Show I r v j 1 olo ol t I i i Washington Two Two actions of see sec tons lions of the congress lately deserve l more than o r d i- i Congress nary n a r y attention I I Makes Newt New One of these was probably as cou cou- courageous courageous of a position as any group senators ever has taken The other by faction action by majority of the house- house was shot through with the utmost cowardice and selfishness Lately a group of senators near- near neary Iy y all Democrats took their political lives in their hands and delivered to the senate a report from its judi- judi judiciary judiciary ciary committee advising defeat of President Roosevelt's proposal to odd add six new justices of his own choosing to the Supreme court of Ithe the United States i In my time in Washington I be- be believe believe lieve I can say without qualification tion there never has been a com com- committee committee committee action in the house or sen- sen senate late ate in which the President as the leader of the dominant party re- re received received such a castigation on a legis legis- legislative proposal as was given Mr I Roosevelt by Democrats who con- con constituted constituted constituted the majority of the senate Judiciary committee They did not mince words in any respect What What- Whatever Whatever Whatever ever may be the merit of Mr Roos- Roos levelt's Welts proposal to add six justices of lof his own choosing to the highest court the majority report of the Judiciary I committee left no stone unturned in disclosing objections to ithe the proposal as opponents of the court reorganization scheme see them Almost on the same day that senate Democrats were in effect breaking or revolting from the Pres- Pres Presidents Presidents President's ident's leadership the Democratic majority in the house killed off a proposal for new taxes in the Dis Dis- District District District of Columbia that would have Resulted resulted in taxing the salaries of representatives and senators and their office staffs They were brazen about it They were not going to vote an income tax upon them them- themselves themselves themselves selves and they made no effort to conceal their reasons for refusing to accept the recommendations of ofa a special tax subcommittee which was acting for the permanent com com- committee committee committee in the house of the District of Columbia The District of Columbia com com- committee committee committee examining the budget for forthe forthe forthe the seat of the federal government was confronted with a deficit in inthe inthe inthe the district finances and instructed its tax subcommittee to develop new sources of revenue in order that the District of Columbia might not get into debt Among the taxes pro pro- proposed proposed proposed posed was a tax on income of res res- residents residents residents of the District of Columbia which is synonymous with Wash Wash- Washington Washington Washington ington and it provided for taxing earnings here whether the person who earned the income was a resi resi- resident resident resident dent of the capital city or not That was too much The majority in fn the house of representatives just could not take it They voiced their objections openly and being superior supe supe- superior superior in m numbers to those who be be- believed believed believed that income in the District of Columbia should be taxed they forced the tax bill back to the District of Columbia committee for revision Indeed they went further The line of criticism of an income tax that would touch the sacred salaries I of congressmen and senators sen sen- senators senators was such as to have the effect of f forcing the committee to bring an in ID a tax bill that would increase the tax on property in the federal area Now it is a fact that few members of the house and a verv small number of senators have h bought residences in Washington They usually live in apartments or hotels or lease homes for the period that congress is in session Conse Conse- Consequently Consequently Consequently a real estate tax will not concern most of the representatives and senators The indictment t brought against the Presidents President's court plan by the senate s en ate judiciary Court Plan Plan committee was Report quite unusual in inmany i f n many respects In the first instance it was ap ap- approximately ap- ap approximately proximately fifteen thousand words in length being in that regard probably probably probably ably the longest and most com com- comprehensive comprehensive comprehensive analysis that any congressional con con- congressional congressional gressional committee ever has made of a piece of legislation Certainly Certainly it is the most extensive examination ex ex- examination examination to be included in a com corn committee committee report in the last quarter of ofa ofa ofa a century argument advanced by the administration in support of the plan was picked to pieces and held up to public gaze every possible reason for expansion of the cour court by the addition of six new justices was was scrutinized and denounced and then the committee put forth some of its own ideas It HIt applies force to t the judiciary the committee said in a sentence that that constituted one paragraph am and thereby was emphasized The only argument for the in in- increase increase crease crease rease which survives analysis th the report added is that congress should enlarge the court so as t to tomake make the policies of this L