PAGE EIGHT IECTIOH TWO The National Outlook The Fight On The Budget j By Ralph Robey } We are in the midst of a real | political war on the federal bud get. On one side are most of the Southern conservative Dem ocrats and a majority of the Republicans. On the other side are New Deal Democrats and the remaining Republicans. The most recent important de velopment is the report of the staff of the Joint Committee on Internal Revenue Taxation. It is significant because this staff, of which Mr. Colin Stam is chief has an extraordinarily good rec ord for estimating revenue re ceipts. Further, this staff does not play party politics, and, in sofar as its reports are concern ed, does not have an ideological I slant. When it says that a defi cit is pending therefore, its voice carries real weight, and in the current report that is exact- i ly what it says. The staff arrived at this con clusion by differing with the budge* estimates submitted by the President in January. These differences, with all amounts in millions, are as follows: Individual Income taxes down $1,300 corporation Income taxes up 177 excises down 841 estate and gilt taxes down 30 f employment taxes up 190 1 customs up 321 miscellaneous receipts down 104 j net difference down $1,876 This staff also assumes that transfers to old-age and surviv ors insurance and disability trust funds will be $lB4 mil lion more than the budget esti mate; that transfers to the high way trust fund will be $6Bl mil lion less than estimated in the budget; and, that refunds of re ceipts will be $29 million less than listed in the budget. Putting all of these items to gether, the net result is that the Federal Government will have $1 ,350 million less than antici pated in January. Back of these differences are certain assumptions. First, that present corporate tax rates will be continued, which also was as sumed in the budget estimates. Second, that recommended in- j crease in gasoline taxes from 3 to 4Ms cents a gallon will not be I