Evening star., 1924-01-27
CONGRESS is LOOKING
TO DAY OF ADJOURNMENT
Hopes to Close Legislative Mill by June
|, Appropriations and Tax Reduc-
ton Being Chief Work.

! cratic support is practically unanimous
although some would prefer to hold it
at 80 per cent.
In the present law the so per cent
begins TO apply on incomes of 5000, 900
OF above. The Mellon plan would make
the % per cent apply at 500, 900 or
above. The Garner plan would make
| the Al per cent apply at $4,000. The
| group Of insurgents" led by Repre-
sentative James A. Frear OF Wiscon
sin. a member Of the ways and means
committee, is against any reduction at
! all in the surtaxes.
/ House Leader Longworth and Repre-
sentative William r. Green of Iowa,
! chairman of the ways and means COM
mittee, have stated publicly and re-
| peatedly, and both to the President
| andto the press, that the 25 per cent
/ rate cannot go through. because the op-
position. even on the republican side of
the House, is so strongly set against it.
Attitude of President.
The administration has been insist
| ing that the republican leaders must go
through with the Mellon plan un-
changed. and that the very essence of
| the Mellon plan is the rs per cent
maximum on surtaxes. In fact, the
! implication was drawn from President
| Coolidge's discussion of the situation
that he would seriously consider veto
ing the tax bill unless the % per cent
maximum surtax rate Is carried.
! The other day Chairman Green was
authorized to make a proposal TO the
democratic members of the ways and
means committee that this matter
should be considered as non-partisan
and that they all try to reach
compromise between the Garner rate OF
Is, on which all of the democrats are
agreed, and the Mellon rate of %, on
which the republicans are hopelessly
split.
The contention Of the administration
Is that 1t Is necessary for the success
of the Mellon plan to release money
and turn il into productive channels,
which they claim would result In giving
the federal government more revenue
than under the present rate, which is
twice as high, besides stimulating in
dustry and keeping the populace en-
ployed.
ed deadlock. The democratic mem
bers are determined not to agree to any
compromise rate under A., which would
break their support in the House. There
are also irreconcilables among the re-
publicans. like Representative John Q.
Tilson Of Connecticut, who is equally
averse to bulge away from the 25 per
cent rate.
The result-as things are now lined
time to bring the bill out the democrats
will vote present" and allow the repub-
licans to report out their bill. and then
make the fight on the floor Of the
House.
That can be done next week il the
leaders SO desire, although the repub
lican conference allowed the ways and
means committee majority until Feb
ruary II to bring in their bill.
Can BE Amended on Floor.
Still further testimony that the tax
bill in this essential feature will be
written in the House is found in state
nents by Chairman Smell of the rules
committee, who has given his opinion
, publicly that it would be impossible
TO get out q special rule that would
prevent the tax bill from being torn
TO shreds and tatters by amendments
if 1t is the desire Of House members
to do SO. The abolition Of the Under
hill rule the other day throws any bill,
and particularly the coming tax bill,
wide open for amendment on the floor.
That's the situation as 1t exists, and
1t Is pretty well admitted by the mem
bership Of the House. With general
recognition of this fact, there is hope
that the measure will be brought into
the House very soon and thrashed out
on the floor.