The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1951-11-01
SCANNING THE WEEKS NEWS x= u. = ~ -~= @
Of Main Street and the World
Congress Goes Home After Passing
.S5.6 Billion Tax|ncrease Measure

CONGRESS-MemberS o. the first session of the Sind congress
the second session convenes, try to convince the people of the home
record is not too good and the prospects for the second session, because
it will meet during a presidential election year, are even worse.
er1nr maar Most pl Of fbe ino saDte IeaSs.t asas snseted 2 dealt eo wt i aOreia IN
affairs while the domestic field was nearly forgotten. There was no
civil rights progress; no marked advance in the Hoover plan for govern
r remained a stepehnd; needed amendments to to the Defense Production
Act were neglected; statehood for Alaska and Hawaii remain undecided.
The congress set another mark, the longest mbroken session of any
and the house 1853. The senate oratOry filled 1927 pages Of the congress.
public laws and 1888 private laws were enacted.
In the dying hours of the session the house and senate enacted three
ing the security OF the us. at home and abroad. It swened to Sos 900 600:
600 the appropriations passed during the year. of which ssoOoooooooO
was for defense purposes.
TAXES President Truman signed the $561, Oo, 600 taxincrease
bill, one Of the last measures passed in the first session Of the s2nd
pay it. Besides increases ranging from II to u per cent for most
taxpayers, excise taxes 60 up on a long list of items including LIQUOR,
gasoline, and household appliances. Bigger income and excess-profts
taxes arr in store for some industries.
The President however, was very definite in his opinion Of the
for $lo Oo 900 900 and indicated he would ask congress in January to
improve the tax law. He criticized it as containing too many loophoes
and in some respects providing additional means by which wealthy
individuals can escape paying their proper share.
He He also also. criticized ,, the ' tsmIs ride rider y peEm nit Estate states sd to RuOn nEt
ments. This, he said. is quite unrelated to the purpose of raising revenue
and may well result in unwarranted publicity and personal indignty
and unhapnness for aged people and others receiving public assistance"
THE POWDER KEG-The Middle East has become the powder key
which may blow the world into World War Ill Since ordering the
British out of the suez canal zone and the Sudan, armed clashes have
occurred between forces of the two countries. Egypt has ordered general
mobilization of man power in wartime fashion and the British have
reinforced their canal forces with troops, planes and warships
The Egyptian crisis is a manifestation of the growing fever of
natonaGsm in the Mosem states which started when Iran naionaized
it's oil industry and kicked the British out. But unlike the Iranian question.
the Suez and its safety is of vita. importance to the free world. On the
surface Egypt would seem too weak to throw the British out, but the
west fears a series of incidents that could set the entire Middle East
aname.
Should the crisis reach to point of open warfare between the two
countries the Communists can be expected to step in and World War III
could start at any moment.
VATICAN ENVOY-President Truman nominated Gen Mark
W. Clark, chief of the Army Field Forces, to be the first United States
ambassador to Vatican City. American diplomatic relations with the
Vatican, which had been terminated by act Of congress in 1867. were
resumed twelve years ago by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Since early 1850, however, there has been diplomatic relationship
with the Vatican and President Trumans nomination of Gen. Clark was
unexpected.
Because of considerable criticism concerning the move, the President
announced several days later he had decided not to carry out diplomatic
representation at the Vatican until congress has acted on the controversial
issue. Congress will probably take the matter under consideration
shortly after it convenes January 8.
FEDERAL DEFICIT The government has operated in the red this
year. Next year it will 60 even deeper in the red and nothing that
congress has done or economies will prevent it.
Expenditure for the fiscal year 1852 will amount to approximately
$40 billion, it is estimated. Receipts will amount to $637 billion, leaving
a deficit of $63 billion.
In the fiscal year 1858 expenditures will amount to an estimated
Ss5S9O billion while receipts will total $685. billion. This leaves about
$184$234 billion deficit.
Congress is not likely to increase taxes next year because it is a
presidential election year, most observers believe. The only way to
cut down this deficit would be to reduce defense spending and foreign
spending. The "pay-as-wego' policy expounded by the administration
coornc aytrarpp1v rarnOfa at his time