Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-05-11
Senate Tax Fight
Narrows 10 Sum
OF Abatement
Both Sides Concede
They Favor Principle
Of Some Forgiveness
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
It's not the principle, it's how
much
That's what the controversy
over tearing up income tax IOU's
boiled down to in the Senate to-
day as members continued cloak
room arguments over the
amount of tax abatement that
should be granted to get the
country on a current payment
basis.
Senator Vandenberg, Republican,
Of Michigan, a prepayment of the
Ruml-Carlson "skip-a-tax-year" bill
approved by the Senate Finance
Committee, told reporters that tax
abatement now seem to have the
approval of almost everybody and
he couldn't see much left to fight
about.
TAX abatement is approved by
nearly everybody at some level" he
declared. There is no matter Of
principle involved any more, it's
just matter OF degree"
On the other side of the fence,
Senator George, Democrat, of Geor-
gla, an opponent of the Ruml- Carl
son bill, conceded this had become
almost the sole issue in a battle that
dragged through weary months in
the House and will open a new
phase in the Senate tomorrow.
Seek to Offset Opposition.
The committee-approved Senate
measure provides for cancellation
of 1912 or 1943 taxes, whichever is
the lower. for all persons except
those with so-called windfall in
comes, and the institution of 20
per cent withholding levy on wages
and salaries as the basic effort to
collect taxes currently.
The House bill, on the other hand,
cancels only the 6 per cent normal
and the Is per cent first bracket sur
tax for all taxpayers. leaving those
in higher brackets liable for pay
ment of the remainder in the reg
ular way that taxes now are COL
lected.
Senator La Toilette, Progressive,
OF Wisconsin submitted a minority
report on the skip-a -tax-year plan
today, declaring that cancellation
of any liability now can only mean
heavier liability later"
He added:
1T is my conviction that the av-
erage taxpayer would rather learn
the bad news now while he still has
time to plan for 1943 taxes, than to
be misled by the false sound of con-
collation. and then be presented with
drastic increase in 1943 rates
when the calendar year Is almost
over and his income spent or ear
marked for other purposes"
Eventual Senate approval of the
Ruml- Carlson bill seemed likely and
advocates were reported laying plans
to offset an administration attempt
to revise the measure in conference
by seeking to force a prior vote in
the House to accept the Senate's
version.
That might be done, it was ex-
planned, by motion to instruct the
House conferees to agree to the
Senate amendments. The Ruml-
Carlson bill, in somewhat different
form, was defeated previously in
the House by the slim margin Of
four votes.
s1,So0000, 900 New Revenue.
Senator Vandenberg said the
Finance Committees bill would give
the Treasury at least $1,000, 900 900
in new revenue and yet abate taxes
for more citizens than the House.
approved measure.
Senator Vandenberg told report
ers he was informed by the con-
gressional tax staff that Treasury
receipts would be boosted $780,
100000 over the level of the present
law by "windfall' provisions insert
ed in the bill. This would be in
addition, he said, to an increase
which would be brought about by
(See TAXES, Page A-16D