Four days before November 8, Senator Kennedy
has finally come to realize that the domestic oil industry has its problems.
Yesterday in Wichita Falls, Tex., he announced
that if elected he and his running mate would meet to discuss oil "and
other Texas problems."
This promise of action to come ranks in quality
and substance with his promise to make a study of the oil and gas depletion
allowance.
It raises several questions
(1) When Kennedy and Lyndon get together,
will Chester Bowles and a copy of the Los Angeles platform be in the room?
For their platform promises a hard look at "tax loopholes," which it says
includes depletion allowances. And Mr. Bowles, who wrote that platform,
is on record in opposition to the depletion allowance of 27½ percent
for oil and gas.
(2) Will Kennedy and Johnson discuss measures
to cancel out the complete failure of the Congress, which their party has
controlled since 1954, to do one single thing to help keep out the imports
of foreign oil, which Mr. Kennedy now says have caused domestic oil production
to slip?
(3) Will they discuss means to keep the news
of their discussion on oil out of Kennedy's native New England?
(4) Will they crow over their cleverness in
not holding their summit conference before November 8 ?
The American people deserve answers to all
these questions within 24 hours.