Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-12-09
TEXT OF WILSON'S
LAST MESSAGE TO
THE IS CONGRESS
Continued from Page ~

these maturities. Sound policy
demands that government expen-
ditures be reduced to the low
est amount which will permit the
various services to operate effi-
GENTLY and that government re-
ceipts from taxes and salvage be
maintained sufficiently high to
provide for current require
ments, including interest and
sinking fund charges on the
public debt, and at the same
time retire the floating debt and
part of the Victory loan before
maturity. With rigid economy,
vigorous salvage operations and
adequate revenues from taxa
ton, a surplus of current re-
ceipts over current expenditures
can be realized and should be
applied to the floating debt. All
branches of the government
should cooperate to see that
this program is realized.
Revision of Tax Laws
I cannot overemphasize the ne
cessity of economy in govern
ment appropriations and expendi-
lures and the avoidance by the
congress of practices which take
money from the treasury by in
definite or revolving fund appro-
priations. The estimates for the
present year show that over a
billion dollars of expenditures
were authorized by the last con-
gress in addition to the amounts
statements of appropriations.
This strikingly illustrates the
Importance of making direct
and specific appropriations.
The relation between the cur
rent receipts and current eXpen-
ditures of the government dur
ing the present fiscal year, as
we'll as during the last half of
the last fiscal year. has been dis
turbed by the extraordinary bur-
dens thrown upon the treasury
by the transportation act. in con-
nection with the return of the
railroads to private control. Over
100000, 900 has already been paid
to the railroads under this act
$350,000,000 during the present
fiscal year; and it is estimated
that further payments aggregat-
ing possibly $3.50, 100000 must
still be made to the railroads dur
, ing the current year. 1t is OBJ
vious that these large payments
have already seriously limited
the government ) III
firing the floating debt.
Closely connected with this, it
seems to me, is the necessity for
the revision Of our tax laws.
Simplification of the income and
profits taxes has become an i'm
mediate necessity. These taxes
performed an Indispensable serv-s
ice during the war. The need for
their simplification, however, is
very great, in order to save the
tax payer Inconvenience and eX-
pense md in order to make his
liability more certain and def
mite. Other and more detailed
recommendations with regard to
taxes will no doubt be laid before
you by the secretary of the
treasury and the commissioner
of internal revenue.
1t is my privilege to draw to
very sympathetic consideration
the problem of providing ade-
quate facilities for the care and
treatment of former members of
the military and naval forces
who are sick or disabled as the
result of their participation in
the war. These heroic men can
I0N6I US pdIo III AllOIlOy LOA SilS
service they periodically render
ed the nation. Their reward will
lie rather in realization of the
fact that they indicated the
rights of their country and aided
in safeguarding civilization. The
nations gratitude must be eff
fectively revealed to them by the
most ample provision for their
medical care and treatment as
we'll as for their vocational
training and placement. The
time has come when a more com
p1ete program can be formulated
and more satisfactorily admin
istered for their treatment and
training, and 1 earnestly urge
that the congress give the mat
ter it's early consideration. The
secretary of the treasury and
the board of vocational education
will outline in their annual re-
ports proposals covering medi-
1 am sure will engage your ear
nest study and command your
most generous support.
Cold Storage Law
Permit me to emphasize once
more the need for action upon
certain matters upon which l
dwelt at some length in my mes
sage to the second session of the
sixty-siXth congress-: The neces-
sity, for example, of encourag
ing the manufacture of dyestuffs
and related chemicals; the i'm
portance of doing everything
possible to promote agricultural
production along economic lines,
to improve agricultural market
ing and to make rural life more
attractive and healthful; the
need for law regulating cold
storage in such a way as to
limit the time during which
prescribing the method of dispos-
ing of them if kept beyond the
permitted period, and requiring
goods released from storage in
all cases to bear the date of
their receipt.
1t would also be most serv-
iceable if it were provided that
all goods released from cold
storage for interstate shipment
should have plainly marked upon
each package the selling or mar
ket price at which they wen1
into storage, in order that the
purchaser might be able to learn
what profits stood between him
and the producer or the whole
sale dealer. Indeed. it would be
very seryiceable to the public
if all goods destined for inter-
state commerce were made to
carry upon every packing case
whose form made it possible a
plain statement of the price at
which they left the hands of the
producer
I respectfully call your atten-
ton, also, to the recommended
tions of the message referred to
with regard to a federal license
for all corporations engaged in
interstate commerce.
In brief, the immediate Iegis-
lative need of the time is the
removal Of all obstacles to the
realization of the best ambitions
of our people in their several
classes of employment and the
trengthening of all instrument
talities by which difficulties are
to be met and removed and JUS
tice dealt out, whether by law or
by some form Of mediation and
cancellation. L do not feel it to
be my privilege at present to
suggest the detailed and partic-
ular methods by which these OBJ
jects may be attained, but I have
faith that the inquiries of your
several committees will discover
the way and the method.