The daily times., 1921-07-11
COUNTRY GETTING
IMPATIENT OVER
TAX BILL DELAY
TAKING NOTICE
The Ways and Means Commit
tee is Charged With the
Task of Making Both the
Tariff and Tax Bills and Has
Been Working Day and
Night Over Tariff Plans.
(By David Lawrence.) }

(By David Lawrence.)
Copyright, 1921, by Daily Times.)
Washington, July 9.-Public opin-
ion is making itself felt in the ma
tionaI capital The impatience of the
country over the failure of congress
to get started on a program of tax
revision has penetrated both the Leg
islative and executive branches of
the government. Letters of complaint
from prominent business men, most
of them republicans, have reached
congress, and while it is true that
the average man outside of Wash
ington has little conception of the
,, immense amount of work involved in
shaping a tariff bill, it is a fact
that most of the criticism has been
placed upon the preference given to
consideration of the tariff ahead of
the tax question.
Representative Mondell, Repub1i-
can leader of the House, who is as
conscientious a public servant as the
Republican party has, ever had.
makes a point of the tremendous Ia
, Dor the ways and means committee
has had before it in shaping a tariff
bill, and argues that this same COM
mittee could obviously handle only
! means committee unfortunately is
charged with the task of making both
the tariff and tax bills.
Z There is no other committee to
| which the revenue measure could
have gone while the ways and means
committee worked on the tariff But
| the nub of the present situation is
not that the ways and means COM
has been working hard both night
and day on the tariff bill. but that it
gave right of way to the tariff on the
basis of an alleged overwhelming
opinion from the country in favor of
that course. If, in other words, con-
gress misread public opinion, it is
really partly due to the failure of the
country to assert it's wishes unmfs-
takably.
! 1t now becomes apparent that
there are serious differences of opin-
ion on the tariff, and that many of
the advocates of permanent tariff
are in doubt as to whether any bill
enacted at this session will not have
suit of constantly changing econo-
!, mic conditions throughout the world.
Il AS Cor the tax question, on the
| other hand, there is no division of
, opinion among the advocates of a
: change in the tax rate. Sentiment is
} perfectly unanimous. Rarely in recent
} years has a demand from the coun-
: try, for action on legislative matter,
| been so universally approved. Indeed,
there are no party lines on the issue
Democrats must support any pro-
lposal for tax reduction along with
!. Republicans. While the tariff, there
fore, is important, there never has
: been any doubt among disiRterested
: observers that the country would ap-
prove of prompt action on the taz
3 question ahead of tariff revision. The
.truth is the agricultural group II
, congress, as well as other elements
. representing class interests. have de-
= monstrated again that minority
9 which holds the veto power in the
. government can frequently threater
> the majority and can practically die
= tate the course that shall be taken.
9 President Harding is frankly dis
. turbed about the situation. He real
> ICES that congress should have tacki
. ed the tax question first. He indicated
> as much when the problem was mrs
submitted to him, but felt reluctan
> to insist upon his point OF view. III
. now wishes he had put his foot down
. hard and compelled action on tn
. revenue measure ahead of the tarln
. On the other hand there seemed to D
. as much noise made at that tim