The Key West Citizen

What was the chief factor
in the sweeping victories of
the Republicans in the elec-
tion of November 5?

The answer to that ques-
tion is not far to find. Dur-
ing the campaign Republi-
can politicians repeatedly
stressed the burdensome
taxation and pledged them-
themselves, in the event of their
election, to introduce a bill
in congress for lower income
taxes. The day after the
election, Republican leaders
stated that, on individual in-
comes, taxes would be re-
duced as much as 20 per
cent.

A companion factor in the
Republicans' success was
their advocacy of reduced
government expenditures.
The proposed cut of the
budget for the coming fiscal
year will be 25 per cent.

The Republican landslide
showed the attitude of the
public toward excessive tax-
ation and heavy government
expenditures. That attitude
should have been a warning
to the states and their sub-
divisions. It should have
been, particularly so, a
warning to Key West, the
economic future of which,
with the gradual discharges
of civilian workers in the
Navy Yard, should be of
concern to every true-blue
Key Wester.

But what do we hear in-
stead? No talk whatever of
economy comes out of city
hall to safeguard Key West
against her uncertain fu-
ture. We have no industries,
and while we can reason-
ably be confident of the
success of Key West as a
tourist center, yet we have
not sufficient accommoda-
tions for all the tourists who
may wish to come here. Key
West must have many more
hotels and many more
apartment houses before we
can accommodate thousands
of tourists.

Our outlook is plain to
everybody. For that reason,
officials in city hall should
begin to prepare to cut down
the city's expenditures; far
many property owners who
are now able to pay taxes
will not be in a similar po-
sition in the next few years
unless we can get more and
larger payrolls.

But not a word about re-
trenchment. Instead, every
now and then we hear stories
about other proposed ex-
penditures, which ultimate-
ly will mean higher tax-
ation.

The Republicans realized
that taxation had reached
that point where it had be-
come a most serious problem
for individuals and business
concerns to pay their taxes
and show a profit at the end
of the year. Salaries and
wages have skyrocketed.
but taxes went up so much
higher the advances in in-
come was of little conse-
quence.

Key West and Monroe
county should have a care
about the way taxpayers
money is spent. it should
have a care to retrench
wherever possible, instead
of searching for more ways
in which to spend money.