Evening star., 1953-08-02
A Lesson in Modern Civics
How the Lobby That Wasn't RoiIrooded
A 20 Pct. Tax Repeater for the Movies
By james E. Roper

these sympathetic, well-lobbied Sen
ators:
Matthew M. Neely, Democrat, of
West Virginia: II have received
telegram from a distinguished mo-
ton picture house owner in my
State :"
John c. Stennis, Democrat, OF
Mississippi: Il have memorandum
which sets forth the fact :"
William Langer. Republican, of
North Dakota: II have received for
months numerous kilograms and let
terS :"
Hubert H. Humphrey, Democrat.
of Minnesota: THE theater opera
tors in Minnesota have made repre-
sentations to me E. -
Herbert H. Lehman, Democrat, OF
New York: II have met with num-
ber of groups Of motion picture the
ater owners in my city and my
State =. :"
Before long, the Senate shouted
approval of the bill and went on to
more controversial business.
Some Senators wanted to give tax
relief to legitimate theaters, to fur
and watch dealers and other groups
paying excise taxes. But the ex-
hibitors' lobbying job was so thor
ough that the Senators said they
would not seek other tax relief for
fear of endangering the movie bill.
Who Wins?
The irony of the whole thing Is
that any way you look at it the
doctrine of greatest good for the
greatest number" seems to have
gone by the boards in this tax relief
campaign. The Government itself,
which is represented as needing
every cent it can get it's hands on,
says it will lose 500 million year,
and there is no serious contention
that the movie-going public will
benefit. Owners have made no
promises about reducing admissions
when the tax goes off. So the 20
cents on every dollar of ticket sales
that formerly lined the Golfers of
the Treasury apparently will line
the pockets of the 1890 men who
own movie theaters in the United
States.
Movie people say that if they can
afford to cut back the price, they
will. But if they need that extra
20 percent, they'll keep it. The
chances are that most theater
owners will decide to keep the money
they have been collecting as tax.
NIL &o1 IF a r.
mission prices in the hope OF in
creasing attendance and profits.
Operators of theaters in the Dis
trict won't say what they'll do.
Washington is considered movie
going town, so some exhibitors here
might be in a fine position to offer
price cuts to their customers. But
they are making no promises.
With the movie tax repeal bill
through Congress, the Coyne lobby
aimed at the White House. 1t tried
to rush in some one to argue Presi-
dent Eisenhower out of any veto.
Up to the President
But Gen. Eisenhower has 152 mil
lion constituents. He wants the
Government to get the $100 million
in tax revenue that the Treasury
says would be lost if the movie tax
goes off.
The President received the bill for
final action last Monday. He has
until midnight next Friday to act on
it, either by signing it into law, do
ing nothing and allowing it to be-
come law, or vetoing it. In the
latter case the measure would have
to go back to the Hill for passage
over his veto-an action which
would strip the legislators of the
comfortable anonymity that they
enjoyed on the voice votes in origi-
nal passage.
Another avenue is open to the
President if Congress is out of ses-
sion on August z, as seems likely.
He could pocket veto" the measure,
simply allowing it to die by not
signing it. There might be an ad-
vantage in this course If the Presi-
dents contact men on the Hill think
the movie lobby has two-thirds OF
each house behind it.
Fears over a possible veto kept
Mr.. Coyne muttering:
"I we can only get past the White
House."