New Britain herald., 1926-12-02
LINES DRAWN FOR
 TAX SLASH FIGHT
Promises Now to Be Main Con,
 cern of Congress

washington, DeC. T) - WlCn the reconvening of the 69th con- gress only four days away, indica- tons are rapidly multiplying that the principal battle of the short session will race about the issue of tax reduction.
 Already the battle lines have been clearly defined, with the democrats determined to bring about immediate revision of the tax law and the republican leaders equally determined that nothing of the sort shall be done until the present statute has been given at least another year of practical test ing.
 At the same time, lines are emerging from the confusion of possession talk which wiN show that the bill being drafted by the house ways an means committee to dispose of alien property seized during the war and adjust Ameri- can and German claims, will be the center of another vigorous fight. ........
 Thus far, the democrats are the , only group that has formally draft ed tax reduction proposal aimed at the impending treasury surplus. It was formulated by Represent ative Garner of Texas, and other democratic members of the ways and means committee after confer ences with Senator Simmons of North Carolina, ranking minority member of the senate financing committee, and is designed to re- duce the federal revenues by s350,- 0O0,000 a year.
 | The ways and means committee as whole hasn't gotten around to the treasury surplus be returned to the taxpayers in the form of credits on income tax returns which are to be paid in the first two quarters next year, having devoted it's time to the alien property bill, now nearing completion.
 Chairman Green, however, and l other republican leaders, have taken i the position that revision of the | ta; law is inadvisable at this time, agreeing with the administrators i position that it's actual revenue re-
 ducing capacity cannot be deter mined until it has been given fur
 ther test. This years surplus, now
 estimated at $500, 00O,000 they hold,
 is not indicative of the operation of
 able revenue which will not be re-
 ceiyed next year. The democrats,
 on the other hand, argue that the surplus will amount to s500,000, 900
 and that immediate tax revision is 1 justified.
 | Tax legislation, meanwhile. has | found no place In the tentative pro- gram of major legislation which re- publican leaders hope to see enact-
 cd, but the alien property bill is in-
 cluded in their list anT Speaker Longwo.th has predicted at it will be disposed of quickly The meas ure, however, already has reused tn opposition Of Senator Borah, re- publican, Idaho, who contends that, fin principle" it would endorse confiscation" of private property in violation of one of the Fundamentals on which the government was founded.
 ''The property should be returned without delay and without regard to the claims of American nation als against the German govern ment," he declared after confer cnce with President Coolidge.
 He also reiterated his opposition to the compulsory equalization fee principle which is being retained in the revised version of the McNary- Haugen farm relief bill. another measure that promises to produce plenty of argument during the short session.