VETO RESENTED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24827, 25 February 1944, Page 3

VETO RESENTED

STIR IN CONGRESS PRESIDENT'S ACTION OBJECTION TO DICTATION (Reed. 8.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, Feb. 23 • President Roosevelt yesterday vetoed the 2,315,000,000-dollar tax ' bill, which he said was filled with "indefensible special privileges to favoured groups." He also demanded, states a Washington message, the doubling of the 1 per cent social security tax, and suggested the immediate simplification of the Federal tax laws. Saying that the bill, which purported to increase the national revenue by 2,000,000,000 dollars, would actually enhance the Treasury by less than 1.000,000,0000 dollars, Mr. Roosevelt added: "It is not a tax bill, but a tax relief bill, providing relief not for the needy but for the greedy." Barbed Criticism The Washington correspondent of the New York Times states that political party lines vanished in Congress as members, stung deeply by Air. Roosevelt's barbs in his sharp veto message, retorted hotly with counter-charges giving promise of reaching far into the coming Presidential election campaign. Mr. Roosevelt was accused from the floor of the committee room and from the corridor of waging deliberate war upon the legislative branch of the Government with an action that did not make sense and with arguments that were more political than economic. Senator Allien W. Barkley (Democrat —Kentucky) has resigned as Democrat leader of the Senate as a protest against the veto, which he denounced as "a deliberate and calculated assault upon the honesty and integrity of Congressmen." Senator Bark ley urged the Senate to override the veto. Unjustifiable Calculations In a dramatic address to the Senate Mr. Bark ley said: "The President has resorted to one of the most unjustifiable calculations possible in order to make the tax bill's yield appear lower than it actually was." He recalled that Mr, Roosevelt's veto message referred to persons in public life who wanted even higher taxes than the President. ■ "This was obviously a reference to Air. Wendell Willkie. who darts across the skies like a cornet, illuminating the heavens with an array of figures nobody can understand," Mr. Barkley continued. "Perhaps this celestial nomad frightened the President into asking for a higher figure." Annoyed Senator Shouting angrily. Air. Barkley said: * "'I his is the first time iti my long service that I have been accused of voting for a bill extending relief to the greedy and impoverishing the needy. Other members may do as they please^,but I do not propose to take this unjustifiable assault lying down. If the Congress has any self-respect left it will override the veto and enact the tax bill into law."

applause swept both sides of the Chamber. Many Senators, including Democrats, rushed over and shook Air. Barkley's hand. Air. Robert Doughton (Democrat — Laurel Springs), chairman of the Ways and Aleans Committee of the House of Representatives, later urged the House of Representatives to override the' Presidential veto, saying that Air. Roosevelt sought to usurp the right of Congress to decide what shall go into the revenue bill. "He told us in effect to accept his dictation or abdicate our responsibility. That is where I part company with the President of the United States." Mr. Roosevelt's Letter to Leader Mr. Roosevelt has urged Air. Barkley not to resign as leader of the Senate. He has telegraphed Mr. Barkley as follows: "I regret to learn from your speech in the Senate that you thought I attacked the integrity of yourself and other members of Congress. Such, vou must know, was not my intention. You and 1 may differ, and have differed, on important measures, but that does not mean that we question one another's good faith. In working together to achieve common objectives, we have always tried to accommodate our views so a.s not to offend the other whenever we could conscientiously do so. Neither can expect the other to go further. Wording of Veto Message "When last Alonday I read to you portions of my tax message, and you indicated disagreement, I made certain changes as a result of our talk. You did not, however, try to alter the basic decision when you realised how strongly I. felt, while I did not realise how verv strongly you felt. _ Had I known. I should not have tried to dissaude you from exercising your own judgment in urging the over-riding of the veto. "I sincerely hope you will not persist in your intention to resign as majority leader in the Seriate. If you do, I hope your colleagues will not accept your resignation, but if they do I sincerely hope they will immediately unanimously re-elect you. Inevitable Differences "With many serious problems daily confronting us, it is inevitable at times that you should differ with your colleagues and differ with me. I am sure your differing with your colleagues does not lessen their confidence in vou as leader. "Certainly your differing with me does not affect my confidence in your leadership, nor in any degree lessen my respect and affection for vou personally." The significance of Air. Barkley's resignation obviously far transcends the immediate question of the merits of the legislation involved, says the Xew York Herald-Tribune in an editorial. The cleavage is far too deep to be repaired by any eleventh hour repentance by the President, however abject. President out of Touch Two theories have been advanced to explain the growing rift between the President and Congress. One is that President Roosevelt, like President Wilson. has become so immersed in world affairs that he has lost touch with public opinion at home. The other is that he has embarked upon n deliberate campaign to discredit the legislative branch as part of his fourth term campaign. The New York Times, in a leader, says the tone even more than the fact of President Roosevelt's veto of the 1 ns Bill precipitated the crisis in the relations between the President and congress. The intemperate language of the veto was an obvious blunder 1 he President in his telegram to Mr park lev niseiv recognised how essentiai it i» tor the sake of collaboration with the legislative branch to repair that blunder.