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Show feS A089SS i EIFOFF 0THER too UfceU I EPT0RS From the Waverly Sun, Waver-ly, Waver-ly, New York: When World War II came along the Congress passed pass-ed a number of "emergency" tax measures to help finance the war. Since then the "emergency" taxes on various items have been extended ex-tended year after year. The term emergency tax has been used by Congress instead of "sales" tax because the sales tax idea was not popular. Therefore, a ' limited number of Industries were penalized with high "emergency" "emer-gency" taxes instead of low general gen-eral sales taxes. The latest example of the "emergency" tax racket is the one-cent additional federal gas tax enacted last year with the provision that it would expire next June 30th. A move is underway to continue the tax and even increase in-crease it above the present federal tax of four cents a gallon. State gas taxes range from three to seven cents a gallon not counting state sales and local taxes. In other words, state and federal "sales" taxes on a necessity are some 30 per cent of the price of the product less taxes, $1.00 on every 10 gallons of gasoline. Is it any wonder the worms (the taxpayers) are beginning to turn and no longer believe their lawmakers when they talk about "temporary" taxes? It is time to call a spade a spade and admit that most temporary or emer. gency taxes are Just an excuse for permanent sales taxes, which legislators are afraid to propose for fear of losing votes. The honest thing to do is to cut out such subterfuges and if needs demand It, establish a general sales tax instead of socking a few Industries with sales taxes running from 10 to 50 per cent, as with telephones, transportation and gasoline. The exorbitant tax on gasoline may be the straw that breaks the camel's back and brings a halt to the deception practiced in the name of "emergency" or "temporary" "tem-porary" taxes. The worms are turning against the temporary tax racket |