, 1921-08-04
MOSDELL RAPS HAMMER
IN CONGRESS DEFENSE

E1SI1l->I o.N, AuS- L. - ludI
this is a do big things Congress"
Il not a do nothing Congress-"
and thai it is making a record unsur-
passed in the'historyeo OF national leg
lslation is declared by Representative
Frank W. Mondell, of Wyoming, the
Republican majority leader OF the
House, in 4 letter in reply to another
addressed to him by J. W. Hartman.
ehe New York banker, who is a
Democrat. The Mondell letter fol-
lows:
My dear Mr.. Hartman: / have
your letter in which you say that a
large number of your deposi:ors are
'claroring to know why Congress
does moi do something with regard
to the reduction of taxation. 1ou
further make this inquiry: is the
inactivity of Congress the result of
natural ineptitude or a feature of a
deliberate reconstruction program?'
! ass owe the disparaging slur CON
tanned in your inquiry because l
realize that it has become the habit
OF some who generally consider
themselves bound by the rules Of
ordinary courtesy to forget their
manners when making inquiries with
regard to Legislative questions and
conditions.
The special session of Congress
vas called by the President primarily
for the purpose of revising the tariff
revenue. and tax laws. There was
some difference of opinion as to
whether the House should first ad-
dress itself to the tariff legislation
or to the revision, of the war taxes.
Realizing that it would take a con-
siderable length of time for the
House Committee. on Ways and
Means to prepare a complete perman-
ent tariff revision, I wse inclined to
the opinion hat it might be well to
take up tax revision in advance OF
the permanent tariff and so publicly
stated.
practically every member of the
Ways and Means Committee, includ-
ing the two members from the State
of New. York, can bear witness to-
the fact that the overwhelming SEN
timent OF the country as expressed
in letters, was favorable to the con-
sideration Of the permanent tariff
revision first. In response to this
expression of sentiment the Repub-
lican members of the Ways and
Means Committee took up at once
with earnestness and pursued with
unflagging vigor and energy the
questions involved in a revision of
the tariff. 1t has required a little
longer than some anticipated to COM
plete this great work. am sending |
you a copy Of the bill under separ-
ate cover. that you may examine its
BAG pages, with its thousand para
graphs.
while I realize that no one who
has not had practical experience as
to the very great amount of research,
examination, study and consultation
necessary to reach an agreement, with
regard to anyone OF hundreds of
paragraphs affecting rates. methods
of administration and policy can fully
appreciate the time and effort re-
CURED 4 am quite sure that any one
at all familiar with business and leg
islative affairs must realize that the
time which was consumed in the
preparation Of this measure was ne
cessary and essential to a careful
study, survey and discussion Of the
great number of important features
With regard to which there was
ground for difference Of opinion.
while. I am not a member of the
Committee on Ways Snd Means,
a bear testimony to the prompt
and continuous sessions OF this COM
m.ittee from the date that Congress
met up to the hour of reporting the
bill. l can assure you there were
no banking hours observed, but that
the necessary york was early and
late. including holidays, and running
far into the night. Not a moment
has been lost or wasted. and the bill
has been presented to the House at
the very earliest hour consistent with
thoroughgoing, painstaking exami-
nations of its provisions. The Re-
publican members of the House in
conference have agreed that the
final vote shall be taken on the
Tariff bill on July 21.
Immediately following the pas
sage of the tariff bill by the House.
the Ways and Means committee will
take up for consideration the ques-
tiOns Of tax revision. The Treasurer /
Department has been giving the mat
ter careful, thorough and pains
taking study, and. the members of
the Ways and Means Committee of
the House have, at the odd moments
that could be spared from the o n
sideration of the tariff bill. been
studying the questions involved. No
one can say with assurance just how
soon tax revision may be agreed upon
n" -