Evening star., 1953-03-15
Reed Sure His Tax Cut Plan
Won't Bar a Balanced Budqet
Hostility in Party
FoiIs to Discourage
6. o. P. Legislation
By Robert K. Walsh

NVOCIt N. V0I9U
Daniel Alden Reed, dean of
House Republicans and driver
for immediate income tax relief,
looks far beyond omens and
threats on the Ides of March.
The 77-year-old Representa-
tive from New York, while
much too conservative to pose as
a soothsayer. yesterday offered
this prediction for March Is:
Congress is going to pass my
bill for an income tax cutback
June 30"
Mr.. Reed might well be called
"Mr. Republican" in the House
except that he currently is at
odds with G. o. P. congressional
leaders and the Eisenhower ad-
ministration on the tax cut
issue.
Not a man to be bothered by
titles or budged by criticism, this
chairman Of the House Ways and
Means Committee nevertheless
reSists efforts to thrust him into
the role of a Marc Antony or a
Marcus Brutus. much less a Ju-
Illus Caesar, on the taxpayers
1des Of March.
Fighting for Principle.
Far from urging people to lend
their ears to him personally, he
Is extremely hard to find for an
interview. But that is because he
is extremely busy.
Despite a reputation as hard
and often gruff fighter. he actu-
ally is friendly and even eager to
make people understand what he
is fighting for. Most of all, he
says, he wants Congress and the
public to know he fights for prin-
ciple. not politics, and for Re-
publican and not a personal pur-
pose.
He is particularly panied when
people accuse him of pique
against President Eisenhower. He
is not merely surprised but
shocked to hear some of his Re-
publican colleagues throw the
equivalent of "You too, Brutus?"
at him.
No Threat to Balanced Budget.
He insists he is not trying to
stab the administration or the
party by demanding that Con-
gress promptly enact his bill for
a 10 per cent average annual cut
in individual income taxes June
80 instead of the scheduled De-
cember 81. He explains he merely
wants to carry out a promise he
and most of his fellow Republi-
cans made before November.
The tax relief he proposes, he
says. would not endanger a ba-
lanced budget for the fiscal year
starting July /. It would contri-
butte to the goal and Therefore
need not be delayed until the
Eisenhower administration bud
get-makeFs slash spending, he
contends.
In all the turmoil on Capitol
Hill as result of his announced
plan to call up his tax bill in
the House within the next month,
Mr., Reed calmly indicated yes
terday that Congress and the
public ought to keep their eye
on the ball and the game as a
whole.
Plans New Tax Code.
He was hardening back, per-
haps to his years as a football
star and coach at Cornell Uni
versity. He is intent on his
present move for ending a 1851
individual income tax increase
and the excess profits tax on
June 80. But he declared the 1
long-range goal is to improve the
entire Federal tax structure.
The way he talked about this
project for recodiflcation of the
tax laws gave ample evidence
that he hopes it will cap his ca
reer OF "a years in the House.
He looks forward to a long era /
OF better feelings for all tax |
payerS-individual and corporate,
small and large, hidden and
open.
He promised that the pro-
posed new tax code, better than
anything produced in rs years,
will be submitted to Congress
next year. ~
And that, he explained, is why
he is especially busy these days.
For years, Mr.. Reed has been in
his office as early as 6 am. and
usually manages to get in some
five miles Of walking to or from
home. His tall, trim figure tells
part of the story.
Gets Expert Assistance.
Spade work which he and the
Ways and Means Committee are
doing. he said. includes not only
study but personal conferences
with numerous experts and
groups throughout the country.
The assistance thus received VOL
UNFAIRLY, he added, "could not