Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-10
Lobbying Against
Tax Bill
by Frederic J. Haskin

| ny Frederic J. Haskin
Washington, Aug. 1e.---rhe mem
bers OF the ways and means copnH-
tee Of the House. struggling with the
formation of a new tax bill. are being
subjected 10 pressure from almost
every industry ~in the country, de-
signed TO influence the committee ~
reduce or eliminate taxes which would
bear upon this or that business. The
most pitlful pleas are poured into the
ears Of the committeeman, and propa-
Randa work is at the high water mark.
When the committee finishes fts
work and the bill is before the House
Tor amendment and final approval,
the scope OF this artificial pressure
will be Increased 10 take In the whole
House membership. Veterans in Con-
Rress foresaw all Of this. and YEARLY
resigned themselves 10 IL. They knew
quite accurately just how much Of the
apparent sentiment against imposing
this or that tax IL manufactured. and
discount it accordingly. Those not
members of the ways and means cftfn-
mIttee, are content to let that body
work out the details OF the bill, and
cast their votes along party lines for
or against the measure, without dely-
ing too deeply into the intricacies Of
Its many provisions.
But In the present House Of Repre-
sentatiyes there are about 125 new
members, and many more than that
whose service does not extend back
| to the formation of the last revenue
act or any Of the important measures
which called into play all the ma
chinery Of influence TO exert pressure
on Congress.
Because this sort OF thing is new 70
big element OF the House. i is ex-
pected that the lower branch Of Com
gress viii be more than usually re-
/ sp0nsfye. That an element III Con-
gress Is prone 10 permit influencing
| Of it's judgment by propaganda and
other means WAS amply demonstrated
Ia some OF the important legislation
which preceded Americas participa
/ ton in the war.
/ just now there are in Washington
the representatives Of scores, possibly
hundreds. Of industries and interests
whose sole duty Is the effort 70 pre-
vent tax legislation which would ar
feet those industries in what they
contend would be an adverse manner
These representatives generally open
Bureaus headed by men well sup
piled with money and loquacIty, who
are not niggardIy IN the expenditure
Of either.
Last Tax Law an Example.
The enactment into law of the
Kitchin Tax bill brought to Washing
ton q tremendous number Of these
representatives They all had their
Innings before. the ways and means
lcommitree, and later before the finance
committee Of the Senate. Had their
pleas been needed, the Kitchin law
would have been joke instead Of
the means Of providing billions Of
dollars annually with which 20 pay
/ Americas expenses incident 10 the
war. With the F'ordney measure In
happening again.
/ IL is safe to predict that the efforts
Of these special representatives viii
accomplish little. 50 far as the action
OF the ways. and means committee is
/ frame a measure to ease the tax bur-
den as at present imposed, bur at the
[ same time raise a great deal OF money,
and industries must have their pocket
books lightened somewhat, whether
they like it or not.
/ But the task OF the persuasive
bureau" does not end with this COM
mittee. The members OF the House
i generally viii become the targets
when the measure is before that body
These agents will follow the tax bin on
+ its legislative journey through the
Senate finance committee. in the Sem
ate itself. and IN the meetings of the
/ conference COMMITTEES, composed OF
both Senators and Representatives
which win iron out the difference
/ bound TO arise in the views Of the
+ two bodies.
+ Of course, If there should be written
/ into the measure some item Of taxa
! ton which should prove extremely IN
+ popular, the members Of Congress who
supported that part Of the bill or
failed TO register protest against it
would find themselves in hot water
when next they sought the votes Of
their constituents. The proposed con-
sumption taxes might fall into this
class. The Democratic members OF
the House were quite willing to see
this written into the Law. but the
wary Republican leaders fought shy
of it despite considerable amount Of
propaganda put forth in its favor.
Cause Of Political Defeats.
Belief that manufactured propa-
ganda represented the true state Of
mind of their constituents can be set
down as the reason for the retirement
10 private life OF many former Con-
gressmen4 Even when the pressure
exerted could. be recognized as purely
manufactured sentiment some fromer
Representative have insisted to their
sorrow in believing otherwise. They
4 took the stand that tremendous in-
terest had been aroused in whatever
measure was before the House, and
that they must follow the supposed
desires of the voters back home in
recording their eotes.
An outstanding example Of this was
the McLemore resolution. which sought
to put the Congress on record as
warning Americans not TO take pass
age on armed merchant ships. The
Wilson administration focused atten-
ton on the resolution, demanding a
vote.
Immediately practically every mem
Der of the House was flooded with
telegrams. all in exactly the same
wording. urging that the resolution
be supported. Although the names