The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, July 11, 1921, Page 9

A Page of, by and fox: the Women In Behalf of ; Social Progress Women and Taxes The Nation’s “Bill” for 1922 and the Prob- + lem of Paying It BY MARY GRAY STATEMENT in the Congressional Record is to the effect that American pendous total of $200,000,000 to so~ called “experts” for advice in making out income tax returns. These clever advisers showed business men how to keep their books and make their income reports to the govern- ment in such a way that the least possible income tax would be paid: The result, says the statement, was that the government lost about a billion dollars in taxes by the fraudulent advice business men re- ceived. : It is things like this that show the farce of our present federal tax system. Think of tax laws that create an army of hired figure jugglers who reap, Jin one year, such a fortune for giving advice on how " to beat Uncle Sam! age crooked dealing and lying by taxpayers! It seems to me that womén’s organizations could not do anything more helpful at this time than to study our federal tax system and the plans that thoughful men and groups have worked out for its reform. I admit it is an intricate subject, and 1 wouldn’t undertake to recommend that you indorse any particular reform plan. The main thing is to understand the tax situation and the plans that have been worked out to reform it. A good start could be made by sending to Con- gressman Oscar E. Keller of Minnesota for printed . copies of his speech in congress on behalf of the new tax bills he has introduced. Address him at the House Office building, Washington, D. C. The printed speech gives the text of his bills and is brimful of facts about taxes. The Leader is print- ing some of the facts about this reform plan, in- cluding a talk on behalf of it by Congressman Kel- ler himself, but if your club wants to study the proposition it ought to have the full text of his speech and the bills. FOUR AND A HALF BILLIONS TO RAISE ; > Why shouldn’t women study the tax problem? It affects the home vitally. If the proposed sales tax goes through we will have to pay a 1 per cent tax on every article we buy for the home. When we buy food or clothing, furniture or shoes, we will- have to “fork over” a direct tax on the purchase at the time we make it. It would be a tax on con- sumption, relieving privilege entirely. -Yet many of your congressmen have listened to the siren song of big business propagandists and are for this tax., Don’t let it ‘be said that women “haven’t the brains” for a study of this kind. As a matter of fact it is the men who haven’t. The failure of male voters, while they ran the government all these _years, to understand properly the tax problem has led us into the present obsolete and unfair system. The men wouldn’t study’ the problem carefully. They were lazy. They imagined it too dry and dif- ficult. They knew nothing about taxes and the big interests and politicians put it over on them. Of - course I am speaking of the majority of men voters. Now that we women have the ballot, let us not, neg- lect this vital problem. As a starter consider what the federal govern- ment must raise for the fiscal year 1922. Congress has provided for the following expenditures, for which money must be raised: Agriculture ...$ 86,404,259.00 ATIY " iiaiva van b R e 346,703,906.80 Diplomatic and consular service 9,326,550.79 District of Columbia ...... 19,412,412.99 Fortifications Indians Sundry civil Deficiency 8ses, government operation of 200,000,000.00 railroads ..... secsesccccssee . 175,000,000.00 ; otal- e ieesisnessisectenainie ...$2,549,997,281.64 Interest on public- debt .....cov0ieeveennnnnn. 922,650,000.00 Redemption of public debt: p Certificates of redemption..$500,000,000.00 Sinking fund ....cc000000.. 442,000,000.00 AT - — 942,000,000.00 Grand total ...... cesens o0 0.84,414,647,281.64 How will we gét the money during the next year : business men last year paid the stu-. Think of tax laws that encour- THE FARM WOMAN’S PAGE to meet this tremendous bill? v shall we take from productive industry, how much from idle land holdings, big fortunes; how much from earned incomes, and how much from unearned incomes, such as interest, rent, etc.? Every one of us has a vital interest.in how this bill is to be paid: - A Funny Stunt Try This to Start Your Meeting Off With Good Feeling * ‘Next time you have a club or community meet- ing, have a ‘funny stunt-on the program to liven up things. Following is a suggestion taken from a valuable little book called “What Shall We Do?” The book is published by the Community Service, 1 Madison avenue, New York City, and can be bought for 25 cents: John Brown’s baby had a cold upon his chest, John Brown’s baby had a cold upon his chest, John Brown’s baby had a cold upon his chest, So they rubbed him with camphorated oil! The second verse is similar, except the word aby” is not spoken; instead the Indian sign for | “THEY'RE STICKERS” | ‘“b A picture of James and David Butler of Box Butte county, Neb. “They’re