Evening star., 1936-02-24

Little savoring of vacation falls to
President Roosevelt's lot during his cur
rent sojourn at Hyde Park. Tax tribu-
lations are engrossing his entire thought
and energy. to the end that when he
returns to the White House later in the
week it will be possible for him to lay
concrete recommendations before Con-
gress. On no other recent problem has
F. D. r. experienced such perpleXlty or
concentrated more gray matter, although
it's suspected that some of the delay in
reaching conclusions may be due to the
administration desire wholly to dis
associate the tax proposition in both the
public and congressional minds from the
new farm law. 1t was apparently deemed
wise to have the triple A replacement bill
well over the dam before tackllng its
revenue aspect. The President had OPP
portunity before leaving Washington to
explore every possible angle of the prob
lem he now faces, and presumably knows
his mind by this time. Curiosity is uni
versal as to whether his tax recommen-
dations will include immediate provision
for bonus and relief funds or be confined
to revenue for farm bounties.
X X X X
Plans of Senator Byrd, Democrat, of
Virginia to propose a billion-dbllar tax
levy and of Senator La Toilette, Progress
sive, of Wisconsin to renew his drive for
a broad income tax base with increased
normal and SurtaX rates foreshadoW an
inevitable tug of war in both houses be-
fore revenue legislation is enacted. Sem
ator Pat Harrison of Mississippi, chair
man of the Senate Finance Committee,
points out that no fiscal legislation Of
recent years has been passed without
"tampering" with income taxes. In this
respect, a new tax bill is like a pro-
posal for tariff revision. The sky becomes
the limit in the way of schemes and sug-
gestions. The prospect grows stronger
that tax turmoil may cause prolongation
of the session far beyond current proph-
ecies of May l adjournment.
X X X X
There's recrudescene in Washington
of talk that Supreme Court Justice Owen
j. Roberts is the best presidential timber
at the Republicans disposal. Whether
those who espouse the PennSylvanians
candidacy do so with his assent is widely
doubted. He is considered pretty deeply
welded to his high judicial post. Never
theless, Roberts boosters, arguing from
the premise that the Constitution has
become the paramount issue, contend
that the justice who delivered the decl-
sion annihilating A. A. A. is the man OF
the hour. In those quarters the view is
also heard that none of the aspirantS,
ayowed and otherwise, now in the fore
front of the G. 0. P. race has really
contrived to arouse anything resembling
genuine, Nationwide enthusiasm. Rob-
erts, they say, has Incompatible appeal
to the millions" who believe that pres
ervation of the Constitutional Union"
transcends everything else now before
the country. Incidentally, Justice Rob-
erts is an honest -to-goodness dirt farmer,
operating his own rural estate outside OF
Philadelphia as longtime practical
hobby.
OF all places in the United States. it is
the white House over which the Stars
and Stripes did not float on Washing
tons birthday. The explanation, OF
course. is that the flag is never displayed
when the President is not in residence
there.
X X
Gov, Landon, despite the shrinking
violet role to which he has dedicated
himself with respect to presidential
asnirattons, is apparently In minute