The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-26
THINKS TAX BILL :.
 WILL WIN OUT
Coolidge Optimistic Despite De-
 sire Of Floor Leaders For ! Compromise
By THOMAS L. STOKES ..sad wir. tn Ths Ana Hera lr

 WASHINGTON. Jan. 25.-The movement begun by certain republican leaders to stand squarely behind the Mellon tax plan will finally win out, in the opinion of President Coolidge, de- spite the desire for compromise by other leaders, particularly by Floor Leader Longworth and Chairman Green of the House ways and means commit tee.
 This reaction to the drive for the Mellon plan which is taking definite shape in the House came from a spokesman for the President Friday. Coolidge believes. it was explained. that the sentiment of the country and in Concress will drive republican lead CTS into line behind the Secretary of the Tresaury's bill.
 Moreover. the President has infor- nation that treasury figures on the democratic tax plan. soon to be made public. will show that the minority plan is economically unsound. This, he believes, will solidify republican ranks. Many republicans favor q higher surtax rate than the 9 per cent maximum in the Mellon bill. The dem ocrats want A per cent.
 The President is not going to make personal fight for the Mellon plan. He will enter into the controversy with Congress over the surtax rates. Nor has he any intention of making it n 'partsian" measure. Republicans in Congress have charged democrats with partisan" politics in their outspoken opposition to the Mellon formula. The President, it was said. would welcome support for the plan from any one who desires to give it.
 Republicans Uniting
 The confident feeling of the Prcsi- dent was regarded as an indication that he has received private assurances that the republicans are coming closer to- gether on the tax program. There have been frequent conferences among lead / CTS at the capitol, since the ways and means committee began to draw its bill.
 Time, the President believes, will work to aid the Mellon plan. As the bill Is coming to be better understood. he has. noticed change of front and rallying of support, it was said, and the prospects for a final agreement are getting better every day.
 Republican leaders who have deter mined to stand or fall by the Mellon measure and are working to convince their colleagues of the wisdom of this course, welcomed the Presidents en- couragement. However, they are up against a tremendous task.
 Representative Longworth is still in favor of compromise on the surtax rates. So is Chairman Green of the tax committee. In order to put off de- cision on this touchy subject as long as possible, the republican members of the committee in drawing their pro- gram placed surtax rates last for con sideration.
 The committee continued it's study of nuisance tax reductions Friday, voting to repeal the tax on soft drinks, which netted $11.000,000 revenue last year. They expect to finish this portion of the bill Saturday.
 Secretary Mellon, in letter Friday to Representative Moore of Virginia placed himself on record as favoring provision requiring taxpayers to re. port to the treasury on their tax ex- empt income. Moore said that such A law would be valuable in checking uD the amount of outstanding tax free se curities.