National introspection respecting tax reform was an obsession of the i960s, in the law reviews as elsewhere. This may be expected to continue and intensify during the I970s, however much the Tax Reform Act of I969 reminds us that even the most articulate academic anguish seldom solves questions of practical politics. Since who pays how much tax is one of the most practical of political issues, the views of academics about tax reform are not likely to be compelling. But in the hope that symposia like this one may contribute to the water that wears away the rock, let us consider yet again that aspect of tax reform which is concerned with tax incentives. First we must note that, notwithstanding the widespread criticism of tax incentives noted hereafter in these comments, Congress in the Tax Reform Act of I969 embarked on new adventures in the creation of such tax shelters. To catalogue a few, new depletion allowances for oil shalel and production from continental shelf areas2 were adopted. Accelerated depreciation, a device long favored by those having the political muscle to obtain it, has been extended to pollution control facilities3 and railroad rolling stock.4 Tax-free roll-over of investments in low-cost housing has also been authorized.5 When the use of tax incentives is blindly followed even in a "tax