Evening star., 1951-06-19
Republicans 0penF Fire
On Measure 10 Boost
Taxes by ST Billion
By Robert K. Welsh

lakes Dy ~ billion
By Robert K. Welsh
House Republicans have opened
full fire on the $7,233, ,Ooo, 900 tax
increase bill, but Democrats
pushed confidently for Rules Com
mittee clearance today and floor
passage late Thursday.
Even before scheduled appear
ance of Ways and Means Com
mittee majority and minority re-
ports today, COP members of
that group and Republican Floor
Leader Martin blasted the bill
They called it tragic, inf1ationary
a star chamber" product, short
sighted, a "pay-as-we-lose'' meas
ure and a "diabolical scheme
leading to socialism.
An anticipated battle at a Rules
Committee session today did not
discourage Democratic predictions
that two days of floor debate will
begin tomorrow. Ways and Means
Committee Chairman Doughtor
will ask rule banning amend
ments except any offered by the
Way and Means Committee itself
Doughton Retorts to Charge.
The "star chamber" charge
brought a quick retort from
Committee Chairman Doughton
Speaking for Democratic members
Of the committee he said the
charge was wholly without
foundation"
ut is with Ill grace that the
Republican membership after the
consideration afforded them by
the majority should be so criti-
CAL" Mr.. Doughton stated. -Four
Of the 10 Republican members OF
the committee voted to favorably
report the bill. It is unfortunate
that the responsibility for the
necessary financing of the de-
fense effort cannot be carried out
without such reckless displays of
lpartisanship."
The chairman contended that
the Republicans seem rather to
be describing the procedures fol-
lowed by them in writing the tax
legislation during the Republican
80th Congress" He recalled the
tax bill at that time was written
with little hearings and no op-
portunity for Democratic mem
bers to participate"
Taft Favors Delay.
House passage of the tax bill be-
fore the end of this week will open
the way for a long and hard fight
In the Senate. This was further
indicated yesterday when Senator
Taft, Republican, of Ohio told
reporters he favors delaying any
tax boost until December /. Most
OF the proposed tax increases on
personal incomes and corporations
as well as excise levies would take
effect September /.
Senator Taft, member of the
Senate Finance Committee that
plans hearings on the House
bill. estimated a 81 billion surplus
July l, the start of the new fiscal
year. An official Treasury state
ment said the current surplus was
$l,715,o7s,92s as of yesterday.
G. O. P. Members Confer.
A conference of Republican
House members late yesterday
showed that most, if not all, will
vote against the bill, Mr.. Martin
told reporters. He remarked that
I have pretty good hearing but
I heard no kind words for the
bill"
The minority leader conceded
that the Democrats probably have
sufficient strength to pass the
measure. He indicated, however,
that Republicans plan a last
ditch fight against it and will at
tempt to have it sent back to
committee for redraftine.
Il oppose any increase in taxes
until a sincere effort has been
made to wiring the water out OF
our Governments blue-sky ven
lures into the realm of socialism, u
Mr.. Martin declared.
Assuming the need for addi-
tional revenue to finance the de-
fense program and curb imitation
Mr.. Martin maintained, the bill
would not gain those objectives
and would do more harm than
good.
Called "Pay-as-We-LOse."
The truth is" he asserted
that the more money we raise
the more the administration
spends. What we have here Is a
so-called pay-as-we-go tax bill
sponsored by a pay-as-we-lose
administration.
Regardless of how dire the ad-
miniStration paints the picture
regardless of how critical the ad-
ministration finds the emergency
the facts are that the Congress
has been duped into passing one
tax increase after another by an
administration which is bent on
taxing us into socialism. The
scheme is so simple as to be dia-
bolical."
MIR. Martin, who was Speaker OF
the 80th Congress, called for q
congressional revolt against "con-