Evening star., 1948-03-16
Tax
Repeal She|ved
By y16.10Vote
House Group Votes
To Take No Action
At This Session
BY Chalmers M. Roberts

4He mouse agriculture Commit
tee today pigeon-hoIed for the
remainder of the Eightieth Con-
greSs proposed legislation to re-
peal Federal taxes on oleomar-
garine.
The committee voted, Is to 10, to
POSTPONE all action on pending
bills or similar bills to the end of
the present session of Congress, A
motion to reconsider was defeated
by similar vote.
Fifteen Republicans were Joined
by Representative Granger. Demo-
crat, OF Utah in killing all of the 10
bills before the committee. One Re-
publican member, Representative
Hall, Of New York, was absent. With
the exception of Mr.. Granger, all
the Democratic members voted
against the motion.
The vote was taken in executive
session at the end Of an hours dis
cussion.
Delay Proposed by Andersen.
One Democratic member said he
understood that the Republicans had
met with House COP leaders yester.
day and decided then to present a
solid front against any tax repeal
measures, but this was denied by
Chairman Hope.
The motion to postpone action was
offered by Representative Andersen.
Republican, of Minnesota, who was
a leader Of the opposition to tax re-
peal during last weeks five days OF
hearings.
The only hope remaining of
bringing tax repeal bill to the
House floor for a vote at this ses-
sion of Congress is through the
petition method Minority mem.
bers on the committee, however,
were not certain whether they would
press this action since it REQUIRES
signature of majority of all House
members-218 out of 435-to bring
the bill to the floor over the OBJ
jections Of the committee.
The Federal taxes which will con-
tlnue in force are 10 cents a pound
on colored margarine. and one
quarter of a cent on the uncolored
variety. Manufacturers must pay
a 5000 annual license fee. Whole-
salers must pay s480 a year to ham
die colored margarine and 5000 for
the uncolored. A retailer must pay
= $4S license fee to sell colored mar
garine and So to sell uncolored.
Abernethy Assails Decision.
One Democratic member of the
committee, Representative Aber-
nethy of Mississippi was bitter at
the result Of the vote. He told re-
porters to report it as q vote Of
part OF the committee, not repre-
senting all agriculture"
He said the committee should
take down pictures on the commits
tee room wall depicting cotton pick.
ing Cottonseed oil, along with soy
bean oil, is major margarine in
gredient.
The outcome of todays vote was
another victory in the long battle
OF the butter and dairy interests to
retain taxes on margarine.
Backers Of repeal legislation had
hoped the growing soybean industry,
which has brought large cash re-
turns to farmers throughout the
Midwest dairy belt, might result in
swinging enough votes to bring a
bill to the House floor. But they
hoped in vain.
Chairman Hope said at the con-
clusion of today's session that a mo-
ton had been introduced by Rep
resentative Simpson, Republican, OF
Illinois to have five-man sub
committee consider the subject"
and study it further. No vote was
taken on the motion, Mr.. Hope
said. The margarine hackers were
highly uninterested in such a COM
mittee and pointed out that Mr..
Simpson had just voted to pigeon
hole the repeal measures.
Repeal Backers to Seek Rider.
One other possibility remaining
for margarine tax repeah hackers Is
to attach rider to the Republican
tax cut bill in the Senate this week.
Two Democratic Senators, Fulbright
Of Arkansas and Maybank of South
Carolina, have announced they will
make this attempt.
After today's vote, most of the
members told reporters how they
had voted after Chairman Hope said
they were free to do So Mr.. Granger
would not say how he had voted,
but other members made 1t clear
that he had joined the Republicans
in opposing the bills
The roll call was as follows:
To shelve the tax repeal meas
ures-Andresen of Minnesota, john
son of Illinois, Murray of Wisconsin.
Gillie of Indiana, Hill of Colorado,
Hoeven of Iowa, Simpson Of Illi-
nois, Gross of Pennsylvania, Fuller
of New York, Bramblett Of Cali
fornia, Dague of Pennsylvania. Goh
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