Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-20
Tax Debate
ParaIyzed
By Gag Rule
It Remains for SenateQ
to EquaIize Bill
BY GEO. ROCKWELL BROWN
Special 10 THE DETROIT TINES

Special 20 THE DETROIT TINES
WASHINGTON, July 20.-The
w debate in the House on the
heaviest single tax bill in human
history was a sad and dispiriting
spectacle.
At times fewer than so menu
bers lolled listlessly in their
seats. There was a reason for
the apathy.
The Democratic leaders had
gagged the House into hopeless
inarticulation. Rayburn had
out-Cannoned Cannon. Not even
in the palmiest days of the
legislative dictatorship of Uncle
Joe" did the Republican Party
ever bring in more drastic
and paralyzing rule.
A few set speeches consumed
the time. There was little true
debate. The debate will come
when the measure reaches the
Senate.
And thus do we see how the
intent OF the Constitution has
been set aside in recent years.
1T WAS the purpose OF the
L founders of this republic that
the Senate should be a sort Of
saucer into which, for cooling
off purposes. would be poured
the hot tea of the more radical
minded House.
We now see the real forum
of the people transferred TO the
Senate. and not until the bill r
reaches that body can it be -
thrown open for adequate ex-
PLANTATION and discussion-and
perhaps even amendment from
the floor.
The bill as il stands repre-
Sents cock-eyed labor which
began when hearings started on
March 3. 1t satisfies nobody, not
even its authors and sponsors.
From the day the hearings
began the treasury department
constantly and rope tedly
changed its plans and recon-
mendations.
In its present form il is
soak-the-rich and hit-industry
bill.
Unless the Senate makes
great changes in il, many
hundreds of thousands of per.
son, who have benefited from
the war through increased
wages imposed by government
through its coalition with labor,
will escape substantially from
bearing their share of the tax
burden.
THIS tax burden will fall
Il heavily on the great middle
class, made up largely of small
businessmen. merchants, small
industrialists and the profess
sional groups, including the
white collar workers.
This great middle class has no
sponsor in the government TO
give them a Is per cent increase
in earnings, TO compensate for
the increase in the cost OF
living since 1871. As a general
proposition this class has re-
ceived no increases in salaries,
but was terribly hit by the
depression and has used up its
resources of savings.
There is grave apprehension
at the Capitol that many thou
sands Of persons. in their eff
forts 10 meet their heavy taxes
due March Is, will have TO
sacrifice their homes, their life
insurance policies. and refrain
from necessary and essential
medical attention.
0NE of the most curious and
" indefensible plumbers of the
treasury has been its stubborn
ness in refusing TO write a sales
tax into this bill
Yet every student of finance
in Congress knows that in the
end the sales tax must be re-
sorted TO, and every one knows
that only in this way can the
groups which have profited from
the war financially be COM
PEELED to make their financial
contribution to its support.
II is strange that the adj
ministration. in its quest for
some workable scheme TO beat
initiation. refused to use the
sales tax, the readiest and most
effective weapon at its COM
mand for curtailing excess
spending for goods.
The worst effect OF the bill
lies in its threat TO business
and indttctrNt urnat arI uvr,a1l