Evening star., 1933-02-13
The Political Mill
By C. Could Lincoln.

Appropriations and the Democratic
leaders seem to be moving heaven and
earth to cut down governmental ex-
penditures In order to lessen the burden
| of taxation. AT the same time the
House Appropriations Committee re-
ports the annual District appropriation
bill containing proposal to increase
taxes on intangible personal property
by 20 per cent in the District. This
increased tax is not needed. Already
there is a surplus of several millions Of
dollars to the credit Of the District In
the Treasury The only possible ex-
cuse, therefore, for having this in
creased tax Is to put heavier taxes on
the people of the District. There Is no
rhyme or reason to it except that the
Congress, if it sees fit, has the power to
tax American citizens who happen to
live in the District Of Columbia and
who are powerless because they have
no vote. Although the House commit
tee has made this recommendation, it
has not yet been adopted by the House
nor by the Senate. There Is still op-
portunity, therefore, for justice to the
people who have no voice or vote in
Congress. If the tax Is levied in the
fece of existing circumstances, it will
be just another case Of taxation with
out representation.
/ Y
The House committee apparently
does not intend to permit continuance
of number of activities which would
The appropriation bill has been cut
nearly $1,000, 900 under the appropria-
ton for the current fiscal year and
about $4,000, 900 under the amount rec
commended by the Budget Bureau. The
proposed new taxes are to go, accord
ing to the committee, for unemploy-
ment relief. To any ordinary human
intelligence it would appear that the
surplus already in the Treasury to the
credit of the District could be used for
that purpose. If the Congress should
propose to levy increased taxes on the
voters of America when there was a
surplus in the Federal Treasury, imag-
inc the howl from the voters. With
the District, however, which Is voteless,
Congress can do as 1t likes. Many
members of Senate and House are
anxious to do justice to the citizens of
the District. Here certainly is an op-
pOrtunity for them to do so. They can
turn down this recommendation of the
House Appropriations Committee.
4 X X
The Senate Appropriations Commit
tee has added to the independent Offices
appropriation bill $280,000 for the Fed
eral Trade Commission, making a total
of $4,000 for the commission. The
House cut the appropriation for the
Trade Commission to $4,000, re-
duction of approximately 100000 be-
low the budget estimate. The action
OF the Senate committee was osten-
sibly to make s28O,0O0 available for
the completion of the public utilities
| inVpct ioo tin,,c foIy -
mission in pursuance of a resolution
adopted by the Senate. The increase
may make It possible to save the eco
nomic division of the Trade Commission,
which seemed about to be eliminated
by action of the House. However, the
failure to include another $500, ,000
makes 1t impossible for the commission
to undertake new and important in
vestigattons which it had planned, in
Guiding the investigation of the issu-
ance Of corporate securities, and will
curtan other activities of the commits
sion. The cut in the appropriations
for the Trade Commission is made In
the name of economy, but that will not
lessen the joy of certain interests in
the country hostile to the Trade Com
mission and which do not wish the
light Of day turned upon their activi-
ties. Progressive Senators, both Demo-
cratic and Republican, are not satisfied
entirely with the increase allowed by
the Senate committee. 1t may be they
will make a fight to increase this
| amount on the floor of the Senate,
| although some of them privately admit
that the committee increase may be all
they can hope for at this time.
| X X X X
| Representative-elect Thomas O'Malley
Of the fifth district in Wisconsin, a
Democrat, has sent letters to the 124
new Democratic members of the House
of Representatives in the next CONGRESS
urging them to hold conference in
Washington prior to the party caucus.
It is apparently Mr.. O'Malley's idea that
the newly-elected Democrats Of the
House can make themselves, collectively
and individually, more important if they
all stick together than they would be If
merged with the whole Democratic out
Mt. The proposal to create a new
comers bloc among the Democrats of
the House, no matter for what purpose,
Is not calculated to help party dis
cipline or cohesive action. The Demo-
Gratis in the new Congress are going
to have troubles enough without adding
new factional differences If the new
Democrats and the, old Democrats in
the House find it impossible to work
together, it will be unfortunate. How
| ever If the new Democrats in the House
hold caucus of their own and bind
themselves to support, for example, a
candidate for the speakership, they
Will certainly create furore.
X X X
Unless the plans of the Senate leaders
go awry, the joint resolution proposing
the repeal of the eighteenth amendment
reported favorably from the Senate
Judiciary Committee, is to be made
the unfinished business of the Senate
today, with the understanding that the
resolution will be laid aside when neces-
sary to consider the appropriation bills.
Alter the repeal resolution has been
disposed Of, the La Toilette bill, pro-
posing a Federal contribution of half
a billion dollars for the direct aid of
the unemployed and destitute, is to
nave the right of way. Whether either
OF these measures will ever come to
final vote in the Senate before the close
OF the present session of Congress is
doubtful. The repeal resolution, while
1t may please some Of the Senate Demo-
Gratis, makes no hit with Speaker
Garner-the advocate Of naked re-
peal" The repeal resolution that will
come before the Senate would submit
the question to State Legislatures,
which is contrary to the planks of both
Republican and Democratic national
platforms. It also proposes to ban the
old saloon and to have the Federal
Government help dry States keep dry,
all of which was found in the Re-
publican platform, but not in the Demo-
cratic, which Speaker Garner adheres
to. 1t is doubtful whether the Speaker
would permit the Senate repeal reso-
luton to come to vote in the House
unless a naked repeal" substitute
could be offered.
Repeal, along with beer, seems
doomed to go over to the special session
OF the new Congress. And even then,