Evening star., 1924-03-08

With the tax reform measure en-
acted by the House. and the scene
of action transferred to the Senate
finance committee. editors generally
agree the fight has entered a stage
that must prove important to the next
national political campaign. The
House bill is far from satisfactory to
any one, least of all President Coolidge
and Secretary Mellon. But it is
agreed that the final bill agreed on
in conference between the two legis-
| lative branches must follow some
what the lines of the present bill.
There is no room for doubt that
taxes must be reduced" the Knoxville
Sentinel argues. "and at this session.
or the people will demand the reason
for the failure. They may not be OBJ
sequiously polite or party-minded at
all in putting the question" The peo-
pie also know. the Terre Haute Star
points out, that high surtaxes are
when paid the consumer contributes
it in high cost of living" The fact
must also be kept in mind. the Duluth
News Tribune continues. eff the mar
NAL taxes were abolished entirely
there would be no money to run the
r
ed at 100 per cent there would be no
capital to operate business. Lowering
taxes is desirable, Of course. but it
can't be done blindly."
4 X x
1t is the opinion of the Sioux City
Journal that 'it will create an un-
favorable impression" should the
democratic concessions in the lower
H.. Lac ht,f v,I
Rapids Herald recalls "the Mellon
plan sets up the fundamental eco
nomic principle, based on Treasury
experience, that a 25 per cent -surtax
is the maximum colIectibie. The rich
man does not do the people much
good if his higher tax yields less than
fight to date convinces the Topeka
State Journal that the democrats
care not what happens to the people,
if only they can gain control of the
government" The success of the low
tax advocates in the lower house leads
the Butte Post to observe that "the
outlook is good" and "all that is
necessary is for the millions interest
ed to stay on the job little longer
until the final vote is taken"
The Longworth compromise is
warmly applauded by the ST. Paul
the Garner plan as "humbug, al
though the Springfield Union sees in
tho maneuvering to date an effort
ito. hunt tax-reduction bonus"
hope for a scientific and worka Bile
tax-revision measure is with the
Senate" for "in view of the Pres
ident's pronouncement, it is 1ncon-
ceivable that the Senate would ap-
prove an unscientific measure and
r;C ,ntn he fa g.
ure is the peoples fight. They
should respond to the Presidents ap-
peal and renew their efforts to in
duce Congress to enact the Mellon
Ts4sofd FINES Rn shs & opaSn coodee 81 'hs
likely to think very seriously before
he vetoes any legislation that the two
houses of Congress agree on" And the
Indianapolis News feels politics
has been allowed to becloud the real
ure from the Mellon plan at the pres
ent time the slighter the possibility
of any tax legislation at ALL Inls
same politics, the Norfolk News ADDS
cially "if the compromise plan will
turn q surplus into def1clt.
|. + X
"In the way of framing a measure
with which to go on the stump the
democrats have displayed much skill"
the Muskegon Chronicle holds, but
at is the grand old army game that
is being played at washington and
until there is a better informed and
more discriminating electorate at
home, it will continue to be played
that way" The best the administra-
ton can do is to secure a compro-
mise" as the Utica Herald-Dispatch
sees it, and lin any event We must
have a reduction in taxation.
1.-THE public is not generally con-
cerned whether we have a Mellon
plan or a Garner plan, whether we
have a democratic plan or a republi-
can measure. Lower taxes and relief
is the solution demanded on all
sides" Yet while this may be true,