The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-04-16
House Members
Seek To Force
Tax Cut Vote
By WILLIAM r. ARBocAsT

WASHINGTON R-Twenty-five
House members have joined in an
attempt to force a vote on a bill
to reduce income tax rates 10 per
cent on July 1--six months ahead
of the date now scheduled.
If they can get 1888 colleagues
to join them. they win succeed.
They are members who. up to
today, had signed petition to by
pass the House Rules Committee
and bring the tax cut bill to the
House floor despite opposition Of
the COP House leadership. The
rules group has bottled up the bill
since mid-February, when the
ways and means committee ap-
proved it.
Without rules committee clear.
ance, the bill cannot now come
before the House except under pro-
cedure leaving it wide open to
changes. It's hackers don't want
to run that risk and have resorted
to a petition to circumvent the
rules group and force House con-
sideration under procedure barring
amendments.
To be effective, such a petition
requires 218 signatures, majority
Of the full House membership.
-. X T.
Some Republican members claim
their leaders are exerting pressure
to prevent COP members from
signing. However, q of the first
Is signers are Republicans.
Despite efforts to clamp air
tight secrecy on such petitions, the
names Of the signers became
known today.
The secrecy rule dates back to
February, 1882, when Speaker John
Nance Garner ruled that the names
of signers Of discharge petitions
may not be disclosed until the
required 218 are obtained.
The rule providing for discharge
petitions does not specifically re-
quire secrecy, put Garner inter-
preted 1t that way, and so have
his successors.
In April, 1884, Speaker Henry
Rainey said the reason for secrecy
was that publishing the names in
the newspaper invites people gen.
orally throughout the u. S. to
bring pressure on those who have
not signed the petition to sign ii,
and pressure upon those who have
signed the petition to take their
names off"
A member may remove his name
afer signing such petitions. He
may publicize the fact that he
signed, hut is not supposed to tell
who elst signed.
Some members reject the theory
that the secrecy rule Is necessary
to avert .pressure. They point
out that members Of Congress are
subjected to constant pressures
from lobbyists, who are permitted
to operate freely.
One veteran House member who
wouldn't permit use Of his name
claimed the secrecy rule on such
petitions was designed to permit
members to take cne position pub.
licly and an opposite position
secretly.
These are the House members
who, UP to the start of today's
session. have said they signed, or
were reported by colleagues 10
have signed:
observation-disclosures Nj. Reed
Of Illinois, Mason Of Illinois, Clare
Hoffman Of Michigan, August H.
Andersen Of Minnesota, Burdick Of
North Dakota, William c. Cole Of
Missouri, jenkins of Ohio, Gross Of
Iowa, Saylor Of Pennsylvania, Phil.
lips Of California. MeVey of Hi.
nOis, WithrOw Of Wisconsin, Wilson
OF California, Cunningham Of Iowa,
Ut Of California, Poff Of Virginia.
Kersten OF Wisconsin. Jonas Of ILL
nois, Patterson Of Connecticut,
Richard W. Hoffman of Illinois.
Shafer Of Michigan and Whit Smith
Of Kansas.
Democrats-Walfer Of Pennsyl-
vania, Thomas ]. O'Brien Of Ill.