The New York herald., 1921-11-14
If 1t Had Been a Congress Vote.

If 1t Had Been a Congress Vote.
If Congress district elections had
been held last Tuesday it is not too
much to say that some Republican
strongholds would have been buried
under landslides like the H. ian crash
which fell upon New York. In other
cities and in other States there were
enough election day sensations to
leave little chance for doubt about
that conclusion.
The American people elected the
present Congress in 1920 to do the
things the country sorely needs and
to undo the things the country cannot
stand. They expected and had the
right to expect that these things
would be done faithfully, promptly
and successfully. After waiting a
year the American people have had
from this Congress little or none of
the performance which was promised
them and on which they counted.
1t is true that the present Con-
gress has not been at work for that
whole year; It's session began on
April IL last, after President HAIR
DING took office. But it also is true
that the previous Congress was In
the hands of the same party and the
same leaders as now control the pres
ent Congress. There was no reason
why they should not have begun to
whip their legislative programme
into shape the day HARDING was
elected, and the American public
knew that fact a year ago when 1t
looked for the Senate and House
organizations to get their plans ready
for early execution after March 4.
The public has had it in mind ever
since then, while weeks and months
have slipped away with so few of the
things accomplished which it elected
this Congress to accomplish.
Nothing final done yet about taxa
tion and there is no sign that when
something is done it will be anything
like what the country needs to get
on it's feet again. Nothing final done
yet about tariff revision and there is
no reason to expect that when some
thing is done it will meet the require
ments OF the new conditions here and
the world over. Nothing done yet
about getting the national transporta-
tion system on a basis where it can
do the country's hauling at cost
which will tighten the burden borne
by American industry and business.
Nothing done yet on many other
grave questions which this Congress
was elected to deal with and settle.
The achievements of the United
States Government in this year of
1921 have been SO per cent. President
HARDING's. Until March both the
administrative and the legislative
departments were simply marking
time. Since then President HARDING
has done wonders. Congress has done
virtually nothing.
1t is President HAEDrNG's depart.
ments which have saved the bulk of
the money which has been saved. 1t
is his Budget Director who has man
aged to force spendings down below
even the Congress appropriations
made to cover the estimates. 1t is
his stand which has blocked bonus
and other squander schemes. 1t is
his initiative which has brought the
great Powers into the international
conference to see how much treasure
can be saved by limiting the colossal
and bankrupting expenditures on
armament.
There is one year left for Congress
to win back the approval of the pub.
lie which it has SO generally and
painfully disappointed in the last
year. II would better MAX. the most
of what time is left to get the job
done and get it done right. After
the record of futility and failure
which thus far stands a year Is none
too much in which to remove the
deep and burning impression of
debt burdened, tax harried and bust
ness disturbed public that this may
become a calamity Congress.