Evening star., 1947-05-29
The Political Mill
6. 0. P. Congress Lives
Up to Purty Promises
Record for Speed Is Being Set
on Tax and Labor Bills
By Gould Lincoln

The Republican Congress has lived up to the
party pledges made in the 1916 campaign--to
cut Government expenditures, to cut taxes and
to pass q bill amending the Wagner Labor
Relations Act and to otherwise equalze labor
and management before the law, It was only
short time ago that critics were holding up
the Congress to ridicule as the "do-nothing
Congress" AS matter of fact however, this
Congress- under Republican leadership, has
established record for speed in dealing with
legislative matters of the highest Importance,
including taxes labor. portal portal pay and
foreign loans to Greece and Turkey-a measure
OF far-reaching Importance in the foreign
affairs of the country. All In less than dve
months time 1t also put through constitu-
tional amendment proposal limiting President
to two terms
It now remains to see how the executive
branch OF the Government in the person of
President Truman, will perform. The Presi-
dent has, OF course, approved the Creek
Turkey loan 1t was his proposal and spark
plugged the new Truman doctrine He has,
with some reluctance, approved the portal-to-
portal pay bill. Neither the labor bill nor the
tax bill has yet reached him. There have been
ominous predictions from Democratic sources
that he will veto both the labor bill and the
tax bill. The decision, however lies finally
with the President-and he has shown on
occasion remarkable independence in important
decisions.
If he vetoes the labor bill--and leaves the
country with no remedial labor legislation
Mr.. Truman will be playing dangerous game.
He will also be taking long chances of losing
the support of many independent per-
sons for the saks of retaining the support OF
radical labor leaders-support which could and
would not go anywhere else.
Bills Chances Are Bright.
Even If the President vetoes the labor BILL its
chances of becoming law are still bright.
Both the Senate and the House passed the bill
by more than two-thirds majority. If the
members stick to their original position, the
measure will pass notwithstanding Mr.. Tru-
mans dIsapproval In the House the vote for
the bill was almost to l. In the Senate it
was closer-68 to "a.
A tax reduction bill is tickliSh thing for any
President. to kill. The tax bill as it passed the
House and then the Senate, cuts personal in
come taxes from 10.5 per cent to 80 per cent
with the higher cuts on the lowest incomes
The chief difference between the bills is that
the House measure proposed to make the cut
retroactive to last January l, while the Senates
starts the cut as of July /. 1t is expected the
House will finally yield on this issue and that
start the tax reductions as of July l. II 1t is
In that form, 1t cuts the ground from under the
most plausible arguments the President could
use in vetoing the bill.
Whether the tax bill could be passed over a
presidential veto is extremely doubtful. The
House voted 273 to 1877 for the measure-one
vote short of a two-thirds majority. In the
Senate the vote stood 50 to "a. The plea of
Mr.. Truman and Democratic leaders In Con-
gress is for reduction of the national debt
with the surplus which the Treasury will have
at the close of this fiscal year, June l. and with
the receipts in excess of Government expendi-
lures for the next six months.
Too Much Party Politics.
To the man in the street. however, 1t looks
as though too much party politics is involved.
First, the determination of the Democrats to
prevent the Republicans from keeping their
pledge to reduce income taxes by 20 per cent.
And second, desire on the part of the admin
istration to present tax reduction measure
OF its own next year. just In advance of the
national elections
Ever since the Democrats took over the
Federal Government in 1888 there has been a
constant increase in Federal taxes--up to the
1945 act passed right after the end of the war.
Starting in 1884, each year saw new tax bill
except in 1941-and all of them exacted heavier
tax payments from the people. But when the
war ended measure of relief was extended
with the abolition of excess profits taxes, capital
stock taxes and reduction of the corporate
tax, and also cut in personal income taxes
The total tax reduction was between four and
i've billions of dollars, of which some billion and
half to two billions was in personal income
taxes. Indeed, the bill was written so as to
relieve 100000 of the lowest Income groups
from payment of income taxes
The personal income tax, however, remains
tremendously heavy. 1t is an item, along with
the increased costs of living, which makes 1t
difficult for millions of men and women to
make ends meet. The Republicans are intent
on reducing this burden. A tax bill veto will
not be popular