Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1937-05-13

AS things look now TO experienced
and impartial observers. there does
not seem 10 be a chance for the en-
actment of the Presidents plan of
adding six justices to the Supreme
Court. There is a bare chance that
Congress might agree TO a compro-
mise proposal, to increase the Court
by two. to a total of eleven. but
even that is not to the taste of the
opponents of the whole program in
side the Presidents own party. The
inclination now is to delay action on
the whole Court proposal until after
the Supreme Court has ruled upon
the constitutionality of the Social
Security Act. That law has been
brought to the Supreme Court by
an appeal by the Government from
the ruling of the Federal Circuit
Court of Boston, which declared the
Act unconstitutional. The expecta-
ton is that the Court will hear arsu-
ments this month and hand down its
decision late in June. If it upholds
the Social Security Act. political
~wiseacres say that will definitely kill
Congressional support of the Court
enlargement scheme. If the decision
is against the Social Security Act.
then the compromise plan for two
additional judges has a chance. al
though that will be fought bitterly.
on principle, by powerful leaders on
the Democratic side.
Roosevelt Still Popular
Much of the silence of many men,
bers of Congress, particularly in the
House, is due to the belief that the
President is personally much more
popular with the public than he is
even with the majority of his own
party on Capitol Hill. Something
like a wave of antagonism TO the
Administration is growing rapidly
in both wings of the Capitol. and
there is a strong inclination becom-
ing manifest to give the President
no more grants of personal power
and perhaps to withdraw some OF
the powers which the last two Con-
crosses gave him. 1t seems certain
that many of the Administrations
proposals will suffer defeat, and that
Congress will do its bill-draft-
ing on major matters from now on.
instead of accepting whatever the
White House proposes.
That seems likely to be particu-
larly true of the whole plan or tax
revision. Everybody recognizes that
the present tax system is a jumble
in which unavoidable and Cypress
i've elements are mingled. Roswell
Magill. the new Undersecretary OF
4 L T.~,-..rr hos anna nlfr with \
proposal to rewrite and recast the
whole system OF corporation taxes
on a more equitable basis. To dc
that will take time and plenty OF
study. Congress is not inclined &c
rush any more tax bills through IL
a hurry. Therefore the tentative
program now is to enact no new tag
laws this SESSION, but to extend fol
another year the excise taxes which
expire by limitation this summer
and In the meantime set committees
10 work employing experts anC
holding hearings as the basis for &
broad and comprehensive new tal
program to be put through at the
next session.
Economy Measures Favored
Congress is serious about econ
omy. There is growing strength be
hind the proposal of a horizontal Gu
of 10 percent in all departmental
estimates. The alternative plan pro
posed by the Administrations sup
porters and said to have originated
at the White House, to give the
President authority to "impound'
Is percent of all appropriations anc
%apportion savings and reduction:
among Federal departments and bu
reaus as he sees fit, has met such
a cool reception that it is not regard
ed as having a chacne. Opposition
to it is Upon the same ground tina
most of the rest of the Congress
sional opposition to the Administra
ton is based. That Is the feeling