stickers,” says Mrs. Ella N. Butler of Alliance, Neb., in a letter in- . closing the photographs. baby is made—the right hand placed on the left elbow, and the left arm swung to and fro, as if rocking a baby. The third verse is like the second, - except that the word “cold” is not spoken; instead a little cough is given. The fourth verse is like the third, but the word “chest” is not sung. The chest is tapped with the open hand, instead. The fifth verse, ‘same as the fourth; the word “rubbed” is not spoken, but a rubbing movement is made on the chest. ~ Sixth verse, same as the fifth, but words “camphorated oil” are not spoken. A little sniff is given, indicating odor. . NG ; If the singers are not too convulsed by the ridic- ulous movements and progressive dropping of words and substitution of signs, the sixth verse may finally be completed, to the edification of all. N WOMAN JUDGE WINS o "A_woman may hold the office of justice of th " peace in Michigan, the state supreme court has just ; ruled, in refusing to dismiss the case brought against a man who was sued before Justice Phoebe Patterson, in Plymouth township; near Detroit. The man asked that the case be quashed, contending that a - woman could not hold the office of justice. PAGE TEN How much of it ; \ peace. A Woman’s College Which Has Not Made Snobs and “High- brows” of the Girls OME of the friends of “The Page” have called our attention to the NortheCar- olina Community Progress, a maga- zine published by the students of the North Carolina College of Women. It : is a lively and interesting publication- and shows that a college education for women, in this case at least, is not making them snobs and too “highbrow” to consider from a sympathetic standpoint the problems of the “common” farmers and workers. An editorial in the is\sue before us says: : = “The American farmer stands today on the brink of economic failure. He is in no mood to listen to the platitudes of politicians who deny the exist- ence of classes. He knows full well that he belongs to a class—a class which felt the first effect of de- flation; a class which felt the first and severest effect of credit restriction; a class' which has been consistently neglected for half a century. No, he -has not been entirely néglected. He has been tu- - tored by government representatives, by bankers and by commercial organizations until he ‘has proved to the world that he can grow more food products per man than any other farmer in the world. The politicians always remember him at election time; they play to his so-called ‘conserva- tive’ nature and his dislike of taxes. But so far as giving the farmer just representation in govern- ment, or-allowing him to control the marketing of his products, or making it possible or easy for him to build a satisfactory social and culture life in the country, insofar he has been neglected. “A new day is dawning. The farmer is not going to strike and refuse to produce our food. He is simply going to take hold of the same .weapons that other classes have used in securing special privileges. Those weapons are political and he means to use them. The American-farmer IS in polities!” ;i Need Education A recent -bulletin of the National League of Women Voters announces a plan to get the close co-operation of all women’s organizations in the country in .the move for disarmament and world The announcement says: An especial effort will be made to organize the women living in the rural districts and on farms. The sentiment and opinion- of these women, who in most cases belong to no_clubs, have been heard only in individual expression of opinion, and women generally are learning that effective action can be secured only by united efforts. - Evidently haven’t heard of.the many htndred Women’s Nonpartisan clubs and the work they are doing to promote ‘peace! g Women’s Laws The bill making women eligible to all appointive and elective offices where there is no conflict with the constitution, was enactéd in the closing days of the Massachusetts legislative session. Other meas- ures having the support of the women’s organiza- tions which were enacted during the session are ~ the motion picture censorship, physical training in the public schools, school nurses in towns whose valuation is over $1,000,000, obligatory appoint- ment of a woman as assistant commissioner of ldbor, extension of 48-hour law to cover women hotel employes, workers in hand laundries, motion picture establishments, etc. GOOD IDEA The child welfare committee of the Hawthorn (N. J.) League of Women Voters recently decided to stimulate interest in child welfare by offering prizes for perfect babies. ~The state standard table . of weights and measures was used to decide upon the' babies’ -eligibility, the committee judging for general health, appearance, care given by the mother. Twelve babies measured up to the state standard, and four prizes were given to the four best. According to the committee, the contest has : awakened more interest in child welfare than all other efforts during the year, :