The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-02-23
GO SEES
WAY OUT
OFHO|E
Figure Plan Would Put Onus
on Democrats IT Old
b Rates Stand.
BY WILLIAM HARD.

ny WILLIAM hAkUt
Republicans today in some
quarters began to see way out
Of their taxation troubles as fol-
lows:
Pass a joint resolution through
Congress reducing all income
taxes by twenty-five per cent from
the present level for the taxable
year 1928. Let this resolution
deal with this year only. Let it
take the present income tax rates
exactly as they at present are
both in the normal taxes and in
the snrtaxes-and let" it simply
reduce these rates by twenty-five
percent for everybody for this
year and for no longer.
Veto for Present Bill
Then let the President veto the
Democratic tax bill, which has been
adopted in the Committee Of the
Whole Of the House of Representa-.
tives and which seems likely to be
adopted in most Of it's essential fea-
lures in the House itself and after.
wards in the Senate.
Let the President veto this bill
as unscientific and unsound. Then
let the Republican, party go to the
country in the approaching cam
paign and try to win a victory for
what Mr.. Coolidge and Mr.. Mellon
regard as sound and safe taxation
principles.
Republicans are driven to con.
slider some such plan as the fore
going when they contemplate the
difficulty in which they are placed
by the triumph Of Congressman
Gamers Democratic tax bill. Floor
Leader Longworth still hopes, it
10 true, to defeat the Garner A
per cent surtax on q final vote In
the House.
Concessions Certain.
It is noted, however, that he
will do it, if he does do it, only
by making many concessions to Mr..
Gamers ideas and only by taking
the surtax up as high as 37h per
cent, which is within 6s per cent
Of Mr.. Gamers highest surtax and
which is 1914 per cent higher than
the highest suEtax proposed by Mr..
Mellon. 4 M fM{5
Such a victory would be far
from being "a victory for the prir-
ciples which President Coolidge and
Mr.. Mellon have held to be essen
tial. A bill expressing such q vic
tory would deserve in logic, 1t Is
admitted, to be vetoed by President
Coolidge. IT, however, he did vote
H1nVakhoV. Txyoe q
done by way of taxation legisla-
ton, President Coolidge would have
to go to the country with all the
taxpayers continuing to pay the
present high taxes.
Dislike Prospect
This prospect is highly disagree
able to the Presidents supporters.
They fear that he will be greatly
weakened before the country if by
his act the present high taxes are
continued throughout the election
period.
In Republican circles It is &C.
cordingly beginning to be argued
that a distinction should be made
between permanent tax reduction
and tax reduction for this year.
1t is argued that q generous tax
&O0ONIAOA All SAAAo SOS~A 0AAOAAN No
made by Joint resolution, using the
existing tax rates as standards and
diminishing them simply by a per-
centage reduction all around. Per-
manent reduction, based on new
standards and new basic rates,
would then be postponed by Presi-
Dental veto until an appeal to the
people could be made and until the
country could return a verdict on
which a genuine Coolidge Mellon tax
bill could be passed.
Precedent Is Set.
It is noted that it HAPPENS that
Congressman Garner himself has
already introduced joint resolution
dealing with income taxes for the
taxable year 1923 only. This resolu-
ton Is now in the Committee on
Ways and Means. Mr.. Garner tried
to get unanimous consent to bring
1t up in the House Immediately.
This consent was denied. Republi-
cans now begin to reflect that Mr..
Gamers general idea in this matter
may not have been so bad after all.
They begin to reflect that q Joint
resolution of their own, making an
even and equal temporary tax re-
duction for all tax payers this year,
might be a good talking point and
might even be necessary talking
point for them in their speeches
during the next campaign.
They entertain such thoughts
with increasing frequency in pro.
portion as they look at the present
character of the Senate. Thought.
full Republicans do not disguise
from themselves the fact that the
Senate, as at present constituted, is
more radical than the House, and
that If 1t changes the Garner sur.
tax Of A per cent 1t Is Just as likely
to change it upward as downward.
This situation, being as 1t is, Re.
publicans are beginning to look al
1t with candid eyes, and are begin.
ming to try to figure out how they
can combine a Presidential veto OF
q tax bill moulded by the Demo
Gratis with Presidential action which
nevertheless will give the taxpayers
some tax relief at once.
Copyright. 1924, Washington Press
Service.)