tion ion effective The bill was found by the seven Democrats and three Republicans who constituted a majority of the senate judiciary committee to bea be bea bea a a needless futile and utterly dan dan- dangerous dangerous dangerous abandonment of constitution constitution- constitutional al principle It charged that the American system of independence ence of the courts would be violated and that if the bill were to be en en- enacted enacted enacted acted into law political control over the judiciary branch of the government would pass into the hands lands of the President With the presentation of this ter- ter terrific terrific attack on the bill to the senate a second unusual circumstance de- de eloped Those Democrats who were vere opposed to the Presidents President's proposal decided to go about the job I of f fighting the measure on the floor floorn in n a manner seldom seen in hi the congress These opponents from the Democratic ranks got together and I chose hose Senator Wheeler of Montana as s leader of the Democratic opposition to the Democratic Presidents President's Presidents President's I dents dent's court revision program They I gave ave him full authority to act in- in inI including including I luding the selection of a steering i committee ommittee a committee on strat- strat strategy egy gy to aid him strat-I strat Thus in hi the senate now we have three iree major leaders Senator Wheel- Wheel Wheeler er r will speak for the court opposition opposition tion ion Senator Robinson of Arkansas as s the leader of the Democratic party arty in the senate will lead the fight ight for passage of the court bill and nd Senator McNary of Oregon will head lead up the Republicans as usual Since ince all of the Republicans and Independents excepting only Senator La Follette Progressive of Wis- Wis Wisconsin Wisconsin I are arc opposed to the court revision plan Senator McNary and Senator Wheeler are working hand handin in n glove against the regular Demo- Demo Democratic Democratic cratic up line-up headed by Senator Robinson I It appears that the President is going to be badly defeated on this piece of legislation but it is too early arly to be sure Mr Roosevelt is isa a powerful figure and he has political political cal al knowledge that must be de- de described described scribed as as' remarkable He has with him lim in the senate some exceedingly able political strategists It is thus thusa a battle of wits Mr Roosevelt has said several times imes that he will accept no com- com promises There is a very definite feeling eeling at the Capitol however that the he President will be glad to have havea a compromise if he can get one and save the bill from complete wreckage On the other hand Sen Sen- Senator Senator Senator ator Wheeler and his strategy committee have announced in no uncertain terms that they will de- de defeat defeat feat eat the bill or any compromise that thatIs thatis is s offered Time alone can answer the he question of what will come out of f the Presidents President's proposal At this writing the odds certainly are against the President on the proposition Speaking of taxes and the selfish selfish- selfishness selfishness selfishness ness that was evident in the house action as men- men Want Hunt 11 tint Tax lax T ax earlier Evaders E ers calls to mind the investigation by b y the he joint house and senate committee com com- committee committee that is now under way This committee made up of five representatives representatives sen and five senators has be be- begun begun begun gun a search to find out how tax- tax taxpayers payers ayers payers avoid taxes or reduce the amounts they would otherwise have to o pay by various trick schemes The committee has been given fifty thousand dollars with which to tomake tomake tomake make the investigation and it is re- re able assistance from Under UnderSecretary UnderSecretary UnderSecretary Secretary Roswell Magill and other Treasury experts on taxation I Contrary to the outlook when Mr Roosevelt released a vicious attack attach on tax dodgers and tax this committee is getting down to real business and there is every reason to believe it will be able to Lo recommend to congress changes in the law that will stop some of the schemes and tricks to which large taxpayers have resorted I have sat in on a number of the hearings thus far including the opening session when Secretary made the opening state state- statement statement statement ment and disclosed to the satisfaction satisfaction satisfaction tion of everyone that he was not conversant with the problem at hand Like the President Mr Mor Mor- attempted to place the tax problem confronting the govern govern- government government government ment on moral grounds His state state- statement statement statement ment did not click with u n the com- com or ex ex- exceptions exceptions exceptions the committee members recognized the problem as purely a question of law and Senator Pat Harrison Democrat of Mississippi vice chairman said that there was no point in making the investigation a ua Roman holiday Therefore the thing settled down very quickly to toan toan toan an earnest study of cases where men have resorted to various kinds of subterfuges of law to reduce their tax x liability In this connection it seemed to tome tome tome me that too much credit cannot be given Under Secretary Magill who apparently is anxious to get to the bottom of the problem Q e 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