Pueblo chieftain., 1921-10-16
TAXATION MUOOLf
CONGRESS- FAULT.
NOT EXECUTIVES
Har dngiKnew What He
Wanted But House
Is Uncertain
By MARK SULLIVAN

Washington. D. c., Oct. 15.-The Re-
publicans have handled the subject
Of taxation very badly. There can
be no question about that. Yet, as [
shall point out later. there are some
things to be said in explanation of the
situation AS II exists today. These facts
of extenuation do not helpsthe case of
the Republican managers in the house
and senate. Their management Of
the subject from the beginning has
been one of muddling and uncertainty,
They started off with the impression
of knowing what they wanted to do
and Of going at II cxpeditiously.
President Harding's recommendations,
In his inaugural address and in his
first address to congress in April were
explicit and satisfactory. Thereafter
Secretary Mellon of the treasury de-
partmeut made a careful report Of
what WAS needed and OF, what. in his
Judgment should be done This re-
pirate committee of congress. and he.
together with the experts OF his de-
partment. submitted himself to pro-
longed examination
So far everything promised we'll, but
from this point on indecisiop and bad
thor the house nor the senate could
make up their minds whether to take
up taxation first. or the tariff first
Tho bulk Of the business men of the
country wanted taxation taken up
first. and made this wish known to
- taksn for granted. I think. that
De administration wanted taxation
taken mp first But tho leaders OF
the house and senate never knew their
swu minds on this point They wav-
cred from day to day.
The man who finally brought Il
about that the tariff should be tAken
mp first probably came nearer to
knowing his own mind than anybody
else. He was Chairman Fordney Of
knew what he wanted. hut as events
turned out. the thing he wanted was
not the best thing. Mr. Fordney. who
has been in congress n long time.
brought down from his old experience
the idea that a good big protective
tariff is panacea for practically all
kinds of economic Ills. He held out
steadily for taking up the tariff first
President Harding WAS urged to throw
his influence against this decision.
but felt as reluctant then as appar-
entity. he feels now. to attempt to In
ftuence the legislative branch Of tho
Eovernmcnt In what Is constitutionally
their concern. In any event, the tar
itf was taken up first and thercafter
the ways and means committee OF
congress took up taxation.
Tho bill which the ways and means
committee wrote. and the modfNca-
tion OF that bill which the lower house
Of congress subsequently passed. diff
fered in important particulars from
what Secretary Mellon had recon-
merded and this was the beginning
Of the wabb,inr which has led to the
prcrent confusion When tho lower
house passed its bill there was much
dissa tisfaction with II, but everybody
took II for granted that what has
happened in the past would happen
again, namely. that the finance com
mIttee OF tho senate would review
tho whole subject and would write
practically a new bill. Rut when the
finance committee OF the senate got
down to work It didn't function like
the finance committees Of the previ-
ous sessions OF the senate.
Tho failure of tho finance commit
toe OF the senate to take a strong grip
on tho situation is generally ascribed
to the lack of hrm leadership and
strong grin on tho part of the chair
man of that committee. Senator Pen
rose of Pennsylvania. For this the
state of Senator Penrosc's health Is
undoubtedly responsible.
When the finance committee Of tho