The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-02-11
NORTH WILL JOIN
 SOUTHFOR STATES RIGHTS, E. J. JONES,
 IF CONGRESSES
Congressman Holds Excess Profits Talk Responsible for DepresSion-Too Much
 Government Interfer-
 ence With Business
By H. W. 5CHAEFER

Normal conditions are being postponed because of the gov ernment's interference with private interests, and business would immediately react if the federal commissions oversee ing private businesses were abolished and the excess prof. its tax repealed, according to Congressman E. J. Jones, who represents the oil and coal dis trict around Bradford, Pa., who was in Birmingham last night en route to Washington, in company with Congressman Radcliff of Paterson, N. J., aft CT the funeral of Congressman Blackmon at Anniston.
 The two congressman were enter tained at dinner last night by party or CltlzeuS composed Ol i1usu NiolioW, Frank Crockard Walter Fowlkes, Car son Adams, R. J. Ingalls,. J. W. Me Queen. Erskine Ramsay, l.. Sevier, John l.. Kaul and R. "A. Brown. They were to leave for Washington early this morning.
 State rights will be mn issue in
 political campaigns of the very
 near future, Congressman Jones
 dncIared. and will come pro-
 test against the tendency of the
 federal government to make ap-
 propriations for state use on con-
 dition that the state match the ap-
 proprintion with money of its own.
 ENCROACHING
 An alarming feature of present day events is the growing tendency of the federal government to encroach on state duties and state obligations" ne said. The tendency of the govern ment to cooperate with state govern ments by making appropriations for state use conditioned on the state du- plicating the appropriation, to dc have control to the exclusion of fed oral participation, is very dangerous policy.
 .sSOme day there will be pro-
 test against this policy, and state
 rights will once more he mn issue
 in political campaigns, with north
 ern states ms well ns those in the
 south chnmpioninE the cause..
 'The present system means merely a duplication of organization costs as the state must maintain an organiza- tion for everyone where an appropria- tion is to be spent, as does the fed eral government
 CAUSE OF DEPRESSION
 'The excess profits tax is the chief cause of the present business depres- sion, in my opinion. It is a stifler of trade. Business concerns are nos buying and selling because they do not know how much the government is going to take for taxes.
 "In my opinion. the federal trade
 commission Is m absurd proposf-
 ton. curb on business initiative.
 ] nm in favor of abolishing all
 government commissions which
 sprung up during the war. Let the
 Inv of supply Rnd demand, cou-
 pied with the business acumen of
 the individual, control prices and
 build big corporations.
 Speaking of the housing situation in Washington at present and during the war, Congressman Jones said:
 UNPATRIOI1C
 There was less patriotism to the square inch in the city of Washing ton during the war than in any other community of the land, with rent and food profiteers on every side, who preyed on the helpless persons whose business compelled their residence in the nations capital"
 Both congressman expressed thelr deep regrets at the death of Con- gressman Blackmon, whom they char acterized as one of the best t-belove1 members of the House.
 Other members of the delegation which attended the funeral, but who went direct to Washington from Anniston, were: Venable of Mississippi. Ramsmyer of Iowa, Nichols of South Carolina and the entire Alabama House delegation, with the exception Of Huddleston and Dent, who were un. able to leave the capital Senators Underwood and Heflin were also un- ble to attend inc fllneral