The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-05-28
ASSAIL SALES
LEVY IN HOT
SENATE FIGHT
Soaking the Poor Label
Placed on Measure
by Foes.
GREEN RAPS PROPOSAL
1T viii Stir Discomfort
Says Labor Head in
Message.

BY United Press
WASHINGTON, May 28.-Senate
opponents Of the manufactures sales
tax aSSafled it today as soak the
poor" policy OF taxing those least
able to bear the burden.
Senator Robert L. La Toilette
Rep., Wis., read into the record
a letter from William Green, presi-
dent of the American Federation
of Labor, predicting it would in
fame the minds" Of distressed
workers.
Senator Pat Harrison Dem.,
Miss challenged manufacturer tax
senators to come out in the open,
and settle the question with SEN
ate vote, while Senator James Cou-
zens CRep., Mich) denounced the
sales tax system as a "monstrosity."
Green's letter said that enact
ment Of the sales tax would in
flame the minds Of distressed work
ers until the present unrest would
be greatly exaggerated"
Workers Are Defended
Couzens told the senate he was
tired Of hearing men like Governor
Franklin D. Roosevelt and others
who defend the 100000 workers"
assailed as demagogues.
Charges that newspaper publish
ers had been persuaded at the
White House or elsewhere to for
sake opposition to the manufactur-
ers' tax echoed in the chamber as
the counter offensive to the Walsh
sales tax amendment got under way.
% Senator C. C. Dill CDem., Wash)
offered to the tax bill an amend
ment to fix the stock transfer tax at
4 of / per cent. Dill attacked the
New York Stock Exchange as "a
parasite, which has swallowed the
legitimate business Of the country"
He told the senate that the ex-
changes had become gambling in
situations in which the insiders used
me- ed cards and loaded dice. He
cited testimony from the banking
and currency committee market in
vestigation to show that big
operators, possessed of exclusive in
formation, move the prices Of stock
at will.
Harrison Assails Foes
Senator Harrison said some men,
bers of the senate "courageously"
were voting unpopular taxes and
that the budget had almost been
balanced according to the treasury
recommendations, but that other
senators were "fioundering in the
dirt"
I'VE read in the papers now"
Harrison continued, plainly angry
and disturbed by the tactics Of the
sales tax bloc, that the Presi-
dent has called to the White House
the leading publishers of the coun-
try, and that there was discussed
this general sales tax which has
been before the country.
I'VE see now that every effort,
every method is being employed to
browbeat this senate into accepting
the sales tax"
Senator William Borah Rep.,
Ida.) told questioners that he be-
lieved sales tax advocates were hop
ing eventually to substitute that
form of taxation for the income tax.
Fess Gives His Version
Senator Burton K. Wheeler
Dem., MONTH asked about a morn
ing paper story which attributed to
Senator Simeon d. Fess CRep., %
the assertion that President Hoover
was -four square behind the sales
tax"
Tess stated emphatically that he
had called at the White House Fri
day night purely for the purpose OF
discussing "preliminaries Of the con-
ventions
Fess said he had been met by
newspaper men as he left the White
House, and that they had asked
him about the sales tax.
Il frankly stated" he continued,
that I was of the opinion that as
between the high excise taxes and
the sales tax the President would
favor the sales tax. I did not quote
the President because he did not
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