Evening star., 1923-11-26
Democrats Pledge Tax Reform
Policy Free From, Partisansl,ip
Representative Garrett, Prospective Party
House Leader, Declares Public Wei
fare Should Come First.

Considerations of mere temporary
partisan advantage" will not tempt
the democratic members of Congress
rto play cheap or mean politics at
the expense of the people as did the
republicans during 1919 and 1920"
Representative Garrett of Tennessee
declares in a statement urging alb
stinence from partisanship in deal
ing with the problem of taxation.
Mr.. Garrett, who is expected to be
reelected democratic leader in the
House. excerpts only the present
iniquitous high tariff" in his appeal
twin question of revenue and
for non-partisan consideration of the
finance"
Would Except Tariff.
Lets be done" he said, with par
tisanship in dealing with the twin
questions of revenue and finance, eX-
cept as to the present iniquitous high
tariff which is constantly boosting
ing countless profiteers. The tariff
will continue in politics so long as
greed insists on debating eXtortion-
ate and unconscionable high rates"
His statement. issued after a con-
ference with Representative Cordell
democratic national committee. en-
phasizes with reference to Secretary
Melons proposals for tax reductions
that Everybody everywhere" favors
reducing the normal taxes. The ques-
tion of differentiating between earn
ed and unearned incomes has al
ways had the support of ''all mem
bers" In principle. he says, but it has
not been put into effect because of
Republican opposition and the ex-
treme difficulty of its successful ad-
ministration."
'The worst enemy of honest. equi-
table internal tax revision" Mr.. Gar
rett asserts, "is the person who in
jects political or factional considera-
tions or collateral controversies
which bear no relation to the single
problem of scientific equitable tax
alton"
Reviews Party's Course.
Referring to Secretary MELONS
said
"A vast amount of misleading
propaganda has already been put out
in regard 10 the tax situation, much
of which is calculated to serve just
the opposite purpose from that In
tended. A brief glance at the tax
record of the two political parties
since 1918 offers the best assurance
of their respective policies during the
coming session.
I'm February. 1919, under the lead
ership and suggestion of the demo-
cratic administration and Congress.
normal income tax rates were reduced
from IL and per cent to and per
cent. respectively, and reductions
were made in excess profits taxes.
The estimated reductions of war taxes
at this time were s.. 900 900 600. Dur
ing the two years that followed the
democratic President and his secre-
taries of The Treasury constantly
urged the second important step to-
nrl 4 u q
republican Congress refused to bulge
an inch in that direction prior to
March 4, 1921.
BIames G. o. =. Policy.
During the attempted. but rather
abortive, internal revenue tax revi-
sion of 1921 under republican leader
ship politics. blocs, factions and
cliques were allowed to he injected,
with the unfortunate results well
known. This Legislative task was so
handled as to cause some phases OF
tax conditions, particularly surtaNes,
to become hopelesSly involved in con-
fusion controversy and factionaliSm
with the result that they can proba-
bly, only further be dealt with in the
most gradual manner.
THE earned and unearned income
tax proposal of the Treasury has
been thrashed out many times in
Congress and in committees during
the past eight years and has not thus
far been adopted on account Oh re-
publican opposition and the extreme
difficulty of its successful admins
tration All members, however. have
favored it in principle from the be-
ginning. Not only the three admins
trative amendments recommended by
the Treasury. but many others
equally if not more. important
should be dealt with by Congress. AS
to proposed reductions of normal
taxes. any other view than that
everybody everywhere favors such
reductions is worse than absurd.
Hopes to Avoid Politics.
internal revenue statutes are nee
essarily technical by reason of our
complicated economic conditions, and
the worst enemy of honest. equitable
internal tax revision is the person
WI o injects political or factional con-
siderat.o ons or collateral controver-
sizes which bear no relation to the
single problem of scientific equitable
taxation.
In order that the revenue and
finance record may be kept straight
with respect to the course of the two
political parties since the war. let il