disturbing counterpart-"The Federal Take
Away
While the House Ways and Means Committee
approved bill that would keep Federal excise
taxes at their present level until April, 1857, the
revision of excise tax laws to exempt private
schools received strong opposition from Secre-
tsry Of the Treasury Mr.. George Humphrey.
II doesn't take tax expert TO understand
the application of the present excise tax laws.
The following is an easy essay example of the
"take.away' procedure Two school principals
set out one morning to purchase necessary equip
ment for their schools One is the principal of a
public school, the other principal of private
or parochia school Here are the results of their
purchases
Public School Principal Private School Principal
School bus . S600000 S648000
Typewriter a,,. 169.00 1880
Gasoline ~ 1900 1890
Sports
Equipment 10000 $4,000
Total w $6,48l.OO S700870
Both principals bought Identical items at
identical prices but excise taxes took an addi.
tlona S527.70 from the private school treasury.
Multiply that by thousands upon thousands of
purchases and you arrive al the millions of dol.
lars taken from private school resources each
year by the lnequity in the present excise tax
laws,
The arguments against exemption of private
schools are quite thin They are based the
fear of progressive sere, of exemptions" that
would be demanded for the treasury. Demanded
by whom? What other institutions are so clearly
the victims Of double taxation In their oper-
alton? What other institutions are completely
blocked out when there is question of federal,
state, or local aid?
While Secretary Humphrey and his aids
testified against any tax help for private schools,
they recommended tax adjustments to the hard
pressed farmers In one minute the Treasury
argued that excise tax exemption for private
schools would practically wreck the government.
In the next, they agreed TO reduce certain taxes
for farmers. We're all for the farmers They have
II tough and need help. Besides they we'll
organized in various organizations and know how
10 make case of their grievances The citizens
maintaining private schools have plenty of grev-
ance but they are too polite They evidently
cannot shout loud and long so that Secretary
Humphrey can hear of the injustice they suffer.
For Catholic parents fwho, by the way do not
ask support Of their schools, bat equality for
their children in community services going di-
rectly TO the child the "takeaway" side of the
record is more difficult TO understand To re-
fuse assistance is one thing to reach into the
already meager resources Of private schools and
penaze their operation is more serious mat
ter
Catholics should make themselves heard in
legislation that so seriously affects their schools
In seeking exemption of their schools from the
present excise tax laws, they seek no privilege
or favor, they only demand equality with the
public schools in tax matters
In recent address His Holiness Pope Plus
XII reminded his audience that never have
culture, true freedom and economy been better
protected than when private and public schools
are given chance to develop in conformity
with the principles, natural aims and desires of
families Legislators seem 10 lose sight Of this
when they levy legal penalties against private
schools--the excise tax law is one example