Evening star., 1932-06-01
Senate Action Revives Hope.

AnSwerirr the demand of President
Hoover for a termination OF the long
delay in passing revenue bill capable
of balancing the budget, the Senate
early this morning put through the
ms9ure. After days OF wrangling,
the Upper House, impressed with the
seriousness Of the economic situation
hastened to complete a task which
should have been an accomplished fact
long ago The dramatic appearance
of President Hoover in the Senate
chamber Yesterday and his unanswer-
able arguments for action now gave
the needed impetus to end the long de-
bate.
Thu bill goes to conference between
the two houses There is no good rea-
sen why it should be held there long
The country is still waiting for the law
itself which will make it possible to
balance the budget and maintain the
financial stability of the Nation. With
out faith in the finances of their Gov
Cl llIIitIIL eIlC EliiiC. ANa4i PNOPAS "SeAN
be in desperate straits. The differ
ences between the two houses, in the
revenue bill, are such that may be ad-
justed promptly. Both House and Sem
ate have relied upon increased income
taxes upon special excise taxes levied
against limited number of industries,
and upon so-called nuisance taxes,
stamp taxes and the like. No differ
ence in principle exists between the
House and Senate bills.
The country unfortunately, had be-
gun to have the opinion that Con-
gress was impotent that it could not
shake itself free Of selfish interests
and act in the interests of the people.
The impression had spread abroad, to
the detriment of the American dol
lar The action by the Senate yester-
day afternoon and last night, following
the visit of the President, proves other
wise. A renewal of confidence in the
Government and in the United States
should spring from the session Of the
Senate, which ran till past midnight
last night
In the final hours of the considera-
ton of the revenue bill it was found
that more revenue and additional taxes
to produce that revenue were needed
1t became necessary finally for the
Senate to decide whether it should &c
to a moderate general manufacturers
excise tax or continue to levy more
special excise taxes. President Hoover
in his address to the Senate yesterday
said that he favored the general manu-
facturers' excise tax. Such tax had
been written into the bill by the
Democratic controlled House Ways and
Means Committee, but rejected by the
House itself. Such tax was sponsored
bv Senator David I. Walsh, of Massa-
chusetts. Democrat. and Senator David
A. Reed of Pennsylvania, Republican
1t was not presented to the Senate fol
a vote until all the special taxes and
income tax increases had been written
into the bill in amount deemed sufi-
: cient to balance the budget. And when
the vote was taken in the Senate on
the manufacturers tax Senators voted
against 1t who, in their own hearts,
preferred that provision and believed
it fairer and more efficient than those
that had been adopted. 1t had beer
killed by name, "the sales tax"
Wien the people, including the great
mass of men and women who own
modest homes in this country, begin to
pay the levies under the new revenue
bill. with their normal income tax rates
boosted to higher point than since the
immediate postwar days, and when
many of the nuisance taxes begin to fall
on the consciousness Of the people. they
will ask themselves whether it would not
have been far better to have had gen.
eral manufacturers excise tax, at low
rate, imposed. And after they have
asked themselves that question, they art
likely to ask questions Of their repre-.
sentatives in Congress No taxes are
popular. But some fall with less bur.
den than others upon a whole people.
Ten legislative days now remain be.
fore the first Of the two political con-
ventions in Chicago. That is tint
enough for Congress to complete th'
work of balancing the budget, now tina
the most difficult of the measures, tht
revenue bill, has reached conference
That business and the incidental ap-
propriative legislation should be com
pleted within this period. 1t is not i'm.
portant that Congress completes it,
work within these next ten days as fal
as the convenience of members is con
cerned, but it is vitally important fol
the welfare of the country that this
essential task be performed.