Imperial Valley press., 1944-02-24
TAX MEASURE VETO IS
POLITICAL DOCUMENT

ISEtttNftG bS\0ttGNt
As out-and-out political document, a
bald bid for votes, the presidents veto
of the tax measure outdoes all of his pre-
vious efforts. And that is saying a lot.
Few, if any of his messages to congress
and other communications have been
free of the taint of politics
Furthermore, the tax veto message
tends to creation of class division and
class hatred. If there is not sign OF
disunity in the country, that message
certainly goes far to start it.
1t is the presidents prerogative under
the constitution to veto any act OF con-
gress Many presidents have issued
many vetoes, but the most verbose were
veritabe SphinXes compared to Mr..
Roosevelt His veto of the present tax bill
could have been written IN few words.
If he were unable to pen a brief message,
any of a score of newsmen around Wash
nyton could have taken over as ghost
writer.
The message fell on belligerent ears.
Never before has the senate heard an
arraignmnt of a chief executive equ?i
that contained in Senator BarkleyS
sreech Wednesday.
The senate leader, who won that place
through the presidents special assistance
tuckian and the veteran Robinson of Ark
ansas. left criticism of the political
tainted message" to others. He challeng-
ed the message as to facts and figures IN
which he charged that deception and even
dishonesty characterized the statements
regarding the total the measure would
produce. He tempered these statements
to an extent when he declared the fig
urs must have been supplied by mind
that was more clever than honest
"a flagrant Misrepresentation is con-
tained in the messages statement that
IAN increase in the social security tax is
required to build up fund to meet
claims that are coming in against it, All
we'll informed persons know that there
is no social security fund. 1t long ago
was spent for government expense. 1t is
being expended that way as fast as 1t
accun1ulates The treasury department
knows this and since there is no doubt
that department furnished the figures so
recklesslv flung about in the veto mes
sage, the deception is doubly ineXcusable.
Senator Vandenburg has fought in sea
son and out of season to prevent the dou-
bling of the security tax as is provided
in the act establishing the fund: And ne
has had plenty of support. he mas maze
il clear in these fights that the fund has
been eXpenQeu lOl olHCI pui pooSo ''t'"
that only the treasury's 1OU's are there
to show for the payments made by the
millions of people who some day expect
to get it back.
Said the president, ''the act is not
tax measure: it is a relief measure and
the "relief is for the greedy, not the
needy" He goes from there on without
designating the greedy. This statement
is as susceptible to criticism as those per-
tanning to the amount the measure would
raise. Presumably the NEEDY" are the
great bulk of loyal, patriotic citizens.
willing and able to pay reasonable and
needed taxes And likewise, the greedy
includes that mystic group the president
delights in calling "obstructiOnist minor
tiles" -.
The message stoops to downright SILL
ness when the nations chief refers to his
own business" in raising puny bunch
of Christmas trees on his Hyde Park
estate as making him an expert to Judge
what should or should not be capita
gain in the vast lumber industry OF the
country which runs into the billions.
The effort to place blame on congress
for the puzzling instructions that go
with income tax filings is another stroke
of unfairness. That blame rests with
the presidents pet in the treasury de-
partment and was made possible when
The Treasury. backed by the White House.