OCR Text |
Show LOOKING trf AJfAD ; by GEORGE S. BENSON Vr'S Prtsldctt-MardiH ettltft V Starty. Arkaitsat I i iirm "MR. REPUBLICAN" SPEAKING WASHINGTON Senator Robert A. Taft has been drafted onto the Eisenhower governmental "team' and is rapidly becoming the President's Pres-ident's greatest asset in establishing establish-ing the new administration and getting it over its first big hurdles. This was evident as I visited with Senator Taft in his office on Capitol Capi-tol Hill. What did the Senator consider con-sider to be the most important message from Washington that I could carry to the American people peo-ple through the column, the Harding Hard-ing College Monthly Letter, the radio program and the other media of our National Education program? pro-gram? "An appeal for patience," he said. Then, with hard-hitting logic he backed the President on the widely debated question of whether tax cuts or a balanced budget should come first. "The important thing," he said, "is to reduce expenses, ex-penses, and I believe the administration admin-istration is going about this job with enthusiasm and good faith." Cutting Under Way vet the national debt mounted as a result of an unbalanced budget. States Policy "The Republicans never Pr0Is;; ed any reduction in taxes in 1953, he reminded me. "After I conferred confer-red with General Eisenhower m New York early in the campaign, my statement promised a balanced budget in 1953, and further reductions re-ductions in expenditures of iu billion, to a total of a $60-billion budget in the fiscal year 1955. I stated that I thought a tax reduction reduc-tion could be given in the beginning begin-ning of 1954 for the ensuing year, a substantial tax reduction of about 13 per cent. This is still my guess, although I hope there might be a still further reduction of expenditures." It is my opinion that once the Eisenhower team has "learned the ropes" in the various agencies and departments, Senator Taft's will be one of the most powerful voices in Washington for whittling the federal government down to proper pro-per size. But it will take time, he cautions. That's why he feels an appeal to the taxpayers for patience pa-tience is so important. "A year or so from now," he said, "the people may expect to see the tangible tang-ible results of our program and I predict that the administration will make real progress." Let us all hope the promise is fulfilled. now what the administration feels the expeditures will have to be for the fiscal year beginning July 1," said the Senator. "Then we can tell whether the budget will be balanced and whether a tax reduction re-duction is feasible." After 30 days in Washington, talking to Treasury Treas-ury Department officials, and key men in the Department of Defense, the Post Office Department,, the Agricultural Department, and several sev-eral others, I'm convinced that the new official family operating the federal government is going to drastically cut expenses. "Mr. Truman's budget called for the expenditure of $78 billion during dur-ing the year beginning July, 1953," Senator Taft noted. "Taxes will produce about $70 billion if they are not reduced, so that there is a deficit of $8 billion. Therefore, Mr. Truman's budget will have to be cut $8 billion before we even balance the budget or can justify any reduction in taxes." Man of Knowledge Then Senator from "Ohio, universally univer-sally respected for his integrity, , intellect, and both practical and theoretical knowledge of government, govern-ment, is assuming the role of a friend, confidant and advisor to the new President, the man he fought so sharply for the Repub- lican nomination at Chicago last July. It is characteristic of him to cast off personal feelings and work unselfishly for the nation and his party. And Senator Taft thinks that for the nation's .... good President Eisenhower is right in placing the first emphasis on a balanced budget. bud-get. In fact he himself advocated such a policy during the campaign and his insistense on it undoubtedly undoubted-ly was a factor in the President's decision. There could be no pern manent gain toward fiscal soundness sound-ness in Washington, Senator Taft contends, if taxes were cut and |