Evening star., 1953-06-24
President Seeks
ToForceAction
On Profits Tax
Strategy Mapped
On Bill Bottled Up
In Reed Committee

J. On Dill D0ttIeo up
In Reed Committee
President Eisenhower and con-
greSsional leaders resolved today
to try to force House action on
excess profits tax extension if
Chairman Reed of the Ways and
Means Committee persists in his
efforts to block the legislation.
And Mr.. Reed Immediately
made it clear he proposes to do
just exactly that.
After a White House confer
ence, House Speaker Martin told
reporters that there are two al
tentative plans for dealing with
the situation.
/. If the New Yorker will
not call his committee to-
gether to vote out the leg
islation-last night he can
celed indefinitely all future
Ways and Means meetings-an
effort will be made to have Is
members of the committee notify
the chairman that they want
their group brought together.
Such a demand from majority
of the 25-member committee
would be binding on Mr.. Reed.
2. If action cannot be taken
through the Ways and Means
Committee, then the House lead
ershlp will go to the Rules Com
mittee and ask for a special
rule to bring the measure to the
House floor. It would require
seven members of that 12-mem-
ber committee to approve the
rule.
Parliamentary Procedure.
Although Mr.. Martin did not
say so, the actual parliamentary
requirements involved in his first
alternative are these:
Three members of the commit
tee may file a petition with the
chairman requesting that meet
ing be held to vote on the bill
within seven days. If within
three days after the filing of the
petition the chairman refuses
or fails to call the requested
meeting, majority of the COM
mittee may file a petition with
the committee clerk requesting
a meeting. It must then be held
at the date and time specified
in the petition, and a vote must
follow even though the chairman
himself may refuse to attend the
meeting.
After returning to the Capitol,
Mr.. Martin said the Republican
leadership would start trying this
afternoon to line up a majority
of the Ways and Means Commit
tee in preparation for the i'm
pending showdown.
1--WE will give the Ways
and Means Committee another
chance" he said. 1--WE will not
go to the Rules Committee unless
we absolutely have to-"
Reed Adamant.
Mr.. Reed told reporters shortly
thereafter that he does not in
tend to call the committee into
session to consider the bill or
to discuss any compromise pro-
posal. He declared there was
no possibility of compromise so
far as he was concerned.
II have taken my position and
I am right" he said. Il am not
going to take the responsibility
of putting an immoral law on
the books"
Mr.. Martin said he was hope
full" that the bill would be
passed. It is an indispensable
factor in the administration
financial program, he said.
Speaker Martin disclosed that
Representative Reed yesterday
rejected a telephone appeal from
President Eisenhower to drop his
opposition to the measure which
would extend the exceSS-profitS
tax bill from June 80 to Decem-
ber 81 and bring in an estimated
$500 million to the Treasury.
Mr.. Reed had talked over the
pending legislation with Gen.
Eisenhower at the White House
Saturday, but indicated then lie
was still against the bill.
Pushes Income Tax Cut.
The New York Representative
not only wants to let the excess
profits tax die June 80 as Sched-
uled, but also to cut individual
income taxes on the same date.
Speaker Martin and Acting
Senate Leader Knowland who
briefed reporters after today's
session with the President, said
the tax issue took up most of
the meeting which lasted nearly
two hours.
Senator Taft of Ohio, who re-
linquiShed his Republican lead
ership because of a serious hip
condition, attended this morn
ing'S session on crutches.
Speaker Martin told reporters
that every effort would be made
to get the Ways and Means Com
mittee to act on the tax DILL be-
fore the approach is made by
way of the Rules Committee.
10 Democrats in Committee.
The Ways and Means Com
mittee has Is Republican and 10
Democratic members, and Mr..
Martin explained it was hoped
to get some Democratic support,
inaSmuch as the minority has
expressed a desire TO cooperate
with Gen. Eisenhower. Demo-
Gratis have said in the past, now
ever, they will not bail out" the
President on any parliamentary
maneuver to force action on the
bill.
Mr.. Martin said no time would
be lost now in pushing for action.
Asked if he could muster