Evening star., 1938-09-05
PRESS VIEWS ON
HARRISON PREDICTION
Broader Foundation for Levies
Declared Necessary.


Senator Pat Harrison, chairman of the
Senate Finance Committee, has approval
IN press comments for his declaration
that in the next tax bill, provision must
be made for broadening the tax base, 50
that citizens in the lower brackets may
contribute their share toward the sup
port of the Government. The Senator's
statement that this is due unless there
is pickup in business" inspires a pre-
diction that it is inevitable under any
circumstances.
"As in Great Britain" says the San
Antonio Express, virtually every one in
the United States who has job, or in
come from any source whatsoever, will
be required to pay income taxes-but
without lessening the nuisance hidden,
indirect and many other levies from
which Britons are comparatively free"
If through lowered exemptions, mil
lions of additional persons are forced to
pay income taxes" according to the Sa-
vannah News, "or If through some other
device still added millions are brought
into the circle of directly paying VIC
Tins, it will mean or should mean the
beginning Of genuine public concern
about what Is going on in the National
Capital. Perhaps it will mean a further
definite turn in the spending, such
volume Of protest that it could not be
continued. If So 1t will be that much the
better. The experience will be bitter.
But 1t may be necessary to gain the final,
the desired and the necessary end"
The great fault Of the American tax
v&r PvNs..~
not that it rests on too narrow a base,
but that only part OF the base Is visible.
1t would be an act of craftsmanship to
abolish some OF the many taxes now
levied indirectly and to substitute for
those taxes direct personal income taxes
even on the smallest incomes. That
would give us an electorate with greater
interest in balanced budget and legis-
lators with more courage to resist the
demands OF the Unsuitable pressure
groups"
"The President wants Congress-" OBJ
serves the Los Angeles Times, ito reim-
pose the taxes the last Congress modi-
fied-thoSe on undiStributed profits and
capital gains. The Mississippian, in his
statement. indirectly serves notice on the
President that this reimposition program
will be objected to, and indirectly, too,
criticizes the President for objecting to
the tax bill of last year. II the modifica-
tion program had had 100 per cent
unanimity, says Harrison, 1t would have
done more good"
Business would be helped, livelihoods
increased comments the Hartford
Times "if lower taxes were levied upon
the larger incomes. Business is under
formidable and fundamental handicap
when the more enterprise and thrift may
earn, the heavier is the toll which unwise
laws exact in penalty of success. Wheth-
er or not business Immediately improves,
the country needs more scientific sys-
tenn of collecting national revenues, a
system less subservient to politics. more
serviceable from the business and eco
nomic standpoints."
Senator Harrisons remarks are not
essentially political" states the Rockford
ull) Morning Star, they are simply the
realism of man long in government,
who knows that eventually spending
comes home to roost." The Battle Greek
Enquirer-News offers the comment:
There is one other side to the revenue
matter which might be mentioned but
Senator Harrison doesn't seem to think
1t will be mentioned to any important
extent. That is the side of cutting down
the spending to make up, even if only
little bit. for the falling off Of income"
The Mississippi Senator" says the
Shreveport Journal, personally led the
fight for complete elimination of the
undivided profits tax, in the hope of aid
ing business recovery, but was not able
to get all that was necessary. He sees,
now, the result Of Congress failure to
strike out of the tax bill that section
which has done nothing but hinder re-
covery. He advocates more taxes upon
the little fellow and the man OF mod
crate means, unless, between now and
January. 1882 there is a considerable
improvement in business to bring income
tax collections far above the present
level"