Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-05-04
THE NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT
BY CONG. JOHN PAUL KvALE

April 80, 1933-It is no longer news,
when this letter is published, to re-
port the passage of the combined
farm-expansion bill through the Sen
ate today Saturday. But it may be
news to note some of the results that
follow the three weeks debate on the
other side of the capitol and the re-
sultant action, which now throws into
conference bill which at once in
production, lifting of commodity
prices by one of three methods, and
reduction of farm mortgage debts.
The last two have already been cared
for i'm bills which have separately
passed the House.
Farmers who came down in person
to plead with their Senators and Rep
resentatives will watch with some in
terest the fate of the cost-of-produc-
ton amendment which was retained
in the Senate bill despite the severest
fight the administration could put up.
That was known as John Simpsons
amendment and it stayed. Confer
ees will try to retain it, and the
House will very likely support that
effort 1t is hardly expected that the
President will veto the bill because
it is included. And that means one
major victory for the men who were
here representing the Farmers Union.
The inflation-expansion that is
amendment was described here last
week. An earnest effort was made
to enlarge its optional provisions by
adding one calling for the payment
of the balance of the face value of
the adjusted service certificates. That
was defeated through direct and open
interference by the President himself.
i'm the face of threats of another, and
larger and more determined, bonus
march on Washington. 1t seemed for
a time that the amendment would
carry i'm the hostile Senate, but word
from the White House was directly
responsible for the shift that brought
would admittedly have passed it with
a whoop of joy. And i'm the Senate
it won such advocates as former Sec
rotary of the Treasury McAdoo and
others of that type, but numbers were
lacking on the final count.
To return to the farm bill, though
to complete an unfinished thought
unfinished since last week, that is
Mention was then made of the omis-
sion of any plan to have tax meas
ure accompany any expansion bill, 81
that excess profits would be curbed
and benefits of the upswing would be
spread among a larger number. Al
effort along that exact line was made
in the Senate by Senator Nye of NORTH
Dakota, who sought to add an amend
ment providing for added surtaXes OF
the net taxable incomes annually il
excess of 100000, grading upward t.
maximum surtaX of seventy-five pc
annually.
1t was not brought to vote, how
T ever, for the reason that he yielde'
to the objections of those who pointe
out that any tax measure should prop
erly be studied beforehand by tn
committee on finance, and that tn
tax bill which the House recent
passed was now before that commit
tee. He consented to withdraw it, an
let it be referred to that committe
for study. But the idea is far fror
dead.
Any general tax revision at this ses
sion is frowned upon by the admin
istration, however, and it therefor
rests with the progressive and in
surgent element on both sides of tn
capitol to sponsor and advance an
such measure if it is to have a hear
ing. Senator Nye's speech in favor {
: his amendment should have wide Gil
! culation. Could it have, there woul
!: be results.