The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-12-02

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 If the Senate could get at the two taxes it would cut them up SO fast it would make your head swim for there is overwhelming sentiment for revision instanter, if not for outright repeal. But the rub is that the Seante has no immediate say-so in the matter.
 Initiating tax legislation is a House prerogative = and that is where the President has the drop on the Senate.
 Chairman of the Ways and Means subcommittee now for- mulating the new tax bill is Representative Fred M. VinsOn. Besides being Q strong New Dealer and ardent supporter of the two taxes, the able Ken- tuckian is on his way to life job on the U. s. Court of Ap- peals in the District of Colum- bia. His appointment was an- n0unced last week.
 The federal judge- to.be sees no reason why special favors should be extended to the capital gains and undistributed profits taxes. He holds with Roosevelt that action on these two taxes should be part of a general overhauling of the tax system, and, further, that 1t makes no difference whether legislation is pasesd now or two months later, since the changes will not apply to this years re- turns anyway.
 Also like the President, Vinson is convinced that the hurry-up drive on the two taxes is a smoke screen to jam through a sales tax.
 In his key post as committee chairman, Vinson is In a stra- tegic position to make his opinions stick-partlcularly be- cause he Is the only member of the committee who really knows what the tax fight is all about. (He is one of the few tax eX- pertS m COnBreSS.D
 If Vinson were for immediate action there would be tax legis- lation by Christmas. But he isn't and that IS where the President has the laugh on the boys in the Senate. They can crate and ful- minate all they want, but except for making a lot of noise, they can't do @ thing.
 The next move is up to Judge elect Vinson and he will not make 1t until some time in January. Hull Illumination
 Michael J. McDermott, press liaison officer of the State De- partment, brought his young son, Mickey, age four, to the Depart ment building on @ recent holiday.
 Daddy" asked Mickey, "is Secretary Hull here?"
 "No, not now, sonny" said McDerm0tt.
 When they reached the fourth floor, Mickey remarked that the hall was very dark. "Why is it so dark, Daddy?" he asked.
 "I guess somebody blew Q fuse."
 "Oh, then that's why MT. Hull isn't here. He's gone out to buy Q new fuse."
 Political Fishing
 The warm swells of the Gulf Stream are not the only waters in which the President will fish ' during his Florida junket. In fact, his piscatorial junket is part ly a screen for more serious angl' ing.
 Privately. Roosevelt is anxious to see Florida's rookie Senator Claude Pepper renominated next spring, and Alabama's seven.term Repre- sentative Lister Hill win the Janu- ary primary for Justice Blacks seat. Young, able New Dealers, Roosevelt considers them the progressive type which the Demo- cratic party needs in the South.
 But eager as he is to help them, it would be lmpolltic to do SO openly. Peppers announced opponent, Representative Mark Wilcox, and Hill's rival, "Tom- tom" Heflln, also profess to be New Dealers with reservations. However, there Is more than one way to skin . cat.
 Outwardly, Roosevelt will do no politicking for Pepper or Hill. But he will execute what is known in cloakroom parlance as the very potent rite of "laying on of hands" in a way voters won't miss.
 Pepper and Hill will be seen prominently in his company, have their pictures taken with him and will be affectionately referred to as Claude and Lister'.
 wilcox and Heflin have not