Evening star., 1943-03-30
House Will Kill
.Skiip-Year Tax,
Rayburn Says
Martin Equally Sure
1t Will Pass as
Bolloting Neurs
BY the Associated Press.

Ey the Associated Press
Speaker Rayburn predicted to-
day that the House would reject
the Ruml skip-a-year tax plan,
while, as it neared a vote, Minor
ity Leader Martin said we're
confident the proposal will sue
ceed.
Mr.. Rayburn expressed his opin-
ion in response to question at his
first press conference since debate
began on the bitterly contested con-
troversy over how to get taxpayers
on pay-as-you-go tax basis.
Mr.. Martins statement followed
an hour-long strategy meeting he
held with the Republican Steering
Committee.
Mr.. Rayburn refused to predict
whether President Roosevelt would
veto the Ruml plan if it should
reach him bearing the approval of
the House and Senate. Represent
ative Dies, Democrat, of Texas told
the House Saturday he was certain
of such veto.
Deadlock Doubted.
The Speaker made it clear he ,be-
lieved the House should act nowIon
the question of taxes, rather than
letting stalemate or deadlock re-
suit in sending it back to the Ways
and Means Committee for further
study.
Il don't think Congress can be
put in the position of not acting on
it after the committee has been
studying this matter for two
months, he said adding:
We've got TO function. That
applies to Republicans as we'll as
Democrats"
Just back from Texas, where he
went to attend the funeral of his
brother, Mr.. Rayburn said he felt
that he had been lin good position
to view this thing" from 300 miles
away from Washington.
i think" he said, that the
average citizen thinks that the
Ruml plan is little too much"
20 Amendments Offered.
Asked directly whether he believed
that the committees plan, which
provides no tax abatement, would be
adopted, the Speaker replied, Il
don't know what kind of amend
ments will be offered"
More than 20 have been proposed.
Representative Allen, Republican,
of illinois, meanwhile, declared in
the House that debate on taxes has
! demonstrated that when the shoot
ing is over the American tax system
will be the same as in the past"
though every poll shows that IS per
| cent OF the taxpayers desire to go on
a pay-aS-you-go plan"
so perhaps it would be well TO
recommit this bill and let the Ways
and Means Committee bring in the
same old tax system-at least it
would be retaining one thing of the
old horse and buggy days"
At the end of an acrimonious
four-day debate yesterday, the
chamber was split into three appar-
emily unyielding factions:
l. Ruml plan advocates, princi-
pally Republicans, who favor by
JdSSlIlS q 1ull Icth yCdl.
2. Supporters of the Ways and
Means Committee tax collection
plan that provides no tax abate-
ment, mostly Democrats.
3, A bipartisan bloc unwilling to
support either of those proposals,
but seeking compromise canceling
part of one tax year.
Both Sides Claim Victory.
While proponents of both the
Ruml plan and the committee bill
claimed enough votes for victory,
one prominent Democrat privately
expressed the opinion that the
three-way division might stalemate
all efforts to gain a majority be-
hind any definite proposal, and the
whole current payment tax prob
lem might be tossed back to the
Ways and Means Committee, there
to languish and perhaps die.
Representative Luce of Connecti-
cut, leader of Republican group
opposing the broad abatement fea-
ture of the plan advanced by
Beardsley Ruml, New York banker,
suggested such a recommittal if the
House cannot agree on a system
that visits no inequities as between
classes and treats taxpayers like
patriotic adults, instead of spoiled
and whining infants"
Voting, which is bound to echo
in future political campaigns, begins
today, but final disposition of the
various proposals may not come
before Thursday
Unless a stalemate develops any
bill that emerges is expected to pro-
vide for a 20 per cent Withholding
levy against the taxable portions
of all wages and salaries, effective
July /.
Compromise Sought.
Some members seeking to avoid
a deadlock were suggesting that the
House might pass simple withhold
ing levy and send the bill over TO
the Senate for settlement of the
ax-abatement issue.
Representative Disney, Democrat,
of Oklahoma said of the Ruml plan
that "the little fellows" back home
would resent being abated a tax
liability of $3.50 while, he asserted.
Mr.. Ruml himself was being relieved
of liability OF approximately
100000.
Representative Jenkins, Republi-
can, of Ohio said 80 per cent of the
American people wanted the Ruml
plan.
Cries of demagoguery were hurled
back and forth across the aisle sep
arating the two parties.
And, as leaders on both sides
showed no disposition to yield. some
legislators seeking compromise de-
SPARED of any prospect that a mid
die ground-abating a part but not
all Of tax year-could be agreed
on.
Two Alternatives.
Mrs. Luce, after arguing for her
%-I