The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-09-10
! HARDING
BRACS ON
RECORD
In Default of Appreci.
ative Comment on
Republican Pro-
gram President
Does it Him
self

Washington, Sept. 6.-Presi-
dent Harding, in a letter reviewing
the achievements to date of the
Republican administration, par
ticularly with reference to con-
gress, declares that surveying the
national situation as whole, it is
plain that we are working our
way out Of a wetter of waste and
prodigal spending at a most i'm
pressive rate
The letter, made public today.
was written by the president under
date Of August 29 to Senator Nc
Cormick. of Illinois, and it is un-
derstood viii be used in the cam
paign in New Mexico. where Sen
ator Bursun, appointed to fill out
the uneXpired term Of Secretary Of
Interior Fall, is a candidate for
election. The letter, it is also un-
derstood, is considered by Repub-
lican leaders as a reply to attacks
on the legislative record Of the Re
publican congress by Chairman
White, Of the Democratic national
committee, and other leading
Democrats
I'VE have made much progress
toward retrenchment and greatly
increased efficiency" the president
asserts. I cannot but account q
m m n tai o m p Ii S h
ment which has marked the work
of the extraordinary session down
to the time of it's recess.
Looking to the future Mr.. Hard
ing in MS letter expresses the con-
fdent hope that congress, after
the recess and before the end Of
the extraordinary session, will
adopt both the tariff and taxation
measures and that along with these
it will pass the bill to permit fund
ing the debt owed US by foreign
governments"
This I hope" the president
adds, will shortly be followed by
arrangements under which the
debtor cuontries will begin paying
interest on their obligations. Like
wise, am confident that the bill
facilitating 5the7funding of the debt
of the railways to the United States
will become a law during the ex-
traordinary session, thus insuring
a large and immediate demand for
employment of men now idle. -
The president in beginning his
letter expresses thanks to Senator
Mccormick for the Illinois sena-
tors congratulations on the accom-
plishments of the administration,
as expressed III a letter addressed
to the president under date Of
August "a.
The Republican congress pre-
ceding the advent of the present
administration is credited by Mr..
Harding with having patiently
and assiduously labored to reduce
expenditures" with results which
we can summarize in the statement
that the appropriations for the
current fiscal year will aggregate
four and quarter billion dollars
and that this is three-quarters Of
billion less than the eXpendi
lures for the previous fiscal year" +"
The president, after reciting as
"eXtravagances incident to the
war" the expenditure of three and
a time when deficits are the rule
ping board. between five and six
billion dollars f..- aircraft, artil-
lery and ammunition, and between
one and a quarter and one and a
half billion dollars for the railroad
administration, adds:
"It is gratifying to be able to
say. therefore, that probably no
other government in the world has
during a similar period so drasti-
cally reduced expenditures as has
the government Of the United
States during the past two years on
the insistenoe Of the Republican
congress. Moreover, an, happy
to assure you that the adminiStra-
tive departments are now in full
sympathy with the program Of rig
orous and unremitting economy,
through which, I believe, we Will
be able during the next year to
cover back into ,ne treasury SO
large a sum that the aggregate Of
taxation may be reduced to So
500. 900 a year.
Half the present total expen&i-
lures Of the government arises
from wars Of the past. Similar
burdens are imposed upon taXpay-
ers of other countries, and a we'll
nigh universal protest against a
possible repetitiol Of gigantic con-
flict gives rise to the common
hope that the conference in No
vember may tighten the burdens
Of both armament and taxation.
not only for this but for other
lands.
Almost without exception the
governments of other countries are
faced with great deficits. We
must not over-estimate our good
fortune and the prudence of our
congress. which permits US to bal
ance revenue and expenditure at
a timew hen deficits are the rule
throughout the world We shall
be greatly aided in a policy of pro-
gressively reducing expenditure by
h1,IUat low. Pan,1h1ioar