Evening star., 1943-03-31

SdhCt pldll.
Meanwhile, the bill has been sent
back to the Ways and Means Com
mittee and will be reconsidered and
an effort made to work out a salts
factory measure. The showing Of
strength for the Ruml plan is sub
stantial, and it may we'll be that
public opinion will manifest itself
and bring in sufficient margin of
votes to pass the measure the next
time 1t is before the House.
The issue is simple one. Every
body agrees that the pay-as-you-go
principle is right. But the Admin
lstration has raised q smokescreen
about windfalls and special benefits
and alleged forgiveness OF taxes.
The reason for the attack Is that
the Administration really wants the
people to pay this year not only
1912 taxes but q substantial portion
Of 1943 taxes.
Burdens Individual.
IN other words, the goal OF bring
ing all taxpayers to a current basis
Is Viewed by the party in power as
best achieved by complicating the
personal finances Of millions of tax
payers with scheme to make them
pay double in some months OF 1943.
The Ruml plan, however, is a
simple method of getting on cur
rent basis by considering 1912 or
l943 taxes-whichever is the lower
as the year to be eliminated. To
this the Democratic majority In the
House cries out that the Treasury
will lose money. But this need not
be the case, because any time the
issue were as concrete as that an
amendment could be adopted to
spread the 1912 taxes out over 20
years and make them payable at
one-twentieth each year.
There are lots OF ways to avoid a
loss to the Treasury, indeed it be
conceded that the argument has any
merit, but the administration has
refused even to spread out the 1912
payments and let the taxpayers get
current in 1943. This Is proof that
the real purpose is to kill off the
Ruml plan sponsored by Representa-
tive Carlson and bring in a double
taxation plan. The American peo-
pie don't want more-they want less
--complications in handling their
greatly increased tax obligations.
The Democratic majority is out OF
eune with the peoples wishes on
taxation. From a strictly party
viewpoint, the Republicans might
be content to let the Ruml plan go
down to defeat, for 1t will mean that
. large number of Democratic MEM
bers Of Congress will lose at the
polls. The public would know that
there was way to avoid double
taxation but the Democratic party
refused to take it. This Is what the
effect Of the present controversy
may be.
Party Lines Sag.
The Republican party mustered
majority Of its members for the
Ruml plan. The Democrats con-
tributed a few to its support. The
Democratic majority voted along
with a handful Of Republicans
temporarily to defeat the Ruml plan.
n the bill is passed and the Presi-
dent vetoes it, the measure will still
become an issue, because the Re-
publican party will doubtless put 1t
IN the next national platform and
Ask for the election of more Re-
nublicans so as to assure its enact
nent into law.
The problem of getting the Amer
.can people current on taxes is not
going to be solved by defeating the
Ruml plan or by trying to impose
double taxation. The vote against
the double tax feature will be larger
than the vote cast against the Ruml
plan. The administration may pre-
fer this outcome-that is do-noth-
ing policy-but the issue will be
perennial until satisfactory way to
put income taxes on a current basis
becomes law.
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