Evening star., 1953-08-03
4G. 0. P. Governors
Back EisenhoWer's
Tax-Reduction Views
BY the Associated Press


SEATTLE, Aug. 3.-Four Re-
publican Governors, and at least
one Democrat, swung behind
President Eisenhower today in
urging a go-slow policy on tax
reduction.
The four are Dan Thornton
of Colorado, Alfred E. DriScoll
of New Jersey, Arthur B. Langlie
of Washington and Walter j.
Kohler of Wisconsin.
A strong voice of opposition
to the go-slow policy came from
Gov. j. Bracken Lee of Utah,
long an outSpoken exponent of
lower taxes, who commented:
Il don't know how you can cut
spending unless you cut taxes"
Gov. Lee continued, in an in
terview, that every one agrees
the budget should be balanced,
but that "a lot of American peo-
pie are getting discouraged over
continuing high taxes"
The Democrat favoring the 60
slow policy was Gov. Lawrence
Wetherby of Kentucky.
Eisenhower to Attend.
The support formed as Gen.
Eisenhower planned flying trip
here tonight, following Senator
Taft's state funeral, to attend his
first national conference of Gov
ernors. He is scheduled to re-
turn to Washington tomorrow.
The conference chairman, Dem
ocratic Gov. Allan Shivers of
Texas, in an address prepared for
the opening business session, re-
ported Significant progress" in
the field of Federal-State rela-
tionS. And he credited it largely
to Gen. Eisenhower.
Many governors have con-
tended for years that the tax
payers would get more for their
tax dollar if the Federal Gov
ernment turned back certain tax
and welfare functions to the
State.
Gov. ShiverS said Gen. Eisen-
hover made it clear he wanted
the cooperation and assistance
of the States executives; that
the close accord between the
new administration and the gov
ernors' conference led to the
launching of a full-Scale study
of Federal-State tax problems.
Support on Debt Stand.
Outside the four-day confer
ence, there was evidence of wide
spread support among Republi-
can Governors for the Presidents
attempt to increase the legal
limit of the Federal debt. OF
the 43 governors here, 81 are
Republicans.
Gov. Thornton, a Republican
and an early preconvention
backer of Gen. Eisenhower, told
a reporter there is a better
prospect for cutting taxes next
year than the situation indi-
Gates now. BY that time, he said,
the administration will be able
to put on its own program.
Gov. Thornton Joined the three
other Republican Governors
who in separate news confer
ences yesterday advocated that
Congress set aside any moves
to cut taxes until after the Fed
eral budget is balanced.
Cows. Driscoll, Langlie and
Kohler declared, however, it
would be better in the long run
to keep taxes high while the ad-
ministration tries to trim ex-
penditureS.
I'VE have political dilemma
in which it is bad if you don't cut
taxes and bad if you do" said
Gov. Driscoll. But I believe
the political effect of deficit
spending is worse than not cut
ting taxes"
Gov. Thornton said EiSen-
hover has been tied down by
Democratic spending policies he
inherited, but next year "it will
squarely be the responsibility of
the Republican Party to put in
our own program" There can
be mo excuses" then, he said.
The President is expected to
arrive for the formal state din
ner tonight. Secretary of the
Treasury Humphrey will be the
main speaker.
President Eisenhower will sit
in on what may prove a lively
discussion tomorrow on natural
resources. There may be ques-
LOST.