Show PRESIDENT ASKS BIG TAX BOOST WASHINGTON Nov 11 p- p P The house ways and means committee com com- Tuesday weighed a request from President Roosevelt for immediate immediate immediate im im- mediate action on a big anti- anti inflation tax program but members members mem mem- members bers seemed disposed to defer the problem until after the house acts on pending price control legislation legisla legisla- tion In private expressions of opinion opinion ion fon committeemen said that the price control measure was anti- anti inflationary in purpose and that the regulations it finally contains would help to decide what further precautions against inflation should go into a new tax bill If the committee formally adopts that attitude a delay of two weeks on the presidents president's appeal appeal appeal ap ap- ap- ap peal seemed likely The house will be occupied Wednesday and Thursday with consideration of senate changes in neutrality act revision legislation and the price control bill heads the calendar after that Urges Speed President Roosevelt appealed for speedy consideration of a tax program in a letter to Chairman Doughton D. D N. N C. C of the committee committee committee com com- which decides on all new revenue measures The committee commit commit- tee last week postponed consideration consideration consideration consider consider- of the treasury's proposed new tax program but Mr Roosevelt did not refer specifically to this set of The presidents president's letter and Doughton's reply were made public public pub pub- lic lie by the White House Monday night It seems clear Mr Roosevelt wrote that if we are to prevent a further sharp increase in the cost of living and in the cost of the defense program itself we must take immediate steps to absorb a large amount of purchasing power through additional taxes and in incidentally incidentally in- in to pay cash for greater part of our defense production Taxation Necessary It should be remembered he continued that taxation is a necessary necessary necessary essary complement of price control control control con con- legislation because the continuing continuing continuing con con- effectiveness of price control control control con con con- is largely dependent upon the restriction of the demand for goods Mr Roosevelt expressed the view that inflation in itself was wasa wasa wasa a most inequitable form of taxation taxation taxation taxa taxa- tion and said he very much feared that unless we start within within with with- in two or three months to withdraw withdraw withdraw with with- draw through taxes a larger part of the current national income an even greater part may evaporate through inflation and the upward spiral may gain such momentum that it will be difficult to regulate regulate regulate regu regu- late despite all efforts through price control and similar meas meas- ures Doughton in his reply agreed that the dangers of inflation must be of immediate concern to all of us but he added that the price control bill would require the full time and effort of the entire house membership for forthe forthe forthe the moment Action Deferred Speaking of shelving of the treasury program Doughton wrote that the committee last week temporarily deferred action on onit it and it-and and he underlined the words temporarily deferred This program which proposed a 15 per cent withholding tax on salaries and which would have made the effective tax rate about 22 per cent on average incomes was condemned by some commit commit- They asserted that it was offered in place of a proper price pric control bill On the senate side associates said Chairman George D. D Ga of the finance committee believed any major revenue legislation should be delayed until next year It was added however r that George was not averse to laying the committee groundwork for a anew anew anew new bill ill before Christmas |