Evening star., 1932-11-13
DEBT DELAY FUTILE,
B0RAH SAYS, UNDER
PRESENT POLICIES
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1t win negotiate further reductions Of
| the debt, whether 1t will agree to q
| further moratorium, or whether 1t will
just let the European nations default in
| their payments
The second Of the problems before
Congress has to do with prohibition.
It seemed last night as II o resolution
proposing to resuhmit the eighteenth
amendment for repeal or revision would
have o better chance Of passage at the
short session of Congress now coming
than would bill modifying the Vol
stead act so as to permit manufacture
/ and sale Of beer.
In the first place. both the Republi-
can and Democratic national platforms
! in the recent campaign pledged the sub
/ mission Of such an amendment to the
Constitution. Republican drys are not
| inclined to oppose the passage OF a
| resubmiSsion amendment, although they
would prefer to have 1t include the sub
stitute plan for liquor control which
was placed in their platform. If the
vote comes on resolution merely to
resubmit the prohibition question, how
| ever, as in the Glass resolution that was
| pending IN the Senate Just before the
close of last session, they are likely to
| vote for 1t, on the ground that the
people are entitled to have the decision
Of the matter.
Fess to support Plan.
Senator Fess of Ohio, Republican,
than whom there has been no stronger
supporter of prohibition in the Senate
is prepared to take this position. How
ever, If the eighteenth amendment is
| resubmitted, the Ohio Senator may be
| expected to fight it tooth and toe nail
| in his own State when the issue comes
| up in State constitutional convention
! About the beer bill, there is very
| different attitude on the part of Senator
| Fess and many other members Of the
| Upper House. They believe that such
a bill would be mere notification OF
the Constitution as 1t now stands. The
beer measure will lead, 1t Is predicted
| to a long constitutional debate.
| There is another side to the beer
matter. Some of the Democrats would
prefer to have all the glory of passing
the beer bill when they have complete
control Of the Congress and their man
is in the White House. This Is true
despite the fact that already number
of Democratic leaders in Congress have
announced their intention Of pushing
the beer bin through the Congress be-
| fore Christmas.
DistiIlers Are Alarmed.
| Furthermore, there is arising ques-
| ton in the minds of some Of those who
wish to see the eighteenth amendment
| finally wiped of the map that to give
| the people legal beer might seriously
| delay action on repeal amendment
| They recall the arguments advanced by
some of the vets to the effect that Il
beer could be had many of the ills oi
| prohibition would be obviated. The dis
tillers. who are as interested in the re-
peal of prohibition as are the brewers
| are inclined to fear that If the brewers
| get what they want in the matter oi
beer they might become Indifferent II
| the plight of the distillers. However, il
the sentiment of the country Is for re-
| peal of the eighteenth amendment, a:
many claim 1t to be, all of these allied
| problems become mere hair splitting
and are not likely to affect the result ir
| the long run.
| The situation appears at present X
be this-that there is more chance OF 9
resolution submitting the eighteenth
| amendment to the people OF the State:
getting through this session Of Con
gress without a filibuster against il
than there is for beer bill to pass.
| The revenue question threatens to b'
bound up, however, with the question
OF legalizing beer. The Government L
going to need more revenue to balanc'
The supporters of the beer bill argue
that it will bring in $375000,000 the
| first year. That Is a tidy sum. 1t i:
this argument that will be strongly
advanced for the passage of the beel
bill without further delay.
Sales Tax Chances Better.
Despite the refusal of the Congress!
at the last session to include in the
revenue bill then passed a general
manufacturers sales tax, the chance:
for such sales tax, as means o.
raising the needed revenue, are looking
up. In the first place, some means
must be found to raise revenue. i
/ the so-called excise taxes are extended
the law will become a virtual genera
manufacturers sales tax law. For theSt
excise taxes are really sales taxes leYiec
on individual industries.
No matter how the election for the
Waterman seat in the Senate during the
coming short session turns out finally
in Colorado, the Democrats may have
the control Of that body turned over II
them. Some of the Republicans, among
them Norris of Nebraska and Couzen!
of Michigan, are considering the wis
dom of placing the Democrats in con.
troll of the Senate without waiting fol
March 4. Norris is the author of tht
so-called lame duck" amendment tt
the Constitution, now awaiting ratifica.
ton by the States. which would have
the effect of placing the party which
won at the polls in November in con.
troll Of the Congress when it shoulC
convene. If Norris, La Toilette ant
some of the other Progressives should
undertake to help the Democrats or.
ganize the Senate so as to place then
in control right away, 1t could readil!
be accomplished. Perhaps some of thC
regular Republicans would join then
them. Some of them talked about sucf
move in the last session of Congress
so that the Democrats and the insur
gent Progressives, holding the actua