The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-04-20
Congress May Vote 1t For
Political Purposes, But
He Would Kill 1t
SOME IMPROVEMENT
ECONOMICALLY
No Immediate Readustment Is Expect
ed-Congress Fears Attacking Some
Government Expenses Consumers
Should Economic.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright by The Reformer.)

WASHINGTON, April 20.-Economic
conditions i'll the United States, includ-
ing the whole range of factors from the
high cost of living to the unrest in the
ranks of labor and the tremendous fnan-
cial burdens left by the war, are showing
a distinct tendency toward Improvement
They are not changing rapidly, but such
changes as have been noted are for the
better.
| This, in substance, is the underlying
| thought of the responses that have been
given the writer in the inquiry Just com
pleted among officials of different |
branches of the government as to the |
business outlook in the United States. !
The railway strike served to crystalline |
opinion. There seems unanimous agree
ment that while mischieyous persons
have taken advantage of labor troubles
TO interject their own ambitions and
doctrines, the outlaw strike was but an
other manifestation of the economic
troubles brought by the war
Searching beneath the surface, con-
| sentative and thoughtful men in the gov
ernment find much that ails America
all sorts of ills that follow in the wake
OF war. And where political promise and
partisan defense is not involved but the
viewpoint Is broad, there is an admission
that time alone can bring relief-that an
immediate reimbursement cannot be ex-
pected America, as one member of the
cabinet expressed it, thought the price
of human liberty was worth paying and
she is now suffering the pain and feeling
the effects of her sacrifices i'll the war
Both in congress and in the executive
branch of the government, there Is u rec
ignition of and respect for facts. Con-
gress is wrestling in vain with heavy gov
crnmental expenditures, some of them
inherited from the war and some of them
too delicate to be cut out because of the
fears of political disaster that may at
tend the party that performs the surgical
operation.
All sides seem to be agreed that the
United States is carrying a heavy burden
OF financial credits and that to strain the
load with bonus to the ex-soldiers
would be to impose a weight that might
bring crash in the status of our credits,
but on the other hand the votes of the
soldiers cannot be ignored by ever so
many members of congress- Therefore
the treasury department is watching al
most with bated breath to see what con.
eress will do. And it goes without say
ing that President Wilson will probably
veto the measure if congress doesn't see
fit to kill it.
For of one thing the public may rest
n assured-the financial situation of the
? nlted States has given folks at the
executive end of the avenue in Washing
ton many worrisOme days and slecpless
nights. If the truth be known, the Repub
lican leaders of congress and the Demo
cratic members of the executive depart
ments have been working more closely
in harmony on this phase of government
than anything else this political year
They can't help it. Neither side wants
the responsibility for the prolongatof
of irksome conditions. Each side would
like to reduce taxes, but knows it cant
be done this year and possibly not next
f year. Certainly if the soldier bonus goe,
through, the prospect is considered ever
more remote for relief from taxation
After having struggled hard to reduce
the cost of government by billion dol
lars men like Republican Leader Mondel
don't fancy the idea of putting out an
other billion dollars in credit obligation
to the ex-s0ldiers.
vocated in order that expenditures ma,
be still further reduced, the pressur
i from the various parts of the country af
fected by diminished appropriations is 81
3 strong that men in the government hard
~ know where to begin lest they be en-
veloped i'll a whirlpool of political eur
rents that will sweep them out of Office
Perhaps the most common thought on
~ finds throughout the government, and es
- pecially in the treasury department, /
, one of criticism of the American peopl
& for their unlimited expenditures o
a luXuries. Extravaganza is the mainsprin
! of the high cost of living Profteerin
is condemned, but conservative minds d
not attribute all Americas woes t
> protiteers. Prosecution is always urge
s but is considered futile without the &C
q operation of the purchasing individual
d who must refrain from buying frol
y profiteers. Sings of economy and thrIi
are beginning, however, to appear.
D Broadly speaking, it is felt here tina
> the peak in prices has been reached an
that the tendency of The average Amer
a can to refuse to pay the prices bein
y asked. of him is the first and necessar
step in the mental process that make
a economy. ANY one who buys suit c
y clothes, a pair of shoes. any otht
& item of apparel, or builds house {
motors single mile that isn't absolutel
necessary does that much to keep up th
s high cost of living. That's one princip
q which is being emphasized. Every stat
y city, or town that issues bonds for a sill
. gle improvement that isn't essential sin
4 ply adds that much more weight to tt
d credit system of the country. So long &
9 America consumes in money more tina
& is produced, so long as America is buyin
a less from Europe than she is selling al
= foreign exchange is thereby deranged, $