Evening star., 1943-05-15
The Political Mill.
Bottle on Ruml Plan Shifts to House, Where
Supporters Will Urge Concurrence in Senate Victory

|currence in Senate Victory
They figure this way because
the Democratic members of the
House Conference Committee,
headed by Chairman Doughton
of the Ways and Means Com
mittee, will be strongly opposed
to the full Ruml plan, while on
the Senate committee will be
such Democrats as George of
Georgia. Walsh of Massachu-
sets, and Connally Of Texas, a
majority of whom are opposed to
the Ruml plan. The best that
could come out of such a confer
ence, 1t is believed, Is the George
plan, defeated in the Senate by
vote of so to 80.
The George plan would for
give IS per cent of the 1912 tax.
The other Is per cent would be
paid in two equal installments
in 1914 and 1945. These INSTALL
ments would be in addition to
the income tax for 1914, pay
able under the proposed collec-
tion at the source provisions of
all these plans during 1914. The
Republicans in the House will
attack this George plan on the
ground that to add IL per cent of
the 1912 income tax to the 1914
tax would make the burden too
great on millions of taxpayers
next year.
COP Aids Trade Act
While most of the Republicans
fused and fumed about the ex-
tension of the Reciprocal Trade
Agreements Act without amend
ments, their leaders are we'll sat-
isfed with the result-the pas
sage of the bill extending the life
OF the act for two-year period
instead of the three years pro-
posed by the Ways and Means
Committee. Indeed. l46 Repub-
licans joined with 1874 Democrats
IN the vote for the final passage
of the bill. Three years ago only
five Republicans voted for a SIM
liar extension bill.
A determined effort by the Re-
publicans to defeat the reciprocal
trade agreements bill would have
been construed as destructive,
rather than constructive-just an
attempt to embarrass the admin
istration. an effort to be against"
something-with nothing to offer
IN its place. So the Republicans
decided to lay off trying to kill
the bill.
They concentrated on offering
amendments, one of which would
have given Congress veto power
on any trade agreement nego-
tiated by the President and his
aides If exercised within 90 days
OF the completion of the agree
ment. This was turned down.
and a sizable number of Repub-
llcans would not go along on this
and other amendments. A letter
written last February by COP
National Chairman Spangler
recommended passage of the bill
without amendment in this war
period, Mr.. Spangler showed
good sense.
The amendment reducing the
extension to two years instead of
three was put across on two
grounds. First that at the end
OF two years there might be an
other administrati ton in WASH
lngton. and second, that the war
might be over by that time. and
the whole tariff and trade agree
ment system might then be re-
vised.
The victory of the trade agree
ments bill in the House presaees
victory for the measure when
1t comes to the Senate, as it will
very quickly. The life of the
present act expires in June. Had
the House refused to extend the
lille OF this act, it would have
been interpreted, rightly or
wrongly, as an indication that
the United States was turning
Its back on International CO.
operation after the war