Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-25
SPECIAL SESSION
OF CO|NGRESSNNT
! SPRING LOOMS UP
important Matters to Be
Taken Up Regardless OF
Election Result.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


MARION, Ohio. July 24.-An extra
session Of Congress in the spring OF
1921 appears certain beyond doubt
in the light OF the speech of Senator
Harding accepting the republican
nomination. Representative Bascom
Slemp of Virginia, in a telegram OF
congratulations to Senator Harding
upon his speech. mentions an extra
session as q necessity.
The republican nominee laid down
a program in his speech which can
not be possibly carried out in the
short session of Congress which be-
gins the first Monday in December and
closes at noon March 4. particularly
with a democratic chief executive In
the White House until the latter date.
On the other hand, should Gov. Cox,
the democratic nominee be elected, an
extra session of Congress will be in
evitable. The short time in the next
regular session would hardly suffice
for the passage of the regular annual
appropriation bills. 1t is inconceiv-
able, according to leaders here, that
the establishment Of peace and the
final negotiations and ratification OF
the peace treaties will be possible at
the short session.
Pressure VIII He Brought.
Great pressure will be brought to
bear upon both Congress and the
executive to wind up the war and
put this country back on peace
basis at the earliest moment possible
If the republicans win in the coming
national elections. undoubtedly 1t will
be construed as the answer of the
people on the league of nations pro-
posal. Such an answer might be re-
garded by the democrats, and they
might refuse longer to block peace
on the terms suggested by a repuo-
lican Congress, but this is highly
pro blematical.
Aside from the question of the es-
Establishment of peace there are many
important matters that new Con-
gress, particularly if it be repub-
IIican Congress. must deal with. With
the republicans in power, undoubt-
eddy the tariff laws will be revised,
and a return made to 2 protective
tariff instead of a tariff for revenue
only, as written by the democrats.
But few, if any. of the republican
leaders believe there will be return
to the very high tariffs which ex-
listed under, for instance, the Payne
Aldrich tariff law, the last one writ
ten by the republicans. which had
fatal affect upon the party in the
congressional elections of 1910.
Harding Pledges Revision.
Senator Harding pledged himself
and the party to a revision OF the
present federal tax laws. too. In
this, at least to the extent that there
must be a revision of the tax laws.
Gov Cox agrees. There will be an
attempt to eliminate the excess
profits tax as it now stands. no matter
which party is successful But it is
clear the income taxes and surfaxes
upon the larger incomes will be con-
tinued. There will be attempts on the
part of the republicans to enact much
Of the legislation proposed for peace
readjustment, in an extra session
Among the subjects which probably
will be tackled are a national budget
system provided this matter is not
cleaned up in the coming regular SEES
sion; preparedness for national de-
tense, immigration with restrictions to
guard against the flooding OF the
country with aliens. child iapor Iegis.
lation, federal legislation against
lynching federal aid in the housing
problem, financial legislation.
That part of Senator Hardings ad-
dress in which he declared that the
federal government should make its
liberty and victory bonds worth all
that the citizens paid for them was
hailed with vociferous applause on
Thursday. This is a matter which
touches millions of Americans closely
today There will be a strenuous de-
mand undoubtedly for some kind OF
ofi h0
part of the government looking to the
deflation of credits and currency
which will make the bonds worth ap-
proximately what was paid for them
and which will restore in a measure
the purchasing value of the dollar.