Evening star., 1953-06-29
BY Robert K. Welsh

Republican leaders today
abandoned their effort to by
pass the House Ways and Means
Committee with excess profits
tax legislation and said they
were convinced an extension bill
would be acted on soon by that
group.
They decided at the last min
ute not to call up a Rules Com
mittee resolution to bring to the
House floor bill extending the
profits tax for six months. They
also refused Democratic sugges-
tiOns that the Rules Committee
resolution be tabled or recon-
mitted.
The surprise move by the
Else hover Administration
forces climaxed 11th-hour con-
ferences. These apparently as
Sured Republican leaders that at
least 13 members of the IS men,
ber Ways and Means Committee
would vote to report out an ex-
tension bill to the House within
the next few days.
Reed Remains Adamant.
But leadership hopes that
Ways and Means Chairman Reed
would change his vehement op-
position apparently were blasted
when Mr.. Reed took, the House
floor and accused the leaders of
keeping a sword of Damocles
over this committee and every
committee in the House."
The eXcess-profitS tax, which
President Eisenhower wants ex-
tended, expires at midnight to-
morrow. 1t could be continued
by Congress, retroactive to June
80. Even if it had been voted
on today by the House. leaders
said it would not have been
approved by the Senate until
late this week.
Before the House convened an
hour earlier than usual today,
Speaker Martin and Republican
Floor Leader Halleck said that
laSt-minute efforts were being
made to avoid a showdown on
the controversial resolution of
the Rules Committee to bring
profits tax extension to a House
vote despite inaction by the Ways
and Means Committee.
Rules Violation Seen.
Many Democrats-and some
Republicans who otherwise ia
vored extension of the levy-in-
dicated they would vote against
the Rules Committee method.
They said it violated precedent
and the rules of the House.
Speaker Martin told reporters
earlier, however, that he was
confident that the rule, to put
the extension bill to a vote in
the House, would carry by at
least 80 votes.
When the House convened. Mr..
Halleck told his fellow members
that he had intended to call up
the Rules Committee resolution
Immediately. But, he said, he
never quite gave up hope" that
the matter could be handled
through the Ways and Means
Committee instead of by this
extraordinary parliamentary pro-
cedure.
Reports came to me from
both sides of the aisle since last
Saturday that gave a brighter
hope that this matter might be
settled in the Ways and Means
Committee" Mr.. Halleck said.
Further checks and investiga-
tions today have continued to
a point where we are convinced
this matter can be handled in
that committee"
Mr.. Halleck'S statement was
greeted by applause from the
almost 400 House members in the
chamber. The applause. how
ever. turned into an ovation a
moment later, as Mr.. Reed arose
to his feet.
Reed Criticizes Tactics.
The veteran New York Re-
publican began to speak, and it
Immediately became evident that
he opposed the leadership tactics
and wanted a vote once and for
all on the question of by-paSsing
his committee.
II am disappointed at the
statement made here" he said.
There is a constitutional prin-
ciple involved. This country was
founded on principle and not on
expediency.
Il polled the Ways and Means
Committee twice. You, Mr..
Speaker. also polled them in