Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-12-11
EVENTS or a WEEK.

state Of the union was read on Tues.
day, the cchmunication being sen
by messenger instead Of delivered il
person in accordance with the forme,
practice OF the president. Mr.. Viii,
sons health sssaid to be constderab'
ly improved and he had received il
person a delegation from congress tt
notify him that the body was in SEES
sion, bat he did not feel equal to tbs
task of appearing in person. The
message vas unusually brief. II
contained no mention Of the League
of Nations; and its recommendations
were few and brief. In the closing
paragraph the president said that his
communication was less a. series OF
faith. q
6.& ais s..3ass X X X ~,
One of the subjects brought before
congress, and which is regarded as of
special Importance is that Of taxation.
Secretary Houston has presented es-
running considerably over
four billion for the ensuing year, and
he has made recommendations for
changes in methods Of taxation which
he believes will yield the desired sums
with less expense .and Inconvenience
than are involved in the present plans.
His Recommendations cover a long list,
but the feature Of special interest is
that its proposals contemplate a
large number of special taxes in lieu
of several which it is proposed to
abandon or modify, aDd that there is
no suggestion in favor Of the sales
tax which has been the subject of
much discussion.
Another feature which is attract
ing unusual attention is the situation
throughout the country involved in
falling prices, especially of farm
products. The financial stringency
caused by the movement lately In
progress has been felt throughout the
entire country, and numerous pro-
posab for remediea nave been made.
There is an urgent demand for legis-
lat1on which will result in the extern
sion Ct further credits for farming
purposes by the federal reserve
board, and there has also been pro-
posed the revival Of the foreign trade
corporation fer the purpose of fin
ancing farm exports.
Governor Harding, of the Federal
Reserve board, has declared himself
flatly opposed to the proposed credit
extensions. His position is that the
unwelcome conditions of the present
are due in large "a to too great
expansion of credit in the past, and
he holds that however inconvenient 1t
may be to pass through the stages
necessary to reach sound footing, the
transition must be made, and that
nothing is to be gained by delaying
the process. This is the view gen
orally entertained in financial circles.
An unusual incident of the first
senate session was the in
his place in that, body of Senator
Harding, pfesident-elect of the Unit
sd States. This is the first occasion
On which a pr~esident-elect has set in
congress. MIR. Harding visited Wash
ington on his return from Panama to
take leave OF his colleagues. arrange
3 few business matters, arrange fol-
. pair with Senator Underwood, with
whom he will. be paired for the re-
mainder of the session, and to confer
with a number Of political leaders
with reference to man. matters to
which he must give his attention.
These conferences will be .contin-
ned for some time at the senator's
Ohio home, and before the holidays
Mr.. Harding VIII have conferred with
leading men in both political parties
both in and out OF congress. II il
understood that among other thing.
he desired to obtain all this informa-
ton possible g o the views Of rep-
ra~ssDtattss Liner on the subtsct Of the
LAasne Of Nations. 10 that early after
III inauguration It will DO possible for
him 70 formulate snms concrete. plan
q actdon on this subject. Cabinet
appointmsnts must $50 sbe given con-
adsxsattop. and these are undoubtedly
recstytnE attsntion. Gossip has con-
nsctsA tho names Of ssvsEal nsn with
Important cabinet positions. but thus
far thers n nothing but soAsip on
whfAh m haaa 1,tnaa