, 1921-09-08
CONGRESS- RECORD BEST
SAYS LEADER MONDELL
Praises Completion Of Greatest Re-
construction Program in Entire
History of Country

~ D~fSs -
sentative Frank w. Mondell. of Wyo-
ming, majority leader in the House.
reviews the great achievements of
the Republican party in Congress
during the four months of the first
special session of the Harding ad-
ministration . He says:
4"It can be said without the slight
est e~xaggeratioh and without fear Of
successful contradiction, that NO Con-
gress in American history has made
a better record of continuous and
conscientious consideration Of the
public business or of meritorious &C
complishment in a wide field Of leg
islation than the present Congress.
Meeting April II the Congress has
continued its labors through the hot
test summe the National Capital has
known in a generation and now pro-
poses to take a brief breathing spell
during which the Senate committee.
undisturbed by the requirement Of
attendance upon the senate sessions.
may have an opportunity to give un-
divided attention on to the two great
measures Of tariff and tax revision,
which are now before them.
Under the Constitution, the
House of Representatives initiates
tariff. tax, and appropriation bills,
hence at any given time in the pro-
sress OF such legislation the House
program is beyond that Of the Sem
ate. and owing to the House rules.
which make prompt action on gen.
eral legislation possible. 1t is not I'M
usual for the general House program
to be advanced beyond that Of the
Senate. This Is the situation at this
time rendering the proposed recess
desirable as a means of expediating
the consideration Of the important
measures now before the Senate
committees.
Speaking particularly from the
standpoint of the House. not only
does the record of this session COM
pare favorably with that of any other
session, but after a careful review OF
the history Of the Congress for a
quarter of a century, during which I
have been a member of it, and of
the Congresses before my time,
feel fully justified in saying that in
no Congress in American history has
the House of Representatives con-
sidered and passed upon, in the same |
length OF time SO many important,
~far-reaching. and vital problems of
legislation as in the portion Of this
special session which is now passing
into history relative to the wisdom
OF the action we have taken, but
ones opinion may be as to
that there can be no difference Of
opinion relative to either the volume
or the Importance of the legislation
have considered in the little more
than four months during which we
been in session.
1T would take much more time
than l have at my disposal even
briefly to outline the provisions of
all the important measures that have
passed both Houses and become laws
of the more important measures that
have passed the House and now
await action by the Senate, and of
the measures that still remain in
I shall refer in some
detail to but few of them and
must content myself with merely
the remainder.
Realizing the tremendous public
interest in the tariff and tax bills
have recently passed the House
I shall refer to them briefly before
taking up the important measures
have become laws. ~
THE Fordney tariff bill. which
will tax from the statute books the
makeshift Underwood tariff law that
would have wrecked the industries
and the productive activities OF the
country but for the European war,
will restore and r~e-establish in
America. to the benefit OF every sec
ton OF Il country, the equitable
and beneficient principles OF a Re-
publican protective tariff. There is
always ground for honest difference
OF opinion as to details of schedules
even among protectionists, and 1t
can never be fairly said that any gen.
eral tariff revision is ideally perfect
In all of its thousands Of items and
provisions. Notwithstanding the
inexitable difference OF opinion as to
some details Of its many schedules
and provisions. the fact remains that
the Fordney tariff bill has met less
criticism, not only from the stand
point Of those who believe In the
principal protection, but from others
who. while not prOtectionists, honest
viewpoint of its effect ON the bus
mess. industry and production of the
country than any measure presented
to or passed by the House OF Repre-
sentatives In the last half century.
1.-THE country will welcome ana ap-
plaud a tax measure which immedi-
ately and for the present calendar
year lifts 250,O00,00o Of taxes from
the shoulders OF families Of small
incomes and from the travelling and
consuming public; that In the nsxt
fiscal year will lighter the tax burden
where 1T 10 the heaviest, where II II
most annoying and vexatious. whero
the levies most tend to pass. I. the