Show I i THE HE TAX w wi MENACE r Ei AGE I A BROWING GR 3 I ii By Dr FRANCIS H. H SISSON President resit A Cankers Association J 0 danger economic or social more NO 1 seriously menaces our life lire happl- happl ness Hess and prosperity than the rising tide title tideo i 1 of or t taxes o n x e s which j 4 threaten to en engulf i. i us liS 1 This his is not sim ff problem of off ply lily a 11 f M F f tho tha depression It ItI I 1 has bas boon been develop develop- i A tb 4 yli info Ing J growing more serious se sc ti t 1 rious all the tile time y if 1 T The h 11 e depression I i t merely brought It J t i w 1 wM to a climax Unless Un p 0 less drastic steps f are taken to reverse re re- rei I verse this trend I P P. P H n. n SISSON the problem win wilt not end with the depression It will I continue to welch weigh down an and retard progress egress for Cor an period I In city county state and nation the i of spending has Ims run on It Is estl I Hated that In the United States Stales the total cost of all government go is nearly I live fIve times what whal It was before the War Many localities have been I sought rought to the verge of oC bankruptcy cy by byj byI I 1 j their heir expenditures while many have raddled their citizens with a debt bur bur- Ien will darken their lives and hamper their progress for Cor years to come The total cost of Federal state and local government In ht the United States Is estimated at six forty million dollars a n day Based on national Income In 1930 O this represents about one fifth the total Income of or our people or about for Cor every Individual In the na Lion tion Ion Total taxes In 1 1931 31 are estimated estimated esti estl mated to have taken more than 22 per percent percent cent lent of oC the national Income It Is occasion occa occa- sion aion for serious thought on the part of everyone when one days day's income out of every four or five must be contributed to the maintenance of government ma mat chinery Reductions Possible United States Government Go expenditures expendi tures Lures were reduced one hundred and orty million dollars durin during the first quarter of or the current fiscal year The recent action of or bankers In lu calling a ahalt ahalt halt to unnecessary expenditures of Vow Now ow York City as prerequisite to loans will ill reduce the cost of ot government In inthe the lie country's metropolis which Is sec see ml leI in Its expenditures to only the J deral Government No state lu in the In fact tact no other government go jn n this hemisphere spends half hair as nueh nuch as thIs tills ouo one city These savings D Q Federal and aull municipal costs are only Abe he beginning of ot a movement needed throughout the country If It we are aro to toJa tous oa us led out of or depression into pros pros- erl ty Unless the people can be made to iL-alize iL that money for governmental can come only from their Wu n pockets as taxpayers casting de- de Dressing effects on both individual ef ef- r art urt and general business there is an threat that wo we may be forced o meet economic difficulties similar to hose hese t that have havo so seriously hand hand- other countries The question questions question's 5 s not primarily one of or merely paring salaries or shaving budgets budge ts but rather of ot curtailing govern govern- neut activities for which we cannot I afford to pay The Idea that money for these mount mount- ng tg extravagances can be raised by tel fol- owing tho slogan Soak the Rich is lt erly fallacious for such a policy vill viii simply exterminate the rich and liminato sources of or revenue re It Is also Important to realize that corporate business in this country Is b In no position Lion tion to withstand the effects of oC cite lite advances In tax rates Current earning reports reveal that tact fact beyond beyond be be- yond shadow of oC doubt The tax base lust be broadened and it therefore seems likely that Congress will be called upon to reconsider the sales tax at l least as a n temporary measure to help helpmeet helpmeet meet a critical condition in the nations nation's finance |