Evening star., 1937-06-11
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

appropriation Tor work rellef. Ihere
were other chances for material reduc-
| ton in appropriations, too. But none so
| outstanding. Well, the House passed
| the work relief bill as it was sent to the
| Capitol-or with notifications of little
real economy. The Senate Appropria-
| tions Subcommittee in charge Of the
| measure, by vote of to 3, has kept
| the billion and half total-$l 500 000,-
| 000-lntact. 1t has introduced in the
| measure an amendment whereby locali-
ties demanding projects to be erected
with w. P. A. money must put up 40
per cent of the total required for the
| projects unless they can show that they
have exhausted their resources. How
| many communities, after the repeated
spending waves of the last few years,
will be unable-or unWilling-to make
showing that will require the expendi-
ture Of 100 per cent Federal funds for
these work relief projects?
The nearer the country comes to the
| congressional election next year, the
| less talk there is likely to be about
cutting down relief appropriations-ex-
cept from the Republican side. When
| money in large total amounts is flowing
| into the hands of potential voters 1t IS
| bound to have etfect-and it has had
effect in recent past elections. The ad-
miniStration has decreed there shall be
no increase in Federal taxeS-this year.
| If there is to be any such increase it
will not be felt by the taxpayers until
| considerably later. In the meantime,
| through the spending and borrowing
| process, the public debt has now been
| showed past the S35,000O0O,000 mark
| and the interest alone on this debt runs
| into the hundreds of millions of dollars
| year. The American people are on
| the treadmill of debt. The budget
| balancing proposals are merely an echo,
| without substance.
One budget the administrat on lead
| ers are intent upon balancing forthwith,
| hoWever-the budget of the District OF
| Columbia. They are not willing to bring
| such balance through an adequate
contribution to the upkeep of the Ma
| tional Capital from the Federal treas
| ury, nor are they willing to cut down ex-
| penditures in the District, where they
| must live. They are willing, however,
| to soak the District taxpayers with in
| creased taxes. The District taxpayer
| has no vote at the polls-he has no
|
| taxpayers of Washington are to be
| burdened with 100000 or $1,000 900
| additional taxes. The citizens of In
| diana. of Pennsylvania and of California
| might take notice of what is happening
| here. Some day they will have the same
| kind of thing happen to them-and it
| may not be far off. The biennial elec-
| ton for Congress is saving them tempo
| rarily.
The big budget act for the
| rest of the country is to be the searching
| out of tax dodgers. The President has
| called attention to the fact that wealthy
| citizens of the United States have sought
| to avoid paying the large sums which
| the Government has hoped for from
| them. The avoidance, in many cases,
| has been through legal devices. Con-
| greSS, acting on recommendations of the
| President has provided for a sweeping
| investigation to throw the spotlight of
| publicity upon the millionaires who have
| sought to reduce their tax payments by
| the devices criticized by the Chief Execu-
| tive. The resolution calling for the in
| veStigation has passed both houses. Sem
| ator Harrison, chairman of the Senate
| Finance Committee, who will head
| joint committee making the inquiry, has
| promised that there shall be publicity
| wherever a case of tax avoidance or
| evasion is found. 1t has been pointed out
| in some quarters that the courts have
| held a citizen has perfect right to
| follow the law in paying taxes and to
| so arrange his affairs as to pay less
| taxes; that there is no compulsion for
| him to arrange his affairs so that the
| Government will get the highest possible
| return from tax collections Not all
| the millionaires have supported the Re-
publican candidates for public office in
| the recent past. Senator Harrison's
promise that all cases of tax avoidance
| by which is meant the use of legal means
| to escape heavy tax payments-Shall be
brought to light is interesting.
The report of the Senate Judiciary
| Committee on the Presidents bill to in
crease the membership of the Supreme
| Court will be made it is now announced,
| on Monday-since the Senate will not
| be in session until that day. The report
| Is adverse and has practically been COM
pleted and is ready for submission. The
| effect of the report will be to place the
| court bill on the Senate calendar, with
! recommendation from the committee
| that it do not pass. AS soon as the meas
| ure is on the calendar any one may
move to take it up by unanimous con-
| sent or by vote of the Senate. 1t is
said that administration leaders are
| planning to call the bill up after q
| weeks delay-on June 81. If they do
| not call it up there are opponents Of
| the measure who may make the motion
| to take the bill up themselves. In fact,
| they announced they would follow this
| course rather than permit the bill to
| lie Indefinitely on the calendar and go
] over until next year. They want it dis
posed of, particularly as they believe
! that they can beat it.
X X X
The court bill is reaching the Senate
| about four and a half months after its
! presentation at the Capitol. There have
| been all sorts of rumors about pro-
| tracted debate. If half of them are true
the Senate will be talking long time
about the bill. Usually it is the opposi-
| ton to measure which is most vocal.
Proponents of a bill are content to let
the measure pass without extended de-
bate-if they have the votes to put it
| through. The opposition to the court
| increase bill will certainly insist upon
| full statement Of its position. But, un-
| less the administration is able to
| engineer a compromise, the opposition
in the Senate in all probability will not
/ cI nurIo