| Show WEEKLY NEWS A ANALYSIS congress angress fashions billion dollar tax reduction for 1946 ponder postwar army training released o i eart bv western newspaper union in these 1 I columns they are th 0 ar 0 0 EDITORS NOTE when opinions analysts are ore expressed and not necessarily ot of this newsy n newspaper e 1 der western newspaper unions news I 1 1 I 1 4 77 1 a e K N aa la ZA A k t A M with freedom of speech assured under allied orders former japanese political loli prisoner addresses gathering in tokyo under proposed liberalized constitution all nipponese elements would be afforded opportunity for recognition in nations governmental councils TAXES good news though the senate and house had yet to compromise their differences john Q public could look forward to substantial reductions in income taxes in 1946 and american business was assured generous relief for the immediate postwar period no less than billion dollars was expected to be lopped off of individual income taxes as a result of provisions for permitting exemptions empt ions for dependents before payment of the normal 3 per cent levy and the scaling down of surtax rates close to another 8 b illion billion dollars was scheduled to be pared from corporation income taxes through substantial reduction or total elimination of the excess profits assessment repeal of the declared value excess profits and capital stock levies and graduated decrease in in surtax rates on companies with less than net return in addition to income tax reductions the use tax on automobile and boats was expected to be dropped solons were divided on the question of wartime luxury levies however with the house for cutting present rates to prewar levels july 1 and the senate against the action with reserves well over 6 billion billio dollars both houses were unan unanimous maus in freezing present social security payroll taxes at I 1 per cent on employee and employer alke alike i and forestalling an automatic increase i to Ws per cent apiece january 1 under the tax relief bill drawn up by the senate GIs would not be required to pay taxes on service compensation during the war years and officers would be perm permitted bitted t to spread tax liabilities over a three year period interest free LABOR setting pattern with both henry ford II 11 and united automobile workers leaders expressing confidence in settlement of a wage adjustment at the company government officials held high hopes that an agreement might result in the establishment of a postwar pay pattern and clear the way for speedy government optimism was a welcome note in m the dreary labor picture pointed up by the de deadlock adlock in negotiations between the and general M motors motors over the CIO unions demands for a 30 per cent wage increase to maintain wartime take home pay and the corporations resistance to the demands because of possible effects on prices setting the pattern for other CIO unions the declared that general motors was well able to dip into alleged huge wartime profits to carry over any losses accruing f from rom higher wages until future production reached big volume levels reflecting industrial sentiment for its own part general motors denied exorbitant wartime earnings and declared any withdrawal from reserves would crimp expansion plans As the companies and unions clashed the administration worked on a wage PON policy c y designed to guide negotiations through the troublesome days ahead strongly S influenced by labor the government reportedly favored substantial wage boosts to maintain wartime take home pay while freezing prices at prewar levels except in hardship cases giving both capital and I 1 labor abor its say cay in the formulation of a re conver sion pay program the government moved slowly in the establishment of policy hopes ran high that the forthcoming management labor parley would result in the voluntary creation of machinery for settlement of important disputes MILITARY TRAINING await response having received president tru mans recommendation fo for one year of postwar military training for american youth 17 to 20 congress adopted a cautious attitude on the question with one ear perked for popular reaction and the other for military argument personal congressional response to the presidents request varied with senator rep W va declaring I 1 am open minded minde d I 1 want to hear both sides of this of while representative celler dem N Y exclaimed we F ia 77 I 1 ak I 1 1 aw p 1 president truman asks congress for military training for youth want no truck with compulsory military conscription it meanwhile it was estimated that about youth would be called up for training each year under the presidents program with rejected for physical or mental deficiencies because of weather considerations side rations the largest number of camps undoubtedly would be located in the south with regular army officers and commissioned noncommissioned non commiss boned officers in charge fewer routine tasks such as kitchen police would be in store for re ts military sources said JAPAN reform imminent her military machine sma smashed shed japans highly developed economic monopolies designed for foreign as well as domestic exploitation also faced imminent dissolution as part of the allied program to strip nippon of her war making potential and democratize the country the losers figured to be the five great financial industrial families of japan which as the dominant civilian powers had exercised strong pressure on the nations foreign policies backed both politically and financially by the government the big five known as the zaibatsu were heavy investors in overseas development by smashing the zaibatsu the allies planned to loosen their grip over japanese politics and permit more liberal and democratic elements to exert influence over government direction at the same time destruction of the great combines promised freer opportunity for f or economic econ development in the country As steps were taken for the dissolution of the zaibatsu 1 the political transformation of japan slowly gained ground with new parties in the development stage and more liberal e ral political institutions in the ution rewriting rewriting 9 of the national impending constitution AGRIC agriculture global lobal pact first permanent body of the united nations the food and agriculture organization FAO came into existence in the grand ballroom of the chateau frontenac in quebec canada with 30 nations formally signing its constitution though possessing no executive powers over member nations FAO seeks through voluntary interchange of information and effort to improve improve e agricultural production raise nutritional onal standards and better the living conditions of r ural rural populations ions indicative of the big job FAO has on its hands two thirds of the worlds population is eftim estimated abed to be ill fed with many facing periodic od ic starvation signatories Signa tories to the FAO constitution include australia belgium canada china denmark dominican republic egypt france greece guatemala haiti honduras iceland india iraq liberia luxembourg czechoslovakia mexico netherlands new zealand nicaragua norway panama peru union of south africa philippines england united states and venezuela FRANCE left biving with their fundamental platforms at variance frances three great political parties the comma fists socialists and kepko lican movement prepared for the establishment of a new constitution as demanded in the recent election As the three major parties and a smattering of smaller organizations moved to write a new political charter for the country the popular republican movement backed by general de loomed as a counterweight between the communists and socialists known as a catholic liberal party and led by foreign minister bidault the surprising demonstration of strength in the elections was indicative dica tive of the quick defense thrown up by moderate elements against the threat of extreme radicalism the new alignment found frances political picture characteristically cally mixed with the socialists joined with the for a western bloc of european nations against communist opposition the communists committed to a swift program of nationalization of industries the socialists favoring more study of such an undertaking and the for a moderate course FIRE RAIDS U S vulnerable back from a tour of war wracked cracked europe anthony J chief fire marshal of chicago and a noted authority on fires declared that investigations showed that no great city could withstand cor concentrated icen explosive and incendiary raids and domination of the skies overhead was the only assurance of safety in making his disclosure cited the obliteration of hamburg germany where all walls were of brick numerous firebreaks existed no skyscrapers reared up and an efficient fire department operated in a contrast indicative of the vulnerability of american cities cited localities dotted with frame buildings wood lathe and plaster construction tall buildings and few empty spaces for allowing a sweeping fire to peter out in burning out hamburg said great squads of allied bombers first dropped explosives to rip up structures with incendiaries then being loosed upon the open wreckage towering flames licked up the oxygen to create a vacuum into which air from surrounding areas then rushed in creating fierce fire storms with instruments recording temperatures of 1 1400 degrees F over persons were said to have died from the flames heat inhalation or asphyxiation NAVY S speed p eed releases with nearly enlisted men and officers already released since VJ VJ day the navy planned for the demobilization of an additional by the first of next year through a reduction in discharge scores following establishment of lower scores november 1 the navy contemplated tem plated an even further cut december 1 with male officers point required requirements ants pared to 44 enlisted male maie personnel to 39 WAVE officers to 30 and enlisted WAVE personnel 24 in cutting its discharge scores the navy left its point computation unaltered with one half point for each year of age one half point for each full month of service 10 points for dependents regardless of number and one fourth point fo tor r each month of service outside of the US since september 1 1939 |
