Evening star., 1948-12-30
Cooley Feels Hearing!
On 0leo Tax Repeal
Will Be Unnecessary
By Cholmers IA. Roberts

Representative Cooley, the NORTH
Carolina Democrat who will heaC
the House Agriculture Committee in
the new Congress, doesn't think il
will be necessary to hold hearings
on margarine tax repeal legislation
Mr.. Cooley, in a telegram from his
Nashville, N. c., home, made the
statement last night to The Star
He added that transcripts of the
hearings last spring will be avail.
able to new committee members.
The Representative added:
Il cannot say now when mar
sarine legislation will be considered
but l believe that it should be con.
sidered early in the session. I dc
not intend to introduce bill until
other members of the committee
have had ample opportunity te
do So"
To Submit Bills First Day.
Many other members of Congress
both Democrats and Republicans
, already have indicated they will in.
troduce tax repeal bills on the first
day of the new session next Mon
day. Most of the bills are expected
! to parallel the Rivers bill, which
; passed the House but was stopped
by Senate flibuster by dairy State
Senators.
This bill would repeal outright
all license fees for oleomargarine
| manufacturers and dealers and
[ would end the present 10-cent-a-
pound tax on colored margarine. 1t
4, is this latter tax that causes house
! wives to mix in the color themselves
! to save money.
Mr. Cooley, along with all but one
other Democratic member of the
Agriculture Committee. voted last
: year to report out a repeal bill. But
the Republican majority, led by
Representative Andersen of Mime
sofa, succeeded in pigeon-holing the
measures. A petition was signed by
218 House members, however, which
brought the bill to the floor despite
the committees vote and the meas
ure passed the House, 260 to l09
Blocked by Senator Wiley.
The bill easily passed two Senate
test votes, one by At to 80, but Sen
ator Wiley, Republican, of Wiscon-
sin, blocked it the only time it
reached the floor
The Democratic platform adopted
in June pledged repeal of the taxes,
and Mr. Cooley said he feels that
plank is one which should be en-
acted into law without much diff
fculty'
He said he thinks the straight
repeal measure, sponsored by Repre-
sentative Rivers, Democrat. of South
Carolina, will receive consideration"
by the House committee.
Mr.. Andersen said this week the
committe is packed" for repeal, in
dicating the measure probably will
be reported out promptly this time,
followed by quick House approval.
Fulbright to Lead Fight.
With the bill reaching the Senate
early in the new congress, Cnances
of final passage will be bright. Sem
ator Fulbright, Democrat, of Arkan-
sas, who headed the fight there last
time, again will take the lead. The
bill is expected to go to the Finance
Committee, headed by Senator
George. Democrat, of Georgia, who
is strongly pro-repeal. Even with
a Republican majority last sum-
mer, the bill was unanimously re-
ported out by the committee, IL to o.
Chief opponent of the tax repeal
bill last time was the National Co
operative Milk Producers Fedora
ton. The group now is willing to
end the quarter-cent tax on un-
colored oleo. If the 10-cent tax on
the colored variety is retained. But
margarine hackers, scenting COM
plete victory, are in no mood for
compromises.
Latest figures from the Depart
ment of Agriculture reveal the in
creasing Importance of margarine
in the diet of Americans.
oro tIoa Gry,rac