The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-07-30
STEIWER RAPS
NEW TAX BILL
AS 'PIGMY


By FREDERICK STEIWER,
q. 8. Senator From Oregon and
Member of the Senate ApprO-
priatiOnS Committee
Proposals for new taxes made by
the Administration members OF
the House Ways and Means Com
mittee are far from adequate.
The only way to escape the I'M
fortunate effects of these feeble
and inadequate proposals is to
adjourn Congress Immediately and
give the committees in charge OF
revenue legislation an opportunity
To make a thorough study OF the
whole question and then present
q tax bill that will be something
more than a face-saving device.
The proposals of the Ways and
Means Committee Democrats are
estimated to yield two hundred
million dollars per year, but even
If that expectation is met the re-
suit will be most disappointing to
all concerned and the bill will go
down in the books as a weak pre-
tense.
GlOrified Spending
It will neither share the wealth
nor balance the budget. It merely
provides more money for glcritied
spending.
This estimate of the situation
is obvious when we consider that
the annual spending requirements
on the New Deal basis are some
thing like eight billion or nine bill
lion dollars per year. The deficit
for the fiscal year ending June
80, 1885 is approximately three
billion five hundred million dol
lars.
Two hundred million, measured
by normal standards, is great
sum, but in terms of present day
deficits, it is only a drop in The
bucket.
The disappointment of Ameri-
can people will be evident when
they realize the extent to which
this program falls short OF the
presidential formula.
Presidents Words
In his message to Congress on
June 10, the President said:
g.. That If a government is
to be prudent its taxes must pro-
duce ample revenues without dis
couraging enterprise. Our reve'
nue. laws have operated in many
ways t. the unfair advantage OF
the few, and they have done
little to prevent an unjust con-
centration of wealth and eco
n0mic power"
Two hundred million dollars ad-
ditional tax will discourage enter
prise and is only a pigmy con-
tribution toward unjust concen-
tration of wealth"
The silly pretense that these
tax proposals will either balance
the budget or share the wealth
is reminiscent Of the claims made
last winter in order to induce
Congress to pass the workS-rellef
appropriation of $4,88O. 100000.
. Prosperity Seen
In support Of his program for
an assured unbalanced budget,
the President in his message to
Congress, January 4, 1885, said,
in effect, that three and a half
million employable people should
be kept on relief pending their
absorption in a rising tide Of prl'
vate employment"
In order to make the Admins
tration purpose perfectly clear,
Admr. Christian Jay Peoples,
Treasury Department Director Of
Procurement, was sent as one OF
its agents before the House and
Senate Committees on Appropria-
lions. Before the Senate commit
tee he said:
"The whole bill anticipates
that this will be the last needed
stimulation of business, will
break the back of the depres-
sion, and that with a rise in
the tide of employment, the
people drawing security wages
on Government projects will
find employment in commercial
lines. That is the essence OF
the BILL"
More For Relief
The irony Of this statement is
emphasized by the news story OF
July 10 to the effect that the
President has ordered a survey
upon which to calculate budget
estimates for work-relief after the
$4,SSO 100000 is spent.
For budget balancing purposes,
the exact amount of the require
ment which will be disclosed by
this survey is unimportant. Two
hundred million dollars more or
less will not substantially change
q deficit which is calculated only
in terms Of astronomy and which
may be three or four or five
billion dollars.
Minute and He's Free
MDEN. N. J.. TNSO.