Evening star., 1952-03-13
Vote by Senate Today
VIII Decide Fate Of !
Tax Reorganization
Cecil HoIIond

u NSSSAt tbOht9ub0
Z The Senate will vote today on
President Trumanss controversial
and far-reaching plan for reor-
|ganizing the; scandal-hit Bureau
|of Internal Revenue.
Indications were that a ron can
vote on the proposal would be
held around 4 pm. after further
debate on the presidential move
to take the appointment OF col
lectors Of internal revenue out OF
politics and place them under
civil service,
Senator Humphrey. Democrat,
of Minnesota predicted that q
powerful array Of Senator'S OPP
posing the plan would be unable
to muster the necessary 40 votes
Ia majority Of all the Senators
to block the plan.
McClelIan Nom Committal.
Chairman cClellan of the Gov
ernment Operations Committee,
which voted 7-to-5 against the
plan. would not make any fore
cast. The reorganization proposal
already has been approved by the
House and unless rejected by the
Senate, win automatically become
effective at midnight tomorrow.
Debate on the proposal began
in the Senate yesterday and was
marked by a bitter attack on
President Truman and his chal-
lenge that the Senate vote was a
clear-cut choice between corrup-
ton and a desire to retain pa
tronage on the one hand, and a
vote for clean and honest Govern
ment on the other.
Senator George, Democrat, Of
Georgia. author of a resolution to
diSapprove the plan, led the at
tack on the reorganization pro-
posal and declared:
"The most charitable thing /
can say of the President is that
concerning his personal honesty
and character. I have no COM
ment. But he is the poorest advo-
cate OF a cauSe-good, bad or in
different-that the world has ever
produced"
IS Joins in Criticism.
Senator Margaret Chase Smith,
Republican. Of Maine. joined in
the criticism of President Truman
for saying those who opposed the
plan were interested only in MAIN
tanning patronage. However, she
said she would vote for the re-
Organization as q necessary step
in ending corruption in the Gov
Iernment.
Others speaking In favor of the
Presidents plan included Demo-
cratic Senators Humphrey, Mon
lroney Of Oklahoma and Lehman
of New York.
just before the Senate quit for
the day, President Truman made
another appeal-his third-for
approval of his plan. In a teletype
message to Senator Monroney
from his Key West vacation re-
treat. Mr.. Truman said a Senate
vote to kill the plan would be "a
severe blow" to efforts Ito broaden
1.-THE scope and improve the stand
ards Of our Federal civil service
system"
Patronage Charge Denied.
Approval of The plan, the Pres
ident's message asided. would mark
Ia significant step" toward max
ling the Internal Revenue Bureau
Ia "blue-ribbon career service
Determination"
+ Senator George and Senator
McC Clellan, 4 inl theii. arguments
against the plan. scotfed at the
suggestion that their opposition
was based on patronage consider
ations or that the plan. If adopted
would be a blow at corruption that
has been disclosed in the Govern
ment'S tax collecting system.
Corruption will hardly know II
has received q blow if this plan
is adopted" Senator George told
the Senate. 'No plan will suffice
without vigorous. intelligent and
progressive administration of the
law.
"You will have more corruption
than you ever dreamed of if this
proposal becomes q law. You'll
have more coercion. It's funda-
mentally a wrong system. 1t sets
up q system that cannot work
Senator George also argued that
the plan creates a legal vacuum
and invited the Secretary of the
Treasury ito come in and I'll
lit up."
| He added that Secretary Snyder
lisa "good Secretary" but know.
nothing about the collection oi
taxes except what he is told "sec-
lond, third and fourth hand"
+ OF Revenue Commissioner Johr
b. Dunlap, Senator George sale
he is a capable and honest oficia
but that he doubts whether hi
has had sufficient experience al
the Washington level.
The Georgian said the reorgani'
cation plan would add vastly" tt
the cost of operating the revenue
service and wouldn't save {
nickel"
/ The spirit of the reorganization
act, the Senator added, requires
setting forth in as much detail as
possible any economies from re-