Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-12-07
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.

.prcsident shall from time to time inform congress
of the state of the nation, President Harding has adj
dressed the sixty-seventh congress at the opening
of its regular session. 1t is natural that he should
give first place in his address to the prospects for
international agreement for limitation Of ornament
and for the elimination of causes likely to produce
war. This work has been very near the presidents
heart. In was. on his initiative that the conference
was called, and the success which has attended it's
proceedings thus far has been SO much greater than
what was popularity anticipated, that there is every
reason for making this the principal feature of an
address to the lawmaking' body OF the nation.
In terms which relate appropriately both to the
work of the rmarnen conference and to the work
of congress itself. the president refers to the inn
portance of harmony in the congressional proceed
ings and in the relations between congress and the
executive. He points out the manner in which uu-
der our system parties are held responsible for the
manner III which they perform their duties when
entrusted with office, and refers to the very evident
fact that in all such proceedings the spirit of COM
promise must prevail because it is impossible III
handling the affairs otso great a nation by so large
a body of representatives that what the individual
believes to be the ideal shall often be realized,
and that there must be concessions and compromise
IT actual working results are to be attained.
Emphasis is placed upon the budget presented,
and upon the budget plan generally, and the refer
ence to this feature is IN very congratulatory terms.
The president reiterates his formerly expressed
view. which is also entertained by the secretary of
the treasury, that pending legislation should be COM
pleted for the purpose OF conterring upon the exec
utlve authority to systematic the financial relations
existing between this country and its neighbors be-
cause of the necessities OF the late war: An i'm
mense burden of financial obligations exists. aud it
IS important that this should be put in suitable form.
In the handling of such a work a wide discretion
must necessarily be permitted somewhere. and it is
the presidents belief that this discretion should be
vested IN the executive, to be exercised bv him in
accordance with the known plans and spirit of con-
gress.
Along the same line is the president susges-
ton with reference to the tariff. The Importance
OF our tariff relations in view of the disturbed and
changing conditions in Europe. is strongly empha-
sized. At no time i'll our history have Our tariff re-
latlons been more important than Just now. and at
no time has it been moro nearly impossible to know
Just what schedules OF duties will prove to be tn.
most beneficial to our own country and the most
nearly just and helpful to our nelghbors. Because
of the peculiar conditions existing. the president
urges IN very strong terms the granting of large dis
.cretIonary power TO the executive IN dealing with
the levying OF duties. He points out tina, the duties
which may be advisable today may be improper six
months hence. and as 1t is impossible for congress
to be continually engaged in a revision OF the tariff
schedules, he believes that authority should be given
to the president, under proper limitations. both to
levy higher duties than are provided for in the orig
inal schedule. and to decrease those duties when
the circumstances seem to warrant such action. In
some instances similar power has been vested in
the president before, but not on anything Ike the
scale which IS urged at this time. There is justifi-
cation IN the recommendation OF the president now,
because the conditions are utterly unlike ANYTHING
which have preceded them. AS is pointed out, the
delegation OF this authority will bring into more
active operation the tariff board. because the pres
ldent would not be in a position to take independent
action and would necessarily be in continual COM
nun1catlon with the tariff board in order that what
ever action were taken might be taken intelligently
and beneficially.
The discussion OF labor relations brings into
sharp relief a feature which is OF the highest import
ance to the industrial welfare OF the countrv. There
is a Recommendation for the judicial settlement. OF
labor disputes on the ground that Just as the owners
OF productive agencies essential to the existence of
the people cannot be permitted to use those asen-
cies IN such a manner as to deprive the public OF the
service which they are created to perform, SO the
men employed in such industries cannot be permit
ted to use the power which their organizations give
them to inflict like injury upon the public. The ex-
act nature OF the steps which the president believes
should be taken are not indicated, but the creation
OF the Kansas industrial court is brought forcibly to
mind by the presidents recommendation and 1t is
within the probabilities that some such legislation
may be proposed for the nation itself.
The president refers in commentators manner
to the work already accomplished by this congress
IN its extra session. No fair-minded and observing
person can deny that the congress thus far has en-
acted a very large volume OF highly important leg
islation. The work which it has undertaken is not
more important. however, than that which remains
to be done, and the session must begin and must be
conducted in full recognition of the very import
ant problems to be disposed of and of the fact that
many OF these problems have an immediate bearing
upon the returning prosperity of the country.
NO DIFFERENCE.
1t isn't easy to get rid Of the notion that men
and women vote differently, or are likely to vote
differently. In the recent New York city campaign
there was a lot OF speculation on the wor,en's vote,
and some of The Missionaries insisted that tho e1oct;ou