Evening star., 1939-08-04

be too explicit, N<S'"'S
the Ohio Sena- David Lawrence.
tor has ventured to be SO specific
that his program is bound to be
challenged both inside and outside
the party.
Mr.. Taft is quoted as saying he
believes the country is opposed to
President Roosevelt's foreign policy
as reflected by the action of the
Senate Foreign Relations Commit
tee in opposing neutrality law re-
vision. The Ohio Senator says he
himself favors repeal of the arms
embargo, so he apparently agrees
with the President on that partic-
ular, but adds that he would favor
keeping out of foreign affairs
entirely"
This portion of the interview is
probably too vague to seem valid,
but if the Ohio Senator really means
that he is going to adopt the isola-
zionist point of view, he will be
making a serious departure from
the policies advocated by his dis
tinguished father and by num-
Der of Republicans who believe in
active international cooperation.
The first split in the party among
the voters would come on that
declaration.
May Alternate Labor.
On the subject of labor, Mr.. Taft
takes the position that the trouble
in the labor situation is not so much
with the Wagner Act, but with the
personnel of the National Labor Re
lations Board, and he is willing to
support an amendment which the
National Association OF Manu-
facturers want to see adopted,
namely. to break the Labor Board
apart so as to separate its quasi
judicial from its administrative
functions. Union labor is not likely
to 90 along with this point OF view,
holding that it means breakup OF
the Wagner law.
Senator Tafts suggestion OF a
change in the method OF collecting
taxes for social security, eliminating
compulsory contributions, WILL hnd
widespread favor, because the pay
roll tax has been one of the defla-
tionary devices which have Kept
business recovery tagging. His frank
support of a plan however for rails
ing pension funds through a sales
tax will run up against the objection
that has hitherto been raised to a
sales tax on the ground that 1t
penalties the poor.
AS for the plan to let the workers
decide for themselves whether they
want to match employer contrlbu-
tions on pensions, this is an ldea
which is widely supported, though II
is doubtful whether it would be
availed of very much if the Federal
Government at the same time were
raising funds for pensions out OF
general taxation.
Most interesting of Senator Tafts
declarations were his confession
that it would take at least two
years to get back to a balanced
budget and his belief that 1t
could be balanced at $1,000 100000.
What the Ohio Senator did not
explain and what has never been eX-
planned by any New Dealer is how
enough Federal taxes can be raised
to meet s7O0O,0O00O0 budget
when at no time has the total
tax intake from Federal sources
been more than $4,000, 100000, and
this has included social security
pay roll taxes.
Means More Taxes.
Some new forms of taxation much
more productive than anything
hitherto known in America would
have to be devised to make
s7.O0O,OOO000 tax collection. If the
Republicans are going to start in
with $1,000, 100000 budgets, then
much of the criticims hitherto Wis
tied on the New Deal will have to
be erased.
What the Ohio Senator said about
the farm program will be read with
interest by voters in the rural areas.
He thinks restrictions on production
must be abandoned, but he does not
say how America is going to get rid
of her increasing surpluses, especial
ly in a world economy in which the
United States shuts herself off from
'foreign affairs" Senator Taft says
that he has not found satisfactory
farm program as yet and that some
substitute for the present program
will have to be found somehow.
Sometime between now and the
next presidential election, the Re
publicans will have to offer a farm
program better than the one they
offered in 1886. when, after arguing
against restricted production, they
finally offered subsidy.
Senator Taft gave his views in
formally to the press, but he was
courageous to make any declaration
on what he would do. for customarily
the candidates of the party not in
power criticizes without offering any
substitutes. The danger of offering
an alternative program too soon is
that the opposition can poke holes
in it and that elements within the
party can fight it, too. But Mr..
Taft takes all those chances bravely,
even though the party conventions
are nearly a year away
W>~1 L. I:I.