Truth About Taxes, The (1940)

Franklin D Roosevelt every worker in the country Farmers Bank Presidents Street Car conductors dentists teachers clerks mechanics even unskilled laborers work 3 months of every year to pay for what government spends [Music] but the rich pay the taxes Why Should I Worry that's where we're fooling ourselves why if Government took all incomes over $55,000 a year and tax them 100% that would pay the cost of government for only 4 months everyone whether in the factory shop Farm or office pays for the cost of government well suppose we do but I am willing to pay taxes to provide National Defense for my country to see that we have an army a Navy an airplanes strong enough to protect us against any Invaders every American agrees that our country's defenses must be so strong that no Nation would dare attack us we don't want what has happened in Europe to happen here let us not forget the lesson taught by Europe's Agony we all know that England and France tried the easy way that France under Premier Leon bloom had a new deal similar to our new deal and that today the French people have paid in Blood and sorrow the price for that fatal experiment every thinking patriotic American favors this country building up its National defenses at once that job has been delayed far too long by the experimenters in Washington no one today disputes the need for a powerful Army Navy and Air Force for our National Defense for these taxes are willingly paid but our money has not been spent during the last 7 years for National Defense in the last 7 years the New Deal has spent the breathtaking sum of $58 billion of this total only 6 b900 million were spent on National defense so-called defense taxes now being imposed are not sufficient to meet the ordinary deficit much less to pray the cost of past present or future defense what did we get for the money spent by the New Deal for defense ranking officers of the Army have told Congress in effect that our national defenses are wul inadequate that we lack automatic rifles for our infantry that we need tanks and anti-aircraft guns that few of our airplanes are modern in the light of the lessons taught during the European War money spent on the Visionary pasam aquati project for the harnessing of the tides would have bought guns and tanks which we now need so [Music] badly the Florida ship canal another wasteful boond Doling failure into which the New Deal has squandered more Millions instead of spending money for necessary additions to our National Defense the abandoned Canal is now just a big mosquito breeding ditch the costliest hole ever [Music] dug billions scattered in all directions except to improve our army navy and Air Force new agencies new departments new bureaus more and more job holders to run these agent in the last 7 years the number of civil employees of the federal government has increased by almost 400,000 and increased double the size of our regular army and many of them receiving salaries far above that paid to the average man in and woman in this country the chief task of this great Army of job holders has been to figure out ways and means to spend more and more of your money greater spending greater debts increasing taxes already the national debt is at record high in 1917 our debt was not much more than the amount we now pay in annual interest in the wake of the world war the national debt Rose to $26 billion then the enormous total is reduced slowly it moves downward and prosperity blankets the nation Machinery worlds railroads Rush carload After carload from producer to Consumer despite honest efforts for Recovery depression increases the national debt the national debt Rises 1933 22 billion and up up it goes down go employment and earnings 1937 the mounting debt has its impact on our struggle to recover from the depression factories close unemployment unrest but the debt continues soaring up to 40 billions to 45 and now on its way to $49 billion such a debt created by wasteful and Reckless spending today makes more difficult our job of paying for the National Defense we need the workers efforts create wealth and Supply the money for government spending the government has no money of its own except what it takes directly and indirectly in levies and taxes from every pay envelope today more than 25 cents of every dollar of our national income goes for taxes local state and federal each of you pays these taxes taxes that start with raw materials and compound themselves right down through manufacturer to the finished product when we buy it Secretary of the Treasury Morgan Thor said recently that more than 60% of the taxes collected by the federal government are paid by consumers and that means every one of us in collecting these hidden taxes the busy tax collectors of all have no titles and wear no badges they're the butcher the baker the Candlestick maker hidden taxes are concealed in most of the things they sell taxes on taxes that are passed on to us who pay when we buy the necessities of life according to statistics compiled by the Northwestern National Life Insurance Company father Works a whole week just to pay the tax on the Family's annual food bill before the Daily Bread can be put on the table all kinds of different taxes must be paid every product every service that makes for comfort and pleasure in the Daily Life of the American family is taxed in many [Music] ways families with a monthly income of $200 pay $262 a month in indirect taxes [Music] families with monthly incomes of $150 pay $20.16 a month those who live on monthly incomes of $80 were paying $10.25 a month in Hidden taxes before we began the long delayed rearmament program every time my lady dresses she Dawns as many taxes as she does clothes when we relax and seek pleasure and entertainment Mr Tax always joins us and we must pay for him [Music] too because of the taxes fastened on the cost of building the normal cost of this house will buy only this modest [Music] home automobile owners now pay some $400 million a year in taxes on the cars they drive taxes that must be paid before the wheels turn and to add to the cost of every mile traveled and every Furrow plowed by contractors the tax paid on gasoline alone reaches the astounding yearly total of $1 billion all who drive are drafted into another Army of taxpayers those who have jobs are putting all these various government bills only what is left can be used for the needs and savings of the workers's family you are taxed to pay the salaries of men like this bureaucrat symbolic of the maed Fist of centralized bureaucracy that knocks at democracy's door demanding a third term here rampant in the totalitarian nations of the old world plunging Europe into war subjugation of the courts purges of independent legislators perpetuation of the executive in office [Applause] regimentation War it must not happen here but Liberty survives only for those who are wise enough and strong enough to preserve it let us rid ourselves of our new deal failure before it's too late let us end wasteful spending and return to the good old American sanity and economy all Americans must unite to stop the new deal with its lust for power to perpetuate itself in office for another 4 years it is in our self-interest to preserve the Heritage handed down to us by our fearless forefathers to save ourselves we must dismiss incompetence and radicals from high places of government we must elect Wendell wilky president and speedily become so strong no fo would dare attack us to that end let us now dedicate ourselves in a holy Crusade that government of the People by the people for the people perish from the [Music] earth fre he [Music]