The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-12-06

/ SO recently adjourned. am AoI
unYnindful of the very difficult tasks
with which you were called to deal,
, and none can ignore the fnsisfent
conditions which, during recent
wears. have called for the continued
and almost exclusive attention OF
your memberships to public work
II would suggest insincerity II i
EXPRESSED complete accord with
ever expression recorded In your
roll calls. but we are all agreed
aho,1t the difficulties and the iney1-
table diYergency of opinion In seek
ing the reduction, amelioration and
readiustment of the burdens OF
taxation. Later on, when other
i nrobierus are solved, / shall make
+ some recommendation about re-
newed consideration Of our tax pro
gram. but for the immediate time
before us we must be content with
the billion dollar reduction in the
tax draft upon the people, and d.
unfinished irritations, banished I'M
certainty and improved methods Of
/ collection. By your sustainment of
/ the rigid economies already inaugu-
rated, with hoped for extension of
! these economics and added effcien-
| cies in administration, l believe
J further reductions may be enact
ed and hindeTing burdens abolish
! ed.
/ Lands Budget System.
/ In these urgent economies we
shall be immensely assisted by the
( budget system for which you made
provisions in the extraordinary
/ session. The first budget is before
you. Its preparation is a signal
! achievement and the perfection OF
( the system, thing impossible in
/ the few months available for its in
/ itiaI trial. will mark its enactment
as the beginning of the greatest re-
/ formation in governmental praC-
| tees since the beginning OF the re
; public.
( There is pending a grant of au-
thOrity to the authoritative branch
, of the government for the funding
I and settlement of our vast foreign
/ loans. growing out Of our grant Of
I war credits. With the hands of the
executive branch held impotent to
deal with these debts, we are hind
ering urgent TeadjuStment among
! our debtors and accomplishing
nothing for ourselves. l think it is
fair for the congress to assume that
( the executive branch OF the govern
nient would adopte no major policy
in dealing with these matters,
which would conflict with the pur-
/ pose of congress in authorizing the
/ loans. certainly not without asking
/ congressional approval, but there
are minor problems incident to pru-
dent loan transactions and the
/ safeguarding of our interests which
can not even be attempted without
this authorization. It viii be help
full TO ourselves and it will improve
conditions among our debtors of
funding and the settlement Of de
faulted interest may be negotiated.
DepIores Jones Act
= The previous congress, deeply
concerned in behalf of our mer-
= chant marine, in 1920 enacted the
existing shipping law, designed for
the upbuilding of the American
Merchant Marine. Among other
; things he provided to encourage
our shipping on the worlds seas,
e the executive was directed to give
notice of the termination Of all ex-
der to admit of reduced duties en-
imports carried in American bot
toms. During the life Of the at
no executive complied with this or
der of the congress When the pres
ent administration came into re-
spOpS.bility il began an early IN
quiry into the failure to execute the
/ expressed purpose OF the Jones act.
Only one conclusion has been pos
sible. Frankly, members of house
and senate, eager as 1 am to join
you in the making of an American
merchant marine commensurate
with our commerce the denounCe-
ment of our commercial treaties
/ would involve US in d chaos of
trade relationships and add indie
scribably to the confusion of the
| already disordered commercial
world. Our power to do SO is not
disputed. but power and ships,
without comfy of relationship, viii
not give us the expanded trade
which is inseparably linked with
a great merchant marine. Moro
over, the applied reduction Of duty,
for which the treaty denounce-
ments were necessary, encouraged
only the carrying Of dutiable i'm
ports to cur shores, while the ton
mage which unfurls the flag on the
seas is both free and dutiable. ard
the cargCes which make a nation
eminent in trade are outgoing, rath-
er than incoming.
Speaks of New Plan.
II Is not my thought to lay the
problem in detail before you today.
IL is desired only to say to you
that the executive branch of the
! government, Uninfluenced by the
protest Of any nation, for none has
been made, is well convinced that
your proposal, highly intended and
heartily supported here. is so
fraught with difficulties and 50
marked by tendencies to DISCOURAGE
trade expansion, that I invite Your
/ tolerance Of Noncompliance for q
very few weeks until a plan may
be presented which contempiates
no greater draft upon the public
Z treasury. and which, though vet toa
crude to offer it today, gives such
promise of expanding our merchant
marine that il will argue its own
. approval. II is enough to saw to-
day that We are so possessed Of
I ships and the American intention
10 establish a merchant marine i
so unalteTable. that d plan Of re-
endorsement, 1T no other cost than
! is contemplated in the existing act.
VIII appeal to the pride and en-
courage the hope of all the Amer
lean people.