Evening star., 1951-02-04
Snyder 10 Tell Details
OF Higher Tax Plea as
House Hearings Open

Means Committee tomorrow will
begin hearings on President Tru.
mans request for an immediat.
$40 billion increase in taxes.
Secretary Of the Treasury Sny.
der was scheduled as the frs
witness to detail the administra.
tion's proposals for increasing tt
record levels the taxes on indi.
viduals and corporations and fol
raising excise levies on many
products.
The hearings, beginning at II
am. in the House committe.
room, are expected to mark thu
beginning of a prolonged congress.
sional debate over how much
taxes can be raised without in.
juring the country's economy ane
how much President Truman.
proposel $71.6 billion budget fol
the next fiscal year should be cut
In asking Congress last week fol
the $40 billion increase in take!
that would bring the total mex
year to about $65 billion, Mr.. Tru.
man left details of the program tt
be explained by Mr.. Snyder.
May be Delayed for Weeks.
1t was understood that Mr.
Snyder would be accompanied tt
the hearings by Frederick j. Law.
ton, director of the budget, ane
tax experts of the Treasury sta #
There were indications that the
hearings would delve deeply into
the whole tax picture and the
presidential request might be de.
layed for weeks If not months.
Chairman Doughton of the
House committee refused to fore.
cast how long the hearings woulc
last. 1--WE can't finish in a day anc
we can't finish in a week." he
commented.
He conferred with Senator
George. Democrat. of Georgia
the chairman of the Senate
Finance Committee, during the
day. But he said no decision was
reached on features of a tax bill
The President has asked for "a
quickie" to produce $40 billion an.
nually with legislation later tt
raise additional amounts needed
to balance the budget.
Single Measure Favored.
Many of the lawmakers, in
Guiding members of the tax.
writing COMMITTEES of the House
and Senate, repeatedly are op.
posed to the two-package ap.
proach to the new taxation. They
are said to believe that it woulo
be better to concentrate on one
bill-possibly after it has beer
determined whether the Presi.
dents budget requests can be
trimmed.
But Mr.. Doughton counsellec
against delaying the tax bill. 1--WE
can't tell when the appropriation.
committees will finally act" he
told newsmen. Then, too, vel
probably need all the revenue we
can raise anyway"
Speaker Rayburn told reporters
he thought the double approach
might be "the easier task" but
indicated the program cannot be
enacted in hurry. He said he
hoped the House committee "wil
take a pretty good review Of oul
whole tax structure" and close
numerous loopholes in the exist.
ing laws. -
Several Republican leaders at.
tackled the two-package propose
and Senator Byrd, Democrat, O.
Virginia said it would be "a mos
unwise procedure.
Byrd Opposes "Quickies."
The country, Senator Byrt
added. is entitled to a firm
financial program" from the ad.
ministration instead of piece.
meal quickies." He added:
I'VE have taken off the fat
from taxpayers by two "so-callee
quickie tax bills enacted in the
past several months.
Further huge tax increase.
will dig deeply into the lean meat
and possibly into the very bone
structure of our economy unles.
they are eased by elimination o.
non-essential expenditures"
Senator Bridges of New Hamp.
shire, ranking Republican on the
Senate Appropriations Committee
said Mr.. Truman's proposed fast
tax increase is nothing more
than Government by crystal ball.
How can the President ask fol
new taxes before he knows how
much revenue we need?" Senator
Bridges asked. 1--WE should SCI
first how much money we Car
save by cutting the fat out o.
Government spending. This ad.
ministration has failed to fore.
see the future in so many way.
that it is most difficult to give
requests for new taxes seriou!
consideration at this time"
Taft Asks Balanced Program.
Senator Taft. Republican, O.
Ohio, a member of the Senate
Finance Committee, said the Tru.
man administration should worl
out a balanced taxing and spend
ing program for the coming
years.
THE administration is dealing
with everything on piecemea
basis" he added. There shoule
be no 'quickie' tax bill. Instead
let us have a complete, definit.
program of spending and take!
to cover the tasks that lie ahead.
Senator Butler, Republican, O.
Nebraska, another member of tn,
Finance Committee, also callet
for budget reductions before
taxes are increased. He suggest
ed a slash of 81 to 50 billion