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Show National News Summarv Collections Federal Social Security taxes netted $1,784,243,785 in 1946, according ac-cording to the Bureau of Internal Inter-nal Revenue, which was an increase in-crease of $34,623,187 over the amount received in 1945. Federal Feder-al old-age and survivors insurance insur-ance contributions amounted to $1,296,715,278. Collections of Federal unemployment taxes totaled $17,226,720, while railroad rail-road retirement levies collections totaled $311,300,787. Speech-Making During the first month of the new Congress. 157 speeches were made 139 by Republicans and 18 by Democrats. Tax Collections Tax payments of $38,640,057,-860 $38,640,057,-860 in 1946 set a non-war high record and made 1946 the third highest tax-collecting year on record, according to the Treasury Department. In 1945 collections amounted to $43,352,715,621 and in 1944 they totaled $42,125,-986,550. $42,125,-986,550. Individual income tax payments in 1946, the largest revenue source, accounted for, $17,883,601,388. Forest Lands The government is resuming the purchase of privately-ownepl land for expansion of the National Na-tional Forest System, which was halted during the war. The National Na-tional Forest Reservation Commission, Com-mission, the Government's buying buy-ing agency ,has approved for purchase 114,444 acres of land in 22 States at a cost of $536,582. Most of the land lies east of the Great Plains. Building Costs Prices on new homes and building materials have reached their peak and "are beginning to level off," according to Housing Hous-ing Expediter Frank R. Cree-don. Cree-don. He declined to predict when they would start downward. Cost-Of-Living The cost-of-living index declined de-clined slightly between December Decem-ber 15 and January 15, according accord-ing to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Sta-tistics. The index for January 15 was estimated at 153 per cent of the 1935-39 average, eighteen per cent above the level of the year before and 2Vz per cent higher than in June, 1920, which was the peak after World War I. |