Milford chronicle., 1958-06-13
REDUCING EXCISE TAXES


ton to reduce excise taxes, and there is
possibility that by the time you read this
they will have been reduced. One of the most
insidious of the excise taxes is the ten per
cent excise tax on automobiles. This amounts
to about 5000 in taxation on the average low
cost automobile, and-what with increased
automobile prices resulting from other rea-
sons in recent years. constitutes a definite
hardship on the man who must use an auto
mobile in his business
Excise taxes were raised or automobiles
from eight to ten per cent several years ago,
and now there is a move to reduce them from
ten back to eight per cent, or even to five
per cent. If they were reduced to eight per
cent, it would amount to a saving of about
$40 TO the consumer on the average low-cOSt
automobile. If they were reduced by five per
cent then the saving would be about S100.
This saving would result if the manufac-
turer passed the saving on to the retail
dealer, and if the retail dealer passed it on
to the consumer. Both the manufacturers
and the retail dealers have pledged their
willingness to do this.
If an excise tax reduction bill is passed,
it should be made retroactive. For it would
be unfair for Congress to debate this, and
for this issue to become the topic of daily
conversation, since it would further depress
the automobile market. The automobile deal
ers themselves have asked that the excise
tax reduction be made retroactive to March
1st. We are in accord with this proposal. 1
In addition to this tax cut we thank Con-
gress should reduce taxes on both individ-
ualS and business. 1t seems fairly certain
that no npturn is turning" in March. The
President is ready to wait several weeks
longer, but we think this is merely delaying
the decision.
1t is time for a tax cut, and we could
favor reduced taxes rather than wasteful
spending. A military pay increase, a speed |
ed-up super-highway construction program,
defense budget, and tax cuts-in addition to
other measures, such as lower interest rates,
better mortgage terms for home builders, |
etc., will end the recession.
However, we do not mean to infer that
these corrective measures will be cheap.
They will be very expensive.
RELAXING AND YOU
I'VE see quite number of articles these
days, some by doctors and some by psychia-
trists, urging us to relax and prolong our life
In the modern pace set in America, such
counsel is urgently needed, and the only re-
gret is that it is not often followed
For example, it.seems smart on Madison
Avenue to have an ulcer. There are those
who work under pressure and tension all day
long who think an ulcer, or some sign of
body wear, is mark of sophistication.
And, as we carry on at this hectic pace,
the rate of mental illness, heart attacks, and
other diseases constantly rises. In countries
where the pace of life is slower, we have
comparatively few nervous breakdowns,
deaths by heart attacks, strokes, etc. The
lesson is pretty simple, and quite clear for |
anyone to learn tiff he will stop and think
about it long enough to let it soak in.
Every one of us should take an afternoon
or two each week and relax Most of us have
Sunday afternoon off, but we need another
afternoon during the week in which to relax
also Some of us are lucky enough to have
long week-ends, and in this case, perhaps we
do not need additional time off.
Of course, one can overdo the idea of |
getting away from work, which is an attrac-
tive idea to those who do not like to work in
the first place.
AS in everything else, balance is the key
to the problem. Balance your days activities
between work and pleasure or relaxation. If |
you like to dance, or if you like to play tennis,
or If you like to play golf, or hunt or fish,
make it point to take some time to do it,
regularly-all through the year. Having
fun is highly important for those of us who
are no longer in high school or college, and
having fun is mental therapy, as we'll as
physical exercise, which will add years to
your life and add happiness to your remain
ing days.
&IoNE II
DO YOU READ-AND HOW?
Can you read? This may seem foolish to !
you, in view of the fact that you are reading
this editorial, but, before answering, let us
consider what it means.
An eminent college professor once declar-
ed that the American people are more than /
fifty per cent illiterate in their effective abil-
ity to understand adult reading matter. He !
asserted that half the population is unable to
read any printed material above the seventh
grade level
Obviously the educator was telling us that /
we read careessy, without comprehending
the import of the words we see. We scan the
language without appropriating the thoughts