Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-01-26
THE NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT
BY CONG. JOHN PAUL kVALE

The brief visit to Washington by
the President-elect, Gov. Franklin
Roosevelt, and his series of confer
ences with Legislators and others, has
served to revive to a certain degree
the extinguished hopes of those who
sponsored and pushed forward the al
lotment bill and other proposals for
farm relief and for restoration of
economic conditions throughout the
country. 1t has added certainty to
prospects for special session of
Congress in April, where the several
bills discussed in these weekly letters
will be enacted, it is confidently be-
lieved.
But more than anything else, those
who were privileged to meet him and
confer even little regarding legis-
lation, were left with the sustained
and strengthened. conviction that the
incoming president. perhaps not as
yet determined upon the finer details
of specific bills. does have a definite,
progressive goal. They feel he wants
to know the complete picture of true
conditions, and then lend his fullest
efforts to assist in speedy enactment
| of bills at a special session. Liberals
in both major parties are heartened,
and this influence will reflect itself
in the acts of the balance of this ses-
sion.
That stimulated activity is already
being seen to counterfeit the mid-ses-
sion lethargy which has been Creep
ing over Congress. The realization of
legislative difficulties confronting
them has perceptibly dampened the
enthusiasm of the open forum par
Elephants. although they have not quit
working. They resume their meet
ings next week, and the House bank
ing committee is also beginning hear
ings on bills directed at currency ex-
pansion and also at farm mortgage
problems. The judiciary committee
has bill ready for the House which
will attempt to forestall further fore
closures and bankruptcies through ad-
justments of debts by voluntary agree
ments between the creditors and debt
White House, it is hoped, will APP
prove the latter bill if it reaches him.
That would be one helpful measure,
at least, to come out of this lame
duck session.
No Tax Legislation This Session.
In the meantime, the House pro-
ceeds persistently to dispose of the
various appropriations bills, and is
therefore constantly alert to the nee
essary savings in federal expenditures
and to the close scrutiny of sources
for revenue. The committee in
charge of such legislation has de-
cided to recommend no taxation leg
islation during the present session,
and consideration of a tax bill will
accordingly await the new Congress.
In that connection, most compre-
hensive report has recently been SUBJ
mitted by subcommittee which has
gone into the subject of double taxa
ton by the national and by state gov
ernments. Cases of duplication, such
as the gasoline and tobacco taxes, to
use the best illustrations, are studied,
and its avowed purpose is to form a
basis for an effort in the direction
of eliminating double taxation, dupli-
cations and overlapping as we'll as
basis for a revision of our taxing
system as a whole in order that the
tax burden may be more equitably
disturbed" 1t has not yet had the
study and consideration of the full
ways and means committee, so that
the plan to wait until the special
session will give its members the