The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-12-16
REPUBLICAN HOUSE
| LEADER ATTACKS
| REVENUE PROGRAM
Declares Houston Estimate OF
s4,e53,s0o, 900 TO Be
Raisedin Taxes Should Be
Cut .4OO, 600, 900.

WASHINGTON, Dec. t6.-Ugglng
ar,afd economy in all appropriations
for government expenses during ftne
pext fiscal year in order to lighteh
& fine tax burden, Representative Mon
8 dell of wyoming, Republican leaoer'
Z declared In the house today that the
total estimate of $4,653,S00,O00 sub
r1itted by the secretary of the treas
urv should be reduced by approx
mately S1,400,000,00O. rms reuuc
/ tion, he said, must be effected chleI-
+ ~ by a drastic scaling down IN es,
+ Inmates for the army ana navy anu
also for sundry civil expenses .ne
/ total of which, he pointed out eN-
4 ceeded current approprlatiohs W
1 more than $914,000,OOO'
4 criticising the administration Ior
/ t1a "unfathomable inconsistency" in
! tbe estimates submitted to congress
and the "pleas for economy made py
tha nresident and the secretary Oh
] the treasury" Mr.. Mondell declared
he would "leave 1t to others to prop
erly characterize these estimates
Deficiencies Not Included.
orwo wears after the war" the
Apannhlican leader added, "wnen the
eyorld outside our borders is largely
4 bankrupt and everybody Is praying
/ Fo,. reduction OF armaments, the ad-
1,,inistration asks for an approprla-
.iou Vof more than sl,414OO0OOo tor
tba army. navy and Qualifications, or
/ eve and a half times the hlghest
/ naace time appropriations OF 1915.
pointing out that current detlclen-
/ clos were not included in this tota!'
/ Mr Mondell declared these may pe
sxvollen indefinitelyY if the war de-
1 ,,arty6ent continued its policy of re-
fr,,itinp the army up to full strength,
] contrary to the understanding, ne
said that it should not be increased
4 above the total of 17S,00O men con.
j templated by the approprlations.
/ Declaring this action was IN ennre
/ harmony" with the attitude wnlch
/ the war and some other depart
/ ments had assumed toward consress
/ i'm this administration" Mr.. Mondell
/ said 1t had become the duty OF con-
/ gress to take action that would pre-
/ vent "such spuandering of the peo-
4 nle's money hv creating deficiencies
/ in violation of law"
j Asserting that If the economy In
1 appropriations advocated py Hhh was
/ carried out the tax burden for the
4 calendar year 1921 might be sub
i stantially lightened," Mr.. Mondell
4 said he believed continuation of a
tax program designed to raise n
minimum revenue of $4,000,000O 900
for two years, as recommended by
the SECRETARY of the treasury, was
"unjustified." 1t is not justified, he
added, "even for one year."
The Republican leader said he was
opposed to Secretary Houston's plan
for retiring with current revenues
more than $3,6o0, 100000 of the coun-
try's floating and bonded war debt,
Including a half billion of victory
notes, by Jan, 30, 1923, as placing an
unnecessary burden upon the peo-
ple and business" With Al per cent
Of the net cost of the war, excluding
foreign loans, already paid, he said.
II was unnecessary to keep up war
rates of taxation for the position re-
ducing the public debt at a rate
greatly in excess of the sinking fund
rate applied to the entire debt"
= ''By the end of the fiscal year."
MIR. Mondell added, I'VE shall have
/ reached a point in the reduction OF
our war debt where further reduc-
tions except through the sinking fund
operations should not continue to
impose wartime burdens"
While he favored repeal OF the ex-
I cess profits tax and reduction of the
higher income surtaxes, Mr.. Mondell
|. said, he thought It unnecessary at
H this time to consider alternative
n revenue provisions because "no one
\ can tell what increased revenues may
H result from the passage OF a tariff
|. bill along protective lines"
1