U.S. Business Out to Smash Co-operatives

Grey River Argus, 14 October 1948, Page 2

U.S. Business Out to Smash Co-operatives

OTTAWA, October 13. Front organisation, lavishly financed by American business interests, are going all out for crippling taxation of the United States Co-operative Movement. Heading up the campaign is a pressure group called _ the National Tax Equality Association. The “Farmers Union 1 Herald of South St. Paul, Minn., quotes the report of the United States House of Representatives as showing "that a total of $244,749 has been spent by these various ‘front organisations.” The report listed the amounts spent by various national and state “small business organisations,” “tax equality committees and’similar bodies. Says the Ottawa Herald: “When the $500,000 admitted spent by NTEA is added, and amounts spent by organisations not yet listed, like the Wisconsin Associated Businessmen, are added, it’is sale to conclude that the total will exceed $1,000,000.” The U.S. Treasury Department ruled against tax exemption of the contributions made by businessmen to the National Tax Equality Association, partly on the grounds that “the Association is primarily devoted to the repeal of the tax exemption accorded farmer co-operatives.” The expensive “tax the co-ops” campaign of the NTEA follows the same line as the similar fight waged two years ago by the Income Tax Payers Association in an effort to have the Canadian Government tax the patronage dividends of the cooperatives.