Evening star., 1921-08-16
MORE CHANGES Due
| |NREWS|ON OF TAX
Administration Program to
Undergo Alterations Before
i It Is Enacted.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


proved by the republican caucus in
the House will undergo still further
change before it is finally enacted.
Disconcerting as it may be to OBJ
serving men to read one day that
certain taxes are repealed only to
find them reimposed the next day.
Congress Is merely evolving Sevenue
measure in the usual way. To under
stand the changes that have and will
be made the following steps must
be borne in mind:
First. Secretary Mellon proposes to
President Harding the basis of new
revenue measure.
Second. Criticism from the country
President Harding calls a. conference
of republican leaders IN Congress
and. together with Mr.. Mellon. a re-
vised program is approved.
Third. The republican membership
of the House in conference or caucus
to submit the new bill to the House
through the ways and means COM
mittee. That's the status today.
Criticism Influences Leaders.
Fourth. Frrther criticism from the
country will influence republican
leaders to agree to more chances.
either in the ways and means COM
before the bill is passed. which ought
to be this week or the first part Of
next week.
Fifth The bill is taken in hand by
the Senate finance committee. which
is fully expected to rewrite the
and reductions more systematically
than can possibly be done in the
hurried methods of the House. When
the Senate finance committe gets
through. better idea of what taxes
eventually will be can be obtained
ing the Senate debate after the
finance committee has reported the
bill. These amendments may or may
not stay in the measure finally. 1t
all depends upon the ultimate atti-
tude of the House.
Likely to Accept Decision.
Seventh. When the Senate has pass
a conference committee representing
the House and Senate, where the real
1egislating is done.
Then the disagreements between the
two houses are ironed out and as a
rule the House and Senate both ac-
committee and the measure Is ready
for signature. OF course. a President
can veto 1t and send it back for fur
ther changes. but since President
Harding and the majority In Congress
are of the same political faith. the
measure is certain to receive execu-
tive approval.
Through these seven steps the tax
payers of the country must wait be-
fore they can pass Judgment on the
from day to day merely show the
trend of opinion in Congress. Even
democrats admit that the changes
thus far made are improvements. and
they expect the bill will be changed
for the better when 1t reaches the
Senate.
May BE Political Tax.
The tax bill in its present shape
that Is: as passed by the HouseI,s lis
more likely to be political tax bill
rather than a business measure. Tne
House membership is responsive to
waves of protest from virtually every
quarter. Sometimes clamor Is mis-
taken for sound judgment.
The Senate. however. being SMALL
er body with only one-third OF Its
membership up for reelection a year
hence, more responsibility can be
taken there than in the House In the
making of a bill that may not be en-
tirely palatable from a political View
point, but economically justified.
Must Make Business Tax.
Republican leaders in the Senate ad-
NIT they must make a business mans
tax bill rather than a political meas
ure They insist that the average man
who cries out at the repeal of the ex-
cess profits tax because of Its alleged
favoritism for the wealthy really loses
sight of the fact that big business
concerns have been laying on em-
ployes and diminishing their oDera-
tions because of a lack of incentive.
and that when taxes are read5usted
business revival will come which viii
Immediately benefit the average man
in bringing him more work and possi-
bly, better returns.
1t is. therefore, premature to ac-
cept as final the details of the tax
bill being reported from day to day.
The evolution of tax bill is neces-
sarily gradual. and only three steps
cut of seven have thus far been
taken.
Copyright. 1871