Show Tax ax Bill Is Rabbit Stew To Congressman Doughton By BAUKHAGE v N News Neus eus eu's Analyst and Commentator 4 WASHINGTON D. D C. C Another C.-Another Another rabbit stew has been served up tip to Rep Robert L. L Doughton of North Carolina and hes he's all ready for it Representative Doughton Daughton I might suggest if you dont don't know it t is not only the oldest member of the house of representatives 85 but likewise the oldest hand at handling tax measures He had to step down from the chairmanship of ot the ways and means I for the brief Republican interlude Now hes he's back at the old land sharpening the butcher knife again acain I I But to get back to rabbit stew slew i Last season when President Tru Tru- ir ian ri vetoed the second Knutson ti tax bill and and fired it il back at al n i congress a reporter s i i asked Doughton how r S he felt about it He leaned back and 4 I. I told a 0 story for hes he's fond of answering in parables l A Tarheel housewife housewife house house- housewife wife it seems served her husband rabbit stew every night for a week i When the second Saturday night came BAUKHAGE around a and n d the same old dish with wilh It ft the husband bowed his head as usual but instead of saying grace he lie was heard to mutter Rabbits rough Rabbits Rabbit's r tough Oh Lord Ive I've had bad rab- rab i i bit enough That opined Mr Doughton was the way he be felt about the tax bills But he has to help meet the bIggest biggest big bIg- gest peacetime budget ever submitted submitted sub sub- to a congress and hes he's ready for it In the 38 years that he has re represented represented rep rep- resented the state of ot North Carolina In the congress the habits of the dean of the octogenarians octogenarian's club in inthe inthe inthe the lower house have changed very little since the last time I explored them In some come detail more than a score of years ago He has earned a tremendous respect re- re from the men who work on fiscal matters in hi the house of representatives representatives representatives rep rep- where the money bills have bave to originate And because he has bas a theory of his own about collecting collecting collecting col col- col- col and spending the peoples people's money no bill blU cornel cornea out of his r k I V f jI JI r c vw IU-A IU r 1 1 1 k f H r r Oh Db Lord Ive I've bad hod rabbit enough looking very different than he wants it to look though it may not always suit all the other m members Doughton doesn't go so far as to say that fiscal legislation hould be partisan non but he does say lay it ought to be as provincial non and as pro national as possible His experience in collecting maney mono mon money ey that ought to be collected goes back 9 J long way One story involves a man he went to see about a horse two horse two horses tobe to tobe tobe be exact This man had bought boucht a team from Doughton the congressman congress man Than is till til a farmer in his own right though he has to spend more away awaT from home than he used to Later on the man wrote that L k he be didn't think the span was worth the h hr had agreed to pay and andi i wouldn't pay It it ft The deal had been o negotiated at a distance and the f principals h had d never met So one day Doughton dropped in at the farm and said he wanted to look over a good team tam The man showed several but none seemed to suit Mr Doughton U AH An An rl right ht It said the man I Ill shew show you the best pair you ever saw In you life i He lie brought out the horses recently recently re re- re- re acquit d f fro from r o m Mr Doughton but stin unpaid for And what might they be worth Well considerably ever I. I Mr Kir Doughton Introduced himi himself him him- i self and didn't live Ve much trouble Iron trou ble In collecting There Ther ts Is another reason why Doughton is a good man to have on the collecting end of a bargain bargain- If you arent aren't the debtor Hes He's ak a k farmer true but he is also a 0 b banker bank bank- L er ere and he works at both when he isn't in Washington He doesn't doesn keep bankers banker's hours however He HeI I goes goes to his office at am a.m. works throughout the day and he hes he's often often- back in tn the office after atter din din- ncr J He lives right across the plaza plaz I from the Capital fr For the first 45 years or so of hi hilife his r r life Mr Doughton held no elective i Ollice Office but be he managed to find time tim r for an active interest in his community com corn which Is deep in the thc Carolina Care Caro lina hills Laurel Spring N N. N C C. is still hl hi his home He was born on his parents parent's farm near there His father tather wounded in the war between the states died when he was a grown boy His mother was keenly active to her last hours interested in Ln the days day's mail mall and ond the daily dally newspaper to lo the last Inheriting some Borne land from his father the boy started off for himself himself him him- self gradually acquiring more until he ic became a n livestock raiser and farmer Then he entered business finally becoming president of a bank He has described himself as a horse trader There are many tales that lave have grown up about his bis astuteness that if embellished by repetition are not doubted by those who have watched his steady advancement in congress He entered under a Republican regime regime President President Taft's Tafts accepted Tatt's accepted minor committee appointments but jut rose rapidly to the position he holds today today chairman chairman of ot the powerful power ful fui ways and means committee One of the trader horse-trader stories he tells Is 15 this after disposing of some animals he had meant to sell he was made madea a very attractive offer for the horse he was riding riding his his own saddle horse Done he took the money turned over the bridle bridie put the saddle under his arm and walked back borne 70 miles says tradition under his own power I There doesn't seem to have been i any laid deep plan for a political career in the farmer boys boy's mind when he began life among the oxcarts oxcarts ox ox- carts and hand looms of ot those early days in the South following the war Nor yet when he had acquired his own acres and entered into the business life me of the community He was chosen a member of the state slate board oard of agriculture and served on the prison board Then one day It was decided to torun torun torun run him for tor the state senate senale He was elected and served for tor a term Congress was next but there was wasa a sort of unwritten law in his dis dis- that one term was all a man could expect for Republicans and Democrats had always swapped terms erms But Dou Doughton changed all that Or at least his constituents constituents constituents con con- did When he had served his term In the congress congress congress con con- gress Instead of or retiring him as bad had been the custom the voters sent him right back again and they have been doing it St ever since There isn't any question thai that Robert L. L Doughton likes his job jobIn jobin in n Washington But its it's equally true rue that when the session is over he ic likes to hie himself back to his Carolina hills bills and enjoy life there Around the capital he has the reputation as being as good a judge of men as he is of horses This year President Truman's TrumanE request for six billion dollars more moreIn moreIn morein in taxes including some social security withholding levies will get very careful scrutiny before it becomes law Meanwhile Doughton's Dough Dough- Doughton's tons ton's committee has to take care of the bill to extend reciprocal trade treaties Also studies will begin on the subject of extending social security benefits There is in addition the matter of certain revisions in the basic tax code But Representative Doughton Is used to lo rabbit stew slew f tl r V P I The biggest peacetime budget ever submitted to a congress has Its too R Rep p. p Ch Charles rles Halleck R. R Ind md former GOP majority majority major major- ity leader and Rep John Taber CR R. R N. N Y L former chairman of the house bouse appropriations committee committee com corn look grimly at the voluminous voluminous voluminous volu volu- minous budget promise a fierce fight to slash all spending proposals |