Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-06-25
HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COM.
MlTTEE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY
FOR ITS REPEAL.
BOTH PARTIES SEEK RELIEF
Huge Sum Must Be Raised by Vari-
GUS Methods, but Congress Intends
% Make the Burden as Light as
Possible.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.

i III tHe war revenue bill. Unanimity
had it as Republican and Democratic
members of the committee vociferously
voted AYE"
/ IL Is the rarest kind of a thing to
secure unanImity in voting in a house
committee, let alone securing it In the
house Itself. Patriotic Americans re-
member with chagrin and shame that
even the war resolutions received
some adverse votes. cast by men who
did not think the rights of their coun-
try were worth unfolding. BY way of
diversion 1t may be said that some Of
these unpatriotic voters still hold office
In congress.
1t seems probable that unanimity in
voting will break records during the
present session of congress. Both
parties seem determined to get rid Of
| certain forms of taxation which weigh
heavily on the purse of the individuals.
OF course ii may be necessary to d.
vert the taxes so that they may be
raised by other methods but with the
rapidly decreasing expenses of gov
eminent It appears to be likely that
many levies now can be eliminated and
no requirements made.
Much Revenue Must Be Raised.
The United States government has
n big war debt. Congress is now study
ing out ways and means Of financing
| It, 1t is probable that shortly an at
tempt will be made to put in several
defnltlve measures, one Of which may
be adequate when enacted into law
to meet the financial situation. The
| leaders of the house are studying va
rious plans, some Of them of Repub-
lican and some Of them of Democratic
| origin. In questions of finance mem
bers of a majority party in congress
are not averse to consulting members
of the minority, for good financial
heads in the United States admittedly
are so few that no chance to get So
luton of monetary problem Is let
| slip.
1t was not many years ago that in
terms purpOsely exaggerated q member
| Of congress. sneering at the opposition
party. said that unless they took care
they would make billion dollar cor
| gress of IL. That remark was taken
ms the height Of exaggeration ard of
absurdity, but not many years went by
| before the country not only had bill
| lion dollar congresses, but billion dol
lar sessions, and this was In the days
OF peace.
Just how long it IS going to take to
| off I,A lnh nf
course. can determine. The best that
the legislators can do is to guess at 1t.
It has been said that perhaps 1t can
be reduced at the rate OF a billion dol
lars a year, but this to most Of the
legislators apparently seems impossi-
BILE, unless the intention is to levy high
or taxes than perhaps is justiflable.
The United States owes about $30,000.-
100000
Within few days II has been esti-
mated that II may be possible to keep
| the actua. expenses of the United
States government at figure little
below $3,000,000000 a year. If this
can be done it may be. legislators
think. that the debt incurred by the
war can be paid off at billion dol
lar rate annually. but 1t is admitted
that the governments expenses are
likely to run higher than the eSti-
mate.
congressman Not Lazy.
Whatever else may be said By the
fiippant, the caustic and the critical
generally about members of congress
no man rightly can charge the indivld-
uals of that body with laziness. Oh
course there is an occasional lazy man
in congress, as there Is In every ether
vocation In life. but IL a congressman
wants to keep his seat he has to work
| Americans who think OF their con
gressmen as men who come to Wash
ington to sit in the senate or the house
for four or five hours each day discuss
ing carefully the affairs of state, then
TO so home to the family flreside &c
dine. thence to the theater and thence
to bed for roseate dreams, have not
visualized the situation with a frac
tlonal part of correctness.
The smallest part of the work which
q national legislator does is performed
on the floor of the house TO which he
happens TO belong. The solid truth Is
that large part OF the actual business
of the house and senate is carried or
in the absence Of quorums. Leader,
of both parties are left on guard. and
If anything is going TO break member:
instantly are summoned to their task;
of duty; but more than one-half of the
time the members of the two house:
are in their Office rooms working either
I'm behalf of their local constituents OF
In behalf of measures intended to af
feet the entire constituent body Of tbs
United States.
Live Member Has Lots to Do.
The day Of a member of the houS'
who halls from a live. up-to-date dis