Evening star., 1932-12-28
Roosevelt "Horriied." F"

President-elect Roosevelt is reported
as mortified" at the suggestion that he
would favor the enactment OF general
manufacturers excise or sales tax.
Slowly the country is beginning to learn
the attitude Of the next President on
matters Of Importance that must be dealt
with during his administration. 1t ap-
pears now that instead OF a general
manufacturers excise tax he will favor
special excise taxes, such as exist in the
present revenue law Anything to avoid.
II possible, sales tax the revenue
dog with bad name.
Presumably Gov. Roosevelt will desire
TO have the Government budget bal
anced In order to make certain the
credit of the country and to place mat
ters on a stable financial basis. II so,
when he takes over the duty OF recon-
mending to the Congress measures lor
balancing the budget, he may find that
the despised manufacturers excise tax
Is the only method by which the Gov
ernmept may balance the budget with
out grievous injustices to lot OF the
neople. If that be the case, the Cover
nor will be compelled to decide Whether
he prefers no sales tax or whether ne
prefers to let the budget remain unbal-
anced. Perhaps he will decide IN 1aVor
of allowing the Government to stay IN
the red. Indeed, there are other Demo-
Gratis who have secuted the need OF bal
ancing the budget at all, some OF theh
in the House of Representatives.
Sneaker Garner, soon to become wee
President is not one OF these. he mas
committed himself to budget balancing.
It was the report that Mr.. Garner hao
declared for a sales tax, if it became
necessary, to bring about balanced
budget which SO horrified Gov. Roose-
welt, especially as some OF the reports
had it that the Speaker must be speak
ing with the approval Of the President
elect. Gov. Roosevelt Is likely 10 De
Mortified more than once IN the next
four years-though not necessarily py
Sneaker Garner. However, his attitude
toward the so-called sales tax Will
please one wing Of the Democratic
party-that which Is inclined to think
In terms Of politics rather than IN terms
Of what is most businesslike and efh-
cient.
Since the election in November many
suggestions have been made that sooner
or later the many divergent interests
represented by personalities-Whlcn
supported Roosevelt for the presidency
would be unable to go further with the
President ELECT Gov. Roosevelt's pres
ent horror" at the proposal of gen.
eral manufacturers excise tax may
cause shudder to pass along the frame
OF William Randolph Hearst, for ex-
ample. The sales tax has been dear to
the heart of MIR. Hearst for many years.
Gov. Roosevelt does not appear to be
exercised over the necessity of putting
through the Garner program OF legis-
lation at the present session to avoid
an extra session of the new Congress
in the Spring, despite the fact that
he was earlier reported as being anxious
to avoid such special session. Appar-
entity he has become reconciled to the
idea that a special session must be held,
for it is quite clear that unless the
measures which Mr.. Garner specified
in his program are put through now
Congress must deal with these prob
lens in the coming Spring and Sum-
mer.
The prospects either for balanced
budget or for a general manufacturers
excise tax do not seem particularly
bright, in view Of the reported attitude
of Gov. Roosevelt. Certainly if the
Presldent-elect, when he enters the
White House, still continues to frown
upon a sales tax, it would stand a slim
chance of becoming law, in view of the
big following which the new President
undoubtedly will have in the coming
Congress.