Evening star., 1937-05-16
Retention of Levies, Despite
Admission of Inequities,
Is Forecast.
APPROXIMATE RETURN
PUT AT $4OO,OOO,O 900
Attempt to Revise Major Assess
ments Applied to Capital Gains
Held Doubtful.


many fields Dith consequent bad
effects on repenue-raising qualities
OF tar.
Because of political dangers In.
herent in any effort to tar poters,
Congress frequently has dodoed
issue OF genuine operhauling of
structure and proceeded on "crasy
quit system. At present time
urgent need OF revenue complicates
any EFFORT to change system.
BY JOHN c. HENRY.
Despite admissions of 1neuIitiex
and complaints about administrative
difficulties and collection costs, ad.
ministration leaders on Capitol Hill
within the next few weeks hope to
slip through another blanket exten.
sion OF approximately a score of So
called nuisance taxes that are bring
ing in about s40o,0O0OO0 yearly. In
this instance, the extension probably
Will be for one year only.
Unless the White House 80 DEGREES.
however, there will be no effort made
during the present session to revise
or modify such major taxing pro-
visions as are now applied to capital
gains and to undistributed corpora
tion surpluses. Here again the evi-
dent intentions are in contrast to past
admissions by party leaders at the
Capitol that some revisions probably
are desirable.
Attitude toward the nuisance taxes,
IN fact, Is strangely reminiscent Of
that in 1885 when the levies last were
extended with minimum of de.
bate but with expressions of assurance
that by the expiration date this year
there would have been on overhauling
Of the tax structure and no further
need OF most of the excises involved.
Statement Of Harrison.
This attitude was still being ex.
pressed by administration spokesmen
as late as last December when Chair.
man Harrison of the Senate Finance
Committee declared I'VE are studying
the situation with a view to eliminate
ing (some) OF the miscellaneous
and nuisance taxes"
And last August, after a conference
between the President, Secretary Of
Treasury Morgenthau and Capitol
leaders, Treasury Department state
ment was released to the effect that
the time had arrived ito consider re.
vision of the tax laws, with the pur.
pose OF removing any inequities or
unnecessary administrative Difficult.
ties
The conferees even hinted to inter.
viewers that taxes might be slightly
reduced" during the coming session.
II any such plans for revisions or
reduction are contemplated in the
face Of disappointing revenues and
the legislative jam precipitated by the
court reform proposal, they appar-
emily are not known to Chairman
Doughton Of the House Ways and
Means Committee. who comments
briefly and somewhat significantly
that there will be no general tax
legislation this year as far as know"
AS chairman of the taxing com.
mittee of the House, where revenue
legislation must originate, Doughton
presumably should know more than
anybody else on Capitol Hill what is
planned in that respect.
Sees Extension Likely.
We'll extend the nuisance taxes,
probably by resolution" he adds
The nuisance" taxes expiring in
June and July, together with thier
returns for the full fiscal year Of
1886, follow:
Tax on cameras, s577,926; chewing
gum, s807 ,279; sporting goods, s5,53l,-
1913; toilet preparations, $l3,3O1, ,795:
furs, s3,321,057; matches, S6,SS5,81l:
mechanical refrigeration $685. ,064;
radio and phonograph records, S5,075,-
(See TAXES, Page A-8.)