Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-03-20
COMP ROM|SE TAX
BILL IS WINNING
PRESIDENT LIKELY TO SIGN iT
UNLESS SENATE MAKES TOO
MUCH ALTERATION.
BY EDWARD 8. CLARK

Observation-Disclosures lS SlAolS III
Washington today that the President
will sign the tax bill unless perchance
the senate shall make such changes as
to bring the measure within the admin
istration's taboo class.
Sometimes the temptation besets
one to use a little 81 told you so"
phrasing It was insisted in hum
dred places that the insurgent Repub-
licans never would agree to the COM
promise on surtaxes which was pro-
posed by leader Longworth. However,
at the very beginning of the discus
sion Of the matter In the house 1t
was said In these letters from Wash
ington that the Republican leader I'M
Questionably eventually would secure
compromise on surtaxes at either 30
or BIN per cent, and that the so-called
insurgents would support the Long
worth proposal.
A maximum surtax of 371a per cent
has been voted by the house of repre-
sentatives; the insurgents re-entered
the party fold and voted with Long
worth, who perhaps has the satisfac-
tion of knowing that In considerable
measure he had justified the Repub-
licans VINO had put him into the place
Of leadership.
First Showed Their Power.
In the politics of legislation there
are always many things which are
going to happen, but which never do
happen. The insurgent Republicans
proved on several voting occasions
that they had the balance of power,
and that they could undo the party
legislatively any time they chose.
They voted with the Democrats on sew
eral occasions and then having gained
something for their own contentious in
the matter of the lower brackets Of
the revenue act, they swung around to
the Longworth support and put the
party measure through. It might have
been expected.
Time and again this sort Of thing
has happened In congress. Regularity
is worth something even to a mem
Der who may like to call himself an
independent. There is an election this
year. The party name means some
thing to a candidate. The insurgents
came back into the fold, and perhaps
that is the main thing after ALL
Something else should be said about
the reasons underlying the return of
the progressive Republicans to the
fold In the surtax matter. There is
little doubt that the statements Of the
Treasury department and Of men who
voiced the opinions of the department
on the floor Of the house, that the Inn
position Of high surfaces would event
TALLY mean higher cost of living and
renewed higher taxes for the man
Of small income, had their effect on
the country, an effect which was rec
ognized by the insurgent Republicans
and which helped to induce them to
stand for the Longworth compromise.
Prospects In the Senate. .
What's going to happen to the rev.
enue bill In the senate? There are
some insistent progressive Repub-
licans in the upper house, men with
just as much obstinacy Of conviction
and pep of fight in them as is to be
found In their brethren of like mind
and endeavor in the house of repre-
sentatives. It can be taken for grant
ed that the LaFollette element in the
senate will attempt to change the
house bill materially, so as to fix the
surtax rate at higher figure, and
will do what they can generally to
force the senate to adopt in consider
able measure the proposition original
" supported by the insurgents in the
house.
In the senate, however, there are
several conservative Democrats who
seemingly believe that the original
Mellon proposition represents the
proper tax revenue legislation These
Democrats, of course, will not support
a measure which In effect would SUBJ
stitute the Mellon plan for the legis-
lation as it has passed the house, but
1t virtually is known that they will
not follow insurgent Republican lead
erehip, nor that of Democrats who
agree with the insurgents.
Generally speaking, the opinion here
seems to be that the house bill, as it
will be amended LII the senate, Will
more nearly represent the Mellon plan
than the one which the representatives
have prepared for senate sanction.
The feeling that lower surtaxes will
make for lower taxes generally seems
to have been growing in congress for
some time.
1t is going to take the senate a
long time to pass the revenue bill.
Each senator will take the oppor-
tunity to tell his constituents through
the Congressional Records just how
he stands on the proposition, and then
later, If ne votes for compromise
measure, he can declare that it was
necessary for him so to vote in order
that any kind of tax relief could be
secured.
1t has been long time since the
capital Of the country was in such an
atmosphere as envelopes it today, one
charged with electricity, while down
In the earth seemingly, there are
charges of high explosives which one
after another. day by day explode in
consonance with the meaning Of the
old expression with might and main. Z"
IN Nc IL.