The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-12-16
HOUSE LEADER
URGES THRIFT
IN EXPENSES
Representative Mondell Rec
ommends Rigid Economy
in Government Appropria-
tions-Asks Reductions.
.RAPS INCONSISTENCY
(By Associated Press)


WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.-Urging
rigid economy" in appropriations for
government expenses during the next
fiscal year in order to tighten the tax
burden, Representative Monrell, of
Wyoming, Republican leader declared
in the house today that the total est
mate of s4,653, SOC, 900 submitted by the
secretary of the treasury should be
reduced by approximately s1,400.O0O.-
900.
This reduction he said, must be ef
fected chiefly by a drastic scaling
down in estimates for the army and
navy and also for sundry civil ex-
penses, the total of which, he pointed
out. exceeded current appropriations
by more than s914,OO0,O00.
Criticising the administration for
the "unfathomable Inconsistency" in
the estimates submitted to congress
and the pleas for economy made by
the president and the secretary of
the treasury" Mr.. Mondell declared he
would leave it to others to properly
characterize these estimates"
Demands Reduction.
1.-TWO years after the war" the Re-
publican leader added, when the
world outside our borders is largely
bankrupt and everybody is praying for
reduction of ornaments, the admins
tration asks for an appropriation of
more than $1,414, ,00O, 900 for the army,
navy and Notifications, or five and a
half times the highest peace-time ap-
preparation Of 1916"
p0intinu ont that current deficiaD-
cies were not included in this total,
Mr.. Mondell declared these may be
swollen Indefinitely" If the war de-
partment continued it's policy of re-
cruiting the army up to full strength,
contrary to the understanding he said
that it should not be increased above
the total of 17S,000 men contemplated
by the appropriations"
Urges Action
Declaring this action was 'in entire
harmony with the attitude which the
war and some other departments had
assumed toward congress in this ad-
ministration," Mr.. Mondell said il
had become the duty of congress to
take action that would prevent such
squandering of the peoples money by
creating deficiencies in violation Of
law"
Asserting that If the economy in ap-
propriations advocated by him was
carried out the tax burden for the
calendar year 1921 might be "substan-
TALLY lightened". Mr.. Mondell said he
believed continuation of a tax pro-
gram to raise minimum revenue of
$4,000, 100000 for two years, as rec
commended by the secretary of the
treasury, was "unjustified" 1t is not
justified, he added, even for one
year..
Opposes Houston.
The Republican leader said he was
opposed to Secretary Houston's plan
for retiring with current revenues
try's floating and bonded war debt in
Guiding half billion of Victory notes,
by January 80, 1923, as placing an ''un-
necessary burden upon the people and
business"
With A per cent of the net cost of
the war excluding foreign loans al
ready paid, he said, it was unnecessary
to keep up war rates of taxation for
the purpose of reducing the public
debt at a rate greatly in excess of the
sinking fund rate applied to the en-
tire debt"
by the end of the fiscal year." Mr..
Mondell added. I'VE shall have reach
ed point in the reduction of our war
debt where further reductions except
through the sinking fund operations
should not continue to impose war
time burdens"
While he favored repeal of the ex-
cess profits tax and reduction of the
higher income taxes, Mr.. Mondell said
he thought it unnecessary at this time
to consider alternative revenue pro-
visions because mo one can tell what
; increased revenues may result from
the passage of tariff bill along pro-
tective lines"