Evening star., 1957-12-20
HEADLINE PERSONALITY
Mills Carries Heovy
Committee Load

W1a AAAAW &.MAAANNAN ~ 0AA ANNANM@
pensible fact OF legislative life.
He personifies the often unap-
preciated degree 10 which Con-
gress depends on It's commit
tees.
At - he win be one Of the
youngest chairmen In that
committees i6e years. The late
Chairman Jere Cooper Of Ten
nessee died this week at 90.
Most Of his immediate prede-
cessors served in their T0s.
Long before Mr.. Mills had
much seniority or any apparent
chance Of reaching the chair
manship he constituted him.
self q sort Of one-man Personal
Preparedness Subcommittee. He
determined to learn thoroughly
as much as possible about as
many different things as he
could In that committees COM
plex field.
Gets wider Opportunity
He now has Q broader as well
more prominent opportunity to
demonstrate his Capitol gains.
The range and variety Of his
activities and information as
q member Of the Ways and
Means Committee and Of three
Senate-House joint committees
on economic and fiscal matters
sometimes astonish his col-
leagues. There viii be no sur
prise in the House II he
becomes q hitting" chairman
Of perhaps the most powerful
group in Congress.
An experienced hand with
gavels at subcommittee hear
ings. Mr.. Mills maintains o.
judicial demeanor and tenn
perament. 1t probably comes
easy because he Is Q lawyer
and q former judge in Arkansas.
But he also has an experienced
voice of oratorical proportions.
Within the last year he has
been increasingly In demand
as q speaker in many parts Of
the United States. And when-
ever thee time arises for him
to come to the aid of his party
in House floor debate he can
be counted on for well-chcsen
and well-delivered remarks.
Gets Heavy Role
In a legislative establishment
where so much Of the work and
study necessarily must be done
in committees, Mr.. Mills has
been generally regarded as es-
pecially effective In the role
Of committeeman. During the
coming session Of Congress he
and his associates on the as
member Ways and Means Com
mittee viii handle as many II
not more Of the major legisla-
tive programs than any other
House or Senate COMMITTEES.
Revenue-raising measures are
the committees prime concern.
Tax reduction dropped out of
the picture since missiles and
satellites threatened to send
the budget soaring. But 're-
vision" of the tax structure re-
mains wen within the commit
tees sphere for 1858.
In the committees orbit also
are such questions as whether
to keep alive the Reciprocal
Trade Agreements Act. expand
the Social Security System.
raise the national debt ceiling.
and continue for another year
the rates on corporate income
taxes and certain excise levies
and thus salvage IS billion for
the Treasury.
Handles Touchy Issue
Another task. occasionally
almost as troublesome polit-
ically. is the committees func-
ton as House COMMITTEES on
Committees. This entails the
power If not the glory Of desis-
mating House members for
committee places.
Mr.. Mills. a pipe smoker. Is
not addicted TO setting up
smoke screens on where he
stands. He Is described vari-
ously as Q conservative. liberal.
realist. internationalist. and q
practical as well as prudent.
public servant.
He opposes tax cuts now, but
insists that If reductions are
found to be possible they should
first benefit the lower-income
taxpayers. He vigo orously
fights against what he views
as dangerous and discrimina-
tory loopholes in the massive
1854 tax code revision. He
urges elimination Of many
otherwise popular and political
domestic projects and programs
to safeguard next years budg-
ct. He favors extension Of the
trade agreements program as
being more necessary than ever
TO contribute to world economic
stability and peace.
Marked fr Leadership
When Mr.. Mills came To
Congress in 1889 he went on
the House Banking and Cur
rency Committee and then ia
the Ways and Means Commit
tee. Even II he had not been
destined for the Ways and
Means Committee chairman
ship he has been looked upon
by many Of his House col
leagues as a legislator marked
for increasing positions Of re-
sponsibility and leadership.
In addition 10 his Ways and
Means Committee duties he Il
on the Joint Committee or
Internal Revenue Taxation Of
which Mr.. Cooper was chair
man. He serves on the Joint
Committee on Reduction oi