U.S.A. WAR EFFORTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 October 1942, Page 5

U.S.A. WAR EFFORTS

TAXATION BILL PASSED. WASHINGTON, October 20. The House of Representatives, by 130 votes to two, approved the joint conference report, on the record high war taxation bill. Later the Senate completed Congressional action on this bill. Treasury experts estimate that the measure will bring in 6,832,(100,000 dollars of new funds. The chairman of the Ways and Means Committee told the House the measure would yield 10,000,000,000 gross, and 8,000,000,000 net. About two-thirds of the new revenue will come from individual taxpayers. In the lower and middle income brackets total taxes will be multiplied many times. The new combined normal income tax and surtax rates will take 19 per cent, of the first taxable dollar of individual income above exemptions and deductions. On top of this is the 5 per cent. Victory Tax on all earnings exceeding 624 dollars a year. Because of the Victory Tax and the reduced exemptions on regular income taxes it is estimated that there will be 44.000,000 individual taxpayers on the Federal tax roles, compared with 28,000,000 at present.

PAY OF W.A.A.C.’s. WASHINGTON, October 20. The United States Senate has completed Congressional action on a measure raising the pay of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps. The pay ol lhe lowest ranks is increased from 21 to 50 dollars a month, with the pay of higher ranks correspondingly increased.

TAXATION AND MANPOWER . (Recd. Noon.) WASHINGTON, October 21. “America’s middle class, the backbone of the nation is threatened with liquidation by a current of impending fines and taxes,” Representative Andresen told Congress. He added: “These men and women are needlessly being put out of business and professions. Something must be done before it is too late.” He declared that when the middle class was liquidated, American democracy would be destroyed. The Department of Commerce predicted that over 300.0G0 in< • pendent merchants and small manufacturers would be out of business by July, as the m-sult of wartime conditions. Declaring that the manpower problem was becoming too complex for effective voluntary action, the Manpower Commissioner. Mr.. McNutt, said within a fortnight he will submit to Mr. Roosevelt a National Service Bill. He added that the bills now before Congress fail to meet the war programmes’ basic requirements. He told the Senate Committee there are acute shortages of all types of male labour in the 40 war production centres. opinion and sound policy both dictate that we must not stop short of compulsion when those who will not co-operate are blockingwar production.”