Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-08

attention of your membership
to public work. It would sug-
gest insincerity if I expressed
complete accord with every eX-
preston recorded in your roll
calls, but we are all agreed about
difficulties and the inevitable
divergence of opinion in seeking
the reduction, amelioration and
readjustment Of the burdens of
taxation. Later on, when other
problems are solved, I shall
make other recommendations
about renewed consideration Of
our tax problem, but for the i'm
mediate time before us, we must
be content with the $1,00O,OOO,-
600 reduction in the tax draft
upon the people, and diminished
irritations, banished uncertainty
and improved methods of collec-
ton. By your sustainment OF
the rigid economies already in
augurated, with 'hoped-for extern
sion of these economies and
added efficiencies in administra-
ton I believe further reductions
may be enacted and hinderlng
burdens abolished.
Praises Budget System
In these urgent economies we
shall be Immediately assisted
by the budget system for which
YOU made provision in the
extraordinary session. The first
budget is before you. It's prep
aration is a signal achievement
and the perfection Of the sys-
tenn, a thing impossible in the
few months available for it's
initial trial, will mark it's enact
ment as the beginning Of the
greatest reformation in govern
mental practices since the begin
ming of the republic.
There is pending a grant OF
authority to the administrative
branch of the government t9r
the funding and settlement OF
our various foreign loans grow
ing out Of our grant of war
credits. With the hands Of the
executive branch held impotent
to deal with these debts we are
hindering urgent establishments
among our debtors and accom-
plishing nothing for ourselves.
I think it is fair for the con.
gress to assume that the execu-
tive branch of the government
would adopt no major policy in
dealing with these matters
which would conflict with the
purpose of congress in authoriz-
ing the loans. certainly not with
out asking congressional ap-
prevail, but there are minor
problems incident to prudent
loan transactions and the safe
guarding of our interests which
cannot even be attempted with.
out this authorization. 1t will
be helpful to ourselves and it
will improve conditions among
our debtors if funding and the
settlement of defaulted interest
may be negotiated.
Shipping Law
The powerful congress, Deep
ly concerned in behalf OF our
merchant marine, in 1920, enact
ed the existing shipping law,
designed for the upbuilding of
the American merchant marine.
Among other things provided to
encourage our shipping on the
worlds seas, the executive was
directed to give notice to the ter
mination of all existing CONNER
cial treaties in order to admit of
reduced duties on imports car.
ried in American bottoms. Dur
ing the life of the act no execu-
tive has complied with this order
of the congress. When the pres
ent administration came into re-
sponsibility it began an early in
curry into the failure to execute
the expressed purpose of the
Jones act Only one conclusion
has been possible. Frankly,
members of house and senate.
eager as I am to join you in the
making of an American mer-
chant marine commensurate
with our commerce, the de-
nouncement of our commercial
treaties would involve us in a
chaos Of trade relationships and
add indescribably to the confu.
sion of the already disordered
commercial world. Our power to
do so is not disputed, but power
and ships, without comfy of
relationship, will not give us the
expanded trade which is in
separately linked with a great
merchant marine. Moreover,
the applied reduction of duty,
for which the treaty denounce-
ments were necessary, encourag.
ed only by Eae carrying Of du.
table imports to our shores,
while the tonnage which un-
furls the flag on the seas is
both free and dutiabIe, and the
cargoes which make a nation
eminent in trade are outg@ing,
rather than incoming.
1t is not my thought to lay
the problem in detail before you
today. 1t is desired only to say
to you that the executive branch
of the government, uninf1uenced
by the protest of nay nation. for
none has been made, is well con-
WINGED that your proposal, high
ly intended and heartily sup
ported here, is so fraught with
difficulties and so marked by
tendencies to discourage trade
expansion, that L invite your
tolerance of noncompliance for
a few weeks until plan may be
presented which contemplates
no greater draft upon the public
treasury, and which, though yet
too crude to offer it today, gives
such promise of expanding our
merchant marine that it will
argue it's own approval. 1t is
enough to say today that we are
so possessed of ships and the
American intention to establish
merchant marine is SO unal-
terable, that plan of reim-
bursemeht, at no other cost than
is contemplated in the existing
act, will appeal to the pride and
encourage the hope of all the
American people.
There is before you the COM
pletion of what has been term
ed "a permanent tariff law" the
word permanent" being used to
distinguish it from the emergen-
cy act which the congress ex-
pedited early in the eXtraordi-
nary session and which is the
law today. I cannot too strong
Iv 11rpn an oar1V cOn1OletiOn Of