The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-02-23

1lgureS nOpOQy can understand.
He suggested that perhaps "thi
celestial nomad has frightened thu
president into asking a highe
figure"
Barkley's denunciation Of "tht
chief" we regarded as one OF thu
greatest political explosions of re
cent years, He had served MI
Roosevelt with what had been re-
garded as complete devotion eve
since his selection as leader, al.
though it was obvious at times tina
he disagreed privately with thu
presidents views.
First Time
On rare occasions, Barley ha.
joined with other southern Demo.
Gratis in opposing policies advocated
by the administration in general
But observers could not immedi.
ately recall any time when he op.
posed a major policy that Mr.
Roosevelt himself had gone to bal
for"
Item by item, Barley rejected thu
arguments used by the president II
his tax veto message.
1.-THE president estimates that
the bill would riase only net ST.
194,0OO,00O," Barley declared. 1.-THE
joint staff on internal revenue SCI
up by congress estimated the ad-
ditional revenue at $4,000, 000, O00."
The lower figure, he explained
was arrived at by deducting from
gross income "any losses from other
categories."
TN order to still further benttle
the mount of revenue in the new
tax bill he resorted to one of the
most unjustidable methods OF cal.
culations possible, probably handed
to him by a mind that was more
clever than honest" Barley said.
This, he said, was the President!
assertion that freezing social security
taxes at present levels - insteae
Of permitting them to double-woulc
cut $1,100, 100000 from treasury rev.
enue this year. Barley recalled he
had voted against the freeze. But
he insisted at the same time that
the social security fund is a sa-
cred trust and never should be con
sidered a revenue to carry on the
ordinary expenses of government.
Not Treasury Capitol
ut is loan, not treasury capital
no more to be regarded as income
than the funds received from the
sale of war bonds" Barley declared
Even if increased social security
taxes would raise the amounts the
President estimated, Barley de-
clared, Mr.. Roosevelt has no right
to say that If left in the pockets
Of employees and employers 1t would
reduce the income of the treasury
by that or any other amount"
THAT Is not an accurate state
ment Of the facts, and everybody
knows It," Barley asserted.
Barley charged that those who
advised the President attempted to
place all the blame on Congress for
the complexities of income tax
forms. He quoted the Presidents
veto message which said the ma
ton understands it is not the fault
of the treasury that the taxpayers
are being flooded with complex
forms.
mo, says the President" Barley
shouted, at is squarely the fault
of the Congress of the United States
In using language in drafting the
law which not even a dictionary or
a TheSaurus can make clear"
MiSstatement
Then Barley added:
mo man could have made that
extraordinary statement who has set
in the tax committees of the Con-
gress. If it was made by anyone
who ever sat on the committees, 1t
was deliberate misstatement in or
der to place on Congress blame
for the universal dissatisfaction.
Congress is to blame only to the
extent it accepted the advice of the
Treasury through its so-called ex-
perst."
Statements said the statement ap-
parently was an attempt to put the
executive department In the position
OF complaining Gin vain for tax
simplification. fl
Fifty-two senators were in the
chamber during this portion OF
Barkley's address, MADE in q grave
and sometimes shaky voice.
Barley said every tax policy pro-
posal decided on in congress in the
past 10 yeras had been submitted to
the treasury SO that its experts
could write the language for 1t. The
language, he said, has been SO
complicated and circumambient
that neither Solomon himself nor
all the wise men Of the east could
understand it,"
'The president has used the
magnifying glass to find incense
quential faults to justify this veto, u
Barkley cried.
Condemning the president de-
nunciation Of a provision of the tax
bill providing corporations with the
same tax basis after bankruptcy as
they had before, Barley declared.
"AS a matter Of fact, nobody
knows whether or not this would be
loss to the treasury. No person
can categorically claim this provi-
sion will result in a loss.'
The amount lost by a provision
providing for depreciation allow
ances on the sale Of minerals, Bark
ley said, as so insignificant as to
make veto based upon 1t almost
grotesque."