The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1932-04-04

VETS in SENATE
BEGIN FIGHT ON
BEER FOR REVENUE
That Will Be One Of the
Struggles That Comes
Up To-day in Senate
Action on Tax Bill
I. BY LYLE C. WILSON
(United Press Staff Correspondent

{United Press Staff Correspondent
Washington, April A. tUP) -
Senate Anti Prohibitionists raj
lied today behind a beer-for-rev-
enue program as the billion dollar
tax bill was received from the
house.
It is a forlorn hope, but wet
organizations have seized upon the
tax issue and set their mimeo-
graphs to spinning out propaganda
in behalf of beer. The senate beer
bloc will follow their lead.
Senator Bingham, republican
Connecticut, heads the senate beef
tax movement. He estimated thai
tax of six cents a pint on legal
lied beer - the same tax now lev
led on a package of 20 cigarettes
S1,0OO,OO0,0O of revenue. Thai
alone would almost balance the
budget.
"rhe Crusaders militant anti
prohibition organization, opened
the debate today with q plea fol
beer and more revenue and o
denunciation of the. heavy tax lev
led by the house on wort. which Il
the basis of hone-Drew.
Congress, though, refusing te
tax beer in an honest manner,
said the organization, places ta1
on wort, which is a product o.
brewing and can be used only t.
manufacture beer. The American
taxpayer is being butchered t.
make an anti-saloon league holi
day.
Beer presents the lighter side o.
the tax picture as the senate fl
nance committee prepares to be
gin hearings on the bill Wednes
day. Congressional agreement to
restore beer at this time would b.
scarcely more miraculously thar
the stroke OF Moses stick upon tn
rock to produce water.
Senate labors with the tax bill
do not begin auspfciously.. Thu
administration and house demo
cratic leaders still are contradict
ing each other over whether tn
bill and prospective economic
will provide the $1,241, 100000 re
auired to balance the budget
speaker Garner insists that the ta'
bill as it passed the house put thu
treasury's books in order.
Senate Minority Leader Robin
son has summoned his democratic
colleagues to meet early this weel
| to decide party tax strategy. Re
publican leaders believe Secretar!
Of Treasury Mills is correct in as
serting the budget still is not bal
anced. They expect to sugges
additional revenue items. Demo
Gratis must decide whether the.
will accept this additional taxa
ton.
Under the comparatively stric
rules of the house, it, was possible
to minimize tariff levies which
were put in the bill in the guise OF
taxation. Only coal and oil re.
ceived such protection.
Two senate democrats, Hayder
and Ashhurst of Arizona, are
pledged to include copper in the
protected list. They complain
their state is literally going bank
! rupt because the copper industr!
has collapsed. FH
| Veteran senators predict that thu
struggle to keep coal and oil II
| the bill and to include copper viii
- under senate rules of unlimited
debate - lead finally to tariff
scramble which might wreck the
entire tax program unless 1t II
checked. They suggest that the
tariff dispute will end with moi
even oil and coal obtaining protec-
ton.
Progressive republicans are
aligning behind a program to re-
duce the tax bill by some hun
dreds of millions which would
be made up by a bond issue. In
other world, they would not bal
ance the budget this year.
In both parties, sentiment is
growing for further executive de-
partment economies, including the
consolidation and abolition of var
ious bureaus and agencies.