The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1935-07-01

Washington, July 1.-The in
side story of the Presidents
maneuver to increase upper
bracket taxation gives a great
deal of creditor in some peo-
peoples opinion-discredi to
willy Jack Garner, bushy- browed
vice-president of the United
States.
1t all began early last De-
cember when Roosevelt was
formulating his legislative pro-
gram for the coming session of
Congress. Inner council liberals
urged him to include bold tax
revision plan.
But at that time the President
was In the middle of q right
swing, and attempting to con-
ciliate business. He turned
thumbs down ON the proposal,
and it remained shelved until
early May.
BY that time Roosevelt had
become completely fed up with
the business goodwilling policy
sold to him by his conservative
advisers. And when the U. s.
Chamber of Commerce kicked
over the traces and violently de-
nounced the New Deal the
President abandoned all pre-
tense of placating business.
Heart-t0-Heart
1t was at this moment that
Garner, in one of his heart-to-
heart talks with Roosevelt, told
him he ought to come out with
a hard-hitting tax program.
The idea took root in the
Presidents mind. But IL was
not until some weeks later that
he actually decided to act. Two
things brought him to this con-
clusion: az the Supreme
Courts decision throwing out
the MIRA; and (s) the hostility
of number of Old Guard
House democrats toward his
Holding Corporation bill and the
bill strengthening iva.
Roosevelt has real fighting ire
when aroused, and this time he
was aroused. He had another
private talk with Garner and
told him he had decided to rec
ommend tax legislation.
Garner Plan
That's the stuff, Mr.. Presi-
dent enthused the beetle
browed Texan, land I've got the
plan for you"
Gamers plan was essentially
the same one he had sponsored
in 1925, when he was mem
Der of the House Ways and
Means Committee and Coolidge
sat in the White House. An
other member of the committee
was beefy Ogden L. Mills, later
Secretary of the Treasury in
the Hoover cabinet.
Garner at chat time proposed
inheritance and gift taxes, plus
q graduated tax ON corporations
and on incomes above q million.
Mills, with the backing of the
then-powerful Secretary of the
Treasury Andrew w. Mellon, de-
feated Garner's plan, enacting
instead a program that sIashed
rates from top to bottom-but
chiefly at the top.
Roosevelt accepted Gamers
plan. 1t constituted that por-
ton of his recommendation
that he declared he wanted en-
acted this year.
Tactical Finesse
But when the President was
ready to spring his program on
Congress he was confronted with
the delicate question of tactics.
Roosevelt wanted action this
session, but with Old Guard
democrats in both chambers
growing rcbellious, he hcsitated
attempting q new and forcefui
drive. his problem was how 10
force prompt action without
seeming 10 be applying the
whip.
Here again the canny Garner
gave sound counsel. He advised
against calling IN che democratic
floor lenders before the Presi-
dent sent his message 10 Con-
grean. They would be sure to
to interpose objection. Jack said,
bring pressure on tho President
not 10 seek the legislation this
session.
Ths thing 10 DO, ne eonnseied.
WAS 10 send the message 10