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Show 4 l No Comment W , By James W. Douthat WASHINGTON The big issue in the annual foreign aid battle in Congress this winter will be: "How mucs more?" In contrast, the question for several years has been how much foreign aid would be cut by Congress. Hopes of economy-minded members of Congress for huge savings in foreign aid which would contribute to tax reduction have been dashed by the Suez crisis. Congress is certain to aid western European allies; in spite of frequent criticism of Britain and France, Congress believes the United States and western European nations must stick together. The danger In the situation the standpoint of Congressional economy leaders Is that necessities nec-essities growing out of the Suez crisis will be magnified Into a new global Marshall plan which would unduly penalize American taxpayers. Recognizing this danger. Secretary Secre-tary of the Treasury George Humphrey a vigilant watchdog watch-dog of the Treasury declares that the needs of western Europe Eu-rope as a result of the Suez crisis, cri-sis, have been greatly exaggerated. exagger-ated. He seeks to draw a line between common-sense aid and extravagant spending. Preliminary estimates indicate Administration recommendations for loans and grants which would increase last year's $3.8 billion foreign aid program to more than $5 billion. KEEPING DISTRIMINATORT EXCISE TAXES Retention of excise taxes which discriminate between various segments of Industry In-dustry is now being predicted by key Congressional tax leaders. The pre-season predictions, of course, are not necessarily accurate; ac-curate; a plurge in Treasury revenues, rev-enues, an economy spree by Congress, Con-gress, or pressure from back home could change the situation. But disappointment is voiced by spokesmen for numerous industries in-dustries who dislike to see excise tax discrimination continued var aftf vf tTnrtflr this condition, con-dition, some businesses find their products subject to heavy excise taxes while their competitors compe-titors escape them. On occasion in the last few years Congress has abolished or modified some ; distrlmlnatory taxes. But the approximate SI billion of excise and transportation transpor-tation levies war taxes scheduled sched-uled to end next April 1 have been extended repeatedly. Administration spokesmen oppose op-pose ending of these levies. Some suggestions have been made before be-fore the House Ways and Means Committee, investigating excise taxes, that the so-called temporary tempor-ary wartime increases be made permanent. And, thus, discrimination discrimin-ation may be made permanent. SUBSIDY TROUBLE The inevitable in-evitable squabbles which grow out of distribution of Federal Treasury subsidies anions other things the demands of politicians pol-iticians to expand them arc now appearing in connection with the soil-bank program. Designed as a temporary measure mea-sure to remove surpluses, and thus let normal economics become be-come effective, the soil-bank1 could easily be transformed into a farm welfare program. I One of the first protests over payments arose from Congressmen Congress-men from tobacco . growing states. They insist that payments be increased. Demands have appeared for an increase In the price support plan for corn, together with an increase in acreage allowances. New-Fair Deal Senators are clamoring for an Investigation of the soil-bank plan as administered adminis-tered by Secretary of Agriculture Agricul-ture Benson. Thus far Mr. Benson appears to have strong backing from the administration in his effort to remove farm surpluses, and to work toward a sound agricultural agricul-tural economy without drastic regimentation. |