Evening star., 1932-12-27
The Democratic Program.

Speaker Garner has outlined o Demo-
cratic program OF legislation for the
present short session which must be
put through II special session Is to be
avoided. After scanning the program.
it looks as though a special session
were unavoidable. The days Of mira
cles may or may not have passed. But
even a miracle could scarcely bring
about the passage through both Houses
Of the Congress in the two remaining
months Of session Of the measures to
which Mr.. Garner refers. Nor does this
take Into consideration the fact that
these measures would require approval
or at least not positive disapproval by
the President. Mr.. Gamers insistence
upon the program at the short session
may, after all, be merely an effort to
make 1t appear to the country that
the Republicans are to blame for spe-
cial session Of the new Congress next
Spring.
What does this program announced
by Speaker Garner contain? First, q
resolution proposing repeal Of the eight
eenth amendment; second, n1odiflca-
ton Of the Volstead act, permitting the
manufacture and sale OF beer; third, q
farm relief bill designed to carry out
the pledges made during the campaign,
and fourth, a balanced budget. It is .
huge task in itself, but even 30 the
program does not contain several items
of importance which will have to be
dealt with by the incoming administra-
ton at a comparatively early date,
among them the foreign debts. over
which Gov. Roosevelt will have no more
individual power than has President
Hoover, and the tariff. It is, by the
way, interesting to observe how little
the Democrats say about the "ob-
noxous" Republican tariff law since
they have won the election. With the
exception Of Senator Cordell Hull OF
Tennessee, who has convictions regard
ing the tariff, the Democratic leaders
shy away from the tariff discussion a.
though It were the plague. They do not
wish to tackle general revision OF the
tariff at the outset of the Roosevelt
administration, nor do they want the
President elect to do SO.
It will not be long now until the
Democrats. holding a majority in both
Houses Of Congress, will be charging
the Republicans with delaying legisla-
ton. It IS the charge which the Re
publicans for years have made against
the Democrats. Therein lies in consid-
erable part the difference between q
majority position and minority
Speaker Garner, who so soon Is to be-
come Vice President, is getting his
mouth ready for the change Of tune.
In the proposal for balanced budget
Speaker Garner and Representative
Collier, chairman of the Ways and
Means Committee, have agreed to &c
as far as general manufacturers excise
or sales tax. The House Democrats 8
year ago refused to follow the lead o1
the Ways and Means Committee on the
sales tax. But that was before the elec-
ton. When it is, apparent that the
budget, which is soon to be handled
by a Democratic President. must be
balanced, Mr.. Collier reluctantly ad-
mits that he will support the sales tax
This conversion may appear . BIZ
tardy and to lay the Democrats open tc
criticism. Better late, however. thar
never. There is not the slightest doubt
that q general manufacturers excise
tax is a sound method Of levying take.
since it has become necessary to in
crease the revenues in order to pre-.
serve the credit of the country.