The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1919-12-13

gu ny the particular committee CT con
gress charged with budget legislation
trust that the congress will give
It's immediate consideration to the
problem OF future taxation. Simplifi-
cation OF the income and profits taxes
mas become an immediate necessity.
/ Ihey must, however be simplified, not
only to save the taxpayers inconveni
/ ence and expense, but in order that
his liability may be made certain and
definite
With reference to the details OF the
revenue laws. the secretary of the
treasury and the commissioner of in
ternal revenue will lay before you for
your consideration certain amend
ments necessary or desirable in con-
nection with the administration of the
law recommendations which have my
approval and support.
There are other matters of import
ance upon which | urged action at the
last session of congress which are still
pressing for solution. | am sure it is
not necessary for me to again remind
you that there is one immediate and
very practicable solution resulting
| from the war which we should meet
IN the most liberal spirit It is mat
ter of recognition and relief to our
soldiers. ! can do no better than
quote from my last message urging
this very action: We must see to
II that our returning soldiers are as
sisted in every practicable way to find
the places for which they are fitted in
the daily work of the country This
NV iv,
tanning upon an adequate scale the adj
mirable organization created by the
department OF labor for placing men
seeking work and it can also be done
In at least one very great field by Gre
atipg new opportunities for individual
enterprise.
The secretary of the interior has
pointed out the way by which return
ing soldiers may be helped to find and
take up land in the hitherto unde-
velOped regions of the country which
the federal government has already
prepared or can readily prepare for
cultivation and also on many of the
cutover OF neglected areas which lie
within the limits of the older states
and ! once more take the liberty of
recommending very urgently that his
plans shall receive immediate and sub
stantial support of congress.
'No one who has observed the
march Of events Of the last year can
fail to note the absolute need of
definite program to bring about an
Improvement in the condition of la
Dor There can be no settled condi-
tions leading to increased production
and reduction in the cost of living II
labor and capital are to be antago-
nistic instead of partners. Sound
thinking and an honest desire to serve
the interests of the whole nation as
distinguished from the interests of a
class must be applied to the solution
of this great and pressing problem.
The failure of other nations to consid-
err this matter in vigorous way has
produced bitterness and jealousies and
antagonisms, the food of radicalism.
The only way to keep men from agi-
tating against grievances is to remove
the grievances. An unwillingness
even today to discuss these matters
produces only dissatisfaction and gives
comfort to the extreme elements in
cur country which endeavor to stir up
disturbances in order to provoke gov
ernments to embark upon course OF
retaliation and repression. The seed
of revolution is repression. The rem
edy for these things must not be mega
tive in character 1t must be con-
structive. 1t must comprehend the
general interest. The real antidote for
the unrest which manifests itself is
not suppression. but deep cOnsidera-
ton of the wrongs that beset our ma
tional life and the application of a
remedy.
Congress has already shown it's will
ingness to deal with these industrial
wrongs by establishing the eight-hour
day as the standard in every field of
labor 1t has sought to find a way TO
prevent child labor. 1t has served the
whole country by leading the way in
developing the means OF preserving
and safeguarding the lives and health
in dangerous industries. 1t must now
help in the difficult task OF finding a
method that will bring about genu-
inc characterization of industry, based
upon the full recognition of the right
of those who work in every rank to
participate in some organic way in
every decision which directly affects
their welfare II is with this pur-
pose in mind that I called a confer
ence to meet in Washington on Deem
Der / to consider these problems in
all their broad aspects, with the idea
of bringing about better understand
ing between these two interests.
This is the hour of test and trial
for America BY her prowess and
strength and the indomitable courage
of her soldiers she demonstrated her
power to vindicate on foreign battle
fields her conceptions of liberty and
Justice. Let not her influence as a
mediator between capital and labor be |
weakened and her own failure to set |
tie matters of purely domestic concern |
be proclaimed to the world.
There are those in this country who /
threaten direct action to force their |
will upon a majority.
Russia today, with its blood and /
terror, is a painful object lesson OF the
power of minorities. 1t makes little /
difference what minority it is; wheth-
Or capital or labor, or any other class;
no sort of privilege will ever be per-
mitted to dominate this country. We
are a partnership or nothing that is
worth while. We are a democracy. I
where the majority are the masters.
or all the hopes and purposes OF the
men who founded this government
have been defeated and forgotten.
ain America there is but one way