Milford chronicle., 1958-12-19
Republicans Spending
Has DOused '59
Tax Cut Hope


President Eisenhower Monday
sketched out a 1859 legislative
program that may push federal
spending up to $50, 900, 100000.
With Eisenhower presiding, Re-
publican congressional leaders got
a briefing on legislative and budget
prospects at a White House con-
ference which ran through the day.
They came away figuring that
spending in the new budget will
go above the $4,000, ,OO0,0 esti-
mated for the present financial
year, which ends next June 80.
But they said Eisenhower is de-
termined to balance the budget if
possible and may do so-and chal-
lenge heavy spenders in Congress
to go along with balance.
This evidently would rule out
any tax cut as well as any big
boost in defense spending Many
members of Congress consider de-
fense allotments dangerously low.
For the current year, the Admin
istration has predicted that it will
run more than $12,O00,O0O 900 in
the red, because spending went up
and the business recession cut
revenues. Since there were no hints
of a tax increase, the Administra-
ton obviously is pegging its hopes
for budget balance to continued
pickup in business.
Vice President Nixon and seven
top RepTDlicans from Senate and
House sat in on the White House
session.
Cabinet memt ers and heads of
government agencies took turns
going over Administration pro-
grams in their particular fields.
On the discussion schedule were
such topics as civil rights and la
Dor legislation, farm and housing
problems, social security, water re-
sources development, postal rates,
foreign aid and national defense.
These topics and legislative pro-
pOsals touching on them will be
laid before the new Congress in
5isenhOWer's State of The Union
message next month His budget
message will spell out the finnac-
ing part.
The whole picture OF the program
and its financing was drawn in
what House Republican Leader
Joseph w. Martin, Jr., (Mass.)
called broad strokes. All those pres
ent agreed that no figures are final
att this point. including the one
for defense spending and the total
for the budget.
But Senator Styles Bridges (NH) i
chairman of the Senate Republican
Policy Committee, and others, too,
talked in terms of an $4,000, ,0O0,-
900 budget.
There was widespread agreement |
that the goal is to come as close as
possible to balanced budget.
II think they will submit a bal
anced budget" Bridges said. He
added that if a balance is upset or
a slight deficit increased, it will |
be on the shoulders of the wild
spenders in Congress, and there
are plenty of them"
Bridges didn't put any party la
bel on the spenders. There is a |
possibility that the Eisenhower |
program may run into trouble |
from both Democrats and Repub- |
licans whose ranks got an infus-
ion of new blood in the last cleo
ton.
In this connection, it might have |
been significant tina tMeade Alcorn,
national chairman, sat
in on the White House conference.
His presence was taken as evil
dence that the COP is interested |
in laying down a program that
would have popular appeal and |
restore some of the prestige the
party lost in the Nov. 4 balloting.
On the civil rights issue, one of |
the TOUGHEST problems likely to |
confront the incoming Congress,
those at the conference reported |
nothing definite has jelled in the
way of legislative proposals.
Rep Leo Allen CID said he
thought the emphasis probably
would be on perfecting laws now
in the books rather than bringing
in broad new proposals" on civil
rights.
Both Allen and Rep. Leslie Ar
ends Gid said Postmaster General |
Arthur Summerfield still wants to
raise the cost of mailing a letter
to five cents. Congress boosted the
rate to four cents last session, but
did so with reluctance.