Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-03-14
THE NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT
BY CONG. JOHN PAUL KVALE

it's debate over the provisions of the
bill to extend the life of the Home
Owners Loan Corporation, the House
for the first time was forced into a
Saturday session to complete consid-
Grafton this week. Hoping to finish
Friday. leaders gave up when it was
seen that there we're too many Rep
resentatives who either wished to
voice their views regarding the suf-
ficiency of the bills provisions, or
the manner of its administration, or
desired to offer amendments. The
writer has played hockey" from the
debate long enough to write this
weekly report in time for it to reach
the editors.
The bill will pass overwhelmingly,
no question of that. But there has
been lively and determined activity
to increase the amount of the avail
able money through the issuance of
the guaranteed bonds, so that more
applicants might be benefited. 9th
ers have wanted to reduce the inter-
est rates to four per cent annually,
pointing out that the government has
saved a full one per cent since it
guaranteed the bonds, and this saw
ing should be reflected back to the
borrowers. Still another group tried
to liberalize the existing law and the
bill so that the time for applying
would be extended. other amend
ments would increase the number and
character of eligibles by permitting
certain homes to come in which are
now classed as commercial and in
eligible. The trouble was that the
groups were not organized, and the
administration was able in each ma
jor instance to hold its lines firm and
defeat the proposed changes.
The Senate will very likely give
more full consideration to some Of the
proposals, and it now looks as though
when the bill comes back to the
House for the ironing out of differ
ences in conference, it will be more
liberal bill than will be sent to them.
Bitter feelings are due to be aired
again in the House at least twice
within the next week. An effort will
be made to repeal the pink slips
which income taxpayers are object
ing to so violently, and the effort is
backed by powerful and organized
forces. The committee has favorably
reported such a bill, and it is being
rushed along at a speed that few
House bills attain. Resentment
agains the unfair features of the pres
ent law has been so sharp that the
whole principle underlying publicity
of returns has been forgotten momen-
tarily.
A group will try earnestly to have
the subject placed back with the COM
mittee for further study, in order
that some compromise plan can be
worked out which will protect the
principle without subjecting taxpay-
ers to an unfair system of legalized
shopping and of misrepresentation of
facts. 1t is admitted by all that the
present law, forcing only the men
ton of gross income, deductions, net
income and amount Of tax, does not
disclose the evader of proper taxes,
and often does improperly brand a
legitimate taxpayer strictly within
the law.
Further it does not correct the
abuses which are contained in the
administrative parts of the tax law.
and which permit the almost endless
variety Of intricate exceptions and ex-
emptions and deductions. That is an
old complaint to regular readers of
these letters over period Of years,
and is mentioned now only to show
the reason why the pink slip oppon-
ents can probably succeed in their
whirlwind fight to throw the whole
thing out of the legislative window.
The writer dares to predict that, while
they will succeed in the House, a group
in the Senate led by Norris and Cou-
zens will have sufficient support from
the President-silent at least, If not
active-so that the fight will be pro-
longed there, and the outcome will be
in doubt.