Evening star., 1932-05-10
Wise leadership.


Non-partiSan consideration of the
Governments emergency economy pro-
gram by a bipartisan subcommittee Of
the Senate Committee on Appropriations
has been advanced by Republican and
Democratic leaders as a sensible way
Of dealing with this vexing problem. 1t
is a reasonable plan, worthy of being
carried into effect. But unless the pro-
gram adopted by such a bipartisan
committee in a partisan way Is
backed up by the Republicans and the
Democrats in the Senate it will be
futile. 1t may be remembered that the
House Ways and Means Committee, act
ing in a non-partisan manner, brought
in revenue bill calculated to balance
the budget and that no sooner had the
bill been presented to the House than
members fed this non-partisan measure.
forgot their leaders and scrambled for
what they considered safety in a storm.
Later the so-called Economy Com
an economy program for the Govern
ment designed to cut the expenditures
by another s2o0,O0O,0OO. There were
four Democrats and three Republicans
although 1t was insisted that the COM
mittee regarded the economy problem
entirely from a non-partisan point of
view This committee brought In an
economy measure which it sought In
attach to the legislative appropriation
bill. When the fracas in the House WAS
over, instead Of effecting a 5000 900 600
cut In costs, all that was left of the
economy bill was $4,000, 600 reduc-
tion. Again there was no support of
the House leadership.
Now 1t has become the turn of the
Senate to deal with taxes and economy
The Finance Committee has reported
out revenue bill which it claims is
far better than the House bill. It will
however, be subjected to violent attack
by Individuals and groups of Senators
The effort Of the leaders, in advance of
the consideration of the revenue bill in
the Senate, Is to obtain a brass-riveted
combination to support the bill as 1t has
come from the committee. Unless the
rank and file of the Democratic Sen
ators are willing to follow their leaders
on this measure, the same chaotic con-
ditionS are likely to arise in the Senate
as were found In the House. The SEN
ate Committee will be assailed In at
least two major particulars. The first
Of these is the tariff tax" proposed to
be levied on imported coal, oil. lumber
copper and rubber. The second will be
an effort to substitute a general manu-
facturerS' excise tax-called in the
House a manufacturers sales tax-in-
stead Of the manufacturers excise taxes
which the bill lays on a dozen indi-
vidual industries.
The attempt Of the leaders of the
Senate to have the economy program,
which is supplementary to the tax pro-
gram or vice versa, dealt with on a
non-partisan basis is another effort to
line up the Senate itself for a definite
economy plan and to prevent an econ
omy debacle in the Upper House SINH
lar to that which occurred in the Lower
House.
President Hoover has declared that
the problem Of balancing the budget
should be tackled in a non-partisan
manner. He is quite right. But to di-
vorce legislation from politics on the
eve of national campaign is a real
job. II the Senate leaders are able to
accomplish this end they will have
done much for the Senate and the
Congress and for the American people.
After all, what the people wish today is
action and assurance that Government
finances are to be stabilized rather
than dose of politics.