The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-12-06
BUDGET BILLS
LOOM AS BIG
HOUSE ISSUES
Republican Floor Leader Pre-
diets Important Appropria-
ton Activities s-To Con-
slider Soldier Bonus Bill.
PUBLIC WATCHES WORK
PALLADIUM NEWS BUREAU

work of the second session of the
sixty-scventh congress began today,
although the new session came into
being yesterday, when short meetings
were held by both houses. The second /
session is not expected to suspend its
activities until late next summer |
The program for this session is one of !
the most important ever submitted
10 congress and in the event il is not !
satisfactorily carried out the Republi- /
can party will find itself on the de
fensive during the congressional cleo
tion campaign next fall This fact
IS realized and admitted by those Re
publican members of congress. who
have been spending the past two
weeks with their home folks in
yoicing public opinion.
II found my people only fairly well
satisfied with the performance of con-
eress, during the recent extra ses-
sion, but inclined, as a whole, to sus-
pend judgment until the present se5-
sion comes to a close. and its accom-
plishments have been checked up
remarked an Indiana congressman,
yesterday on his return from his dis
trict. MY people are keeping a close
tab on congress. As a whole they
blame the senate for the failure of
congress TO enact all of the import
ant provisions of the legislative pro
gram, which President Harding ask
ed for when he called the extra ses-
sion last spring"
Bills Attract Attention
The important work which will en-
gage the immediate attention of the
house are the appropriation bills. to
be submitted under the new budget
system. The house is prepared to
resume work with its decks fairly
we'll cleared This is not the case
in the senate. where there is a great
mass of over legislation, much of it
of highly important nature. notably
the railroad refunding bill, the for
aingn debt refunding bill, and the tar
IF bill.
In preparation for handling the
new appropriation bills under the bud
get system, the appropriation commit
ee OF the house has been reorganized
iepartmentally, so that all appropria
ions for any one of the executive de-
partments will be massed in one bin
and not scattered through several bills
as heretofore.
THE most important work of the
mouse will be its appropriation pro
gram" said Representative Mondell,
Republican floor leader today For
he first time We are to have est1-
mates presented after careful cOnsid-
Grafton by the bureau of the budget.
The house will approach considera-
ion of these estimates with dispo-
sition to adhere TO all the economies
which the estimates as presented may
suggest. and with disposition to
scrutinize these estimates with view
as to whether or not further econ
1mies can be accomplished.
To Consider Bonus
As has been mentioned before in
these dispatches, the house will with
IN the next few weeks be called upon
tn consider a new soldiers bonus bill
which will provide that the fund in
volved shall be raised by a sales tax.
There appears to be no doubt that
this measure will be enacted before
next summer. 1t is expected to have
an important influence with the so
allied soldier vote at the congresslon-
al elections in the fall.
The senate resumes its work with
The railroad refunding and the foreign
iebt refunding bills as the important
nending legislation before it. Both OF
these measures have been passed by
he house.
Advocates of the railroad refunding
hill contend that no measure before
congress. so greatly affects the welfare
If American industry, agriculture and
business. A strong effort Will be
made to have the bill passed by the
senate in approximately the form In
which it was passed by the house
rhis measure is expected TO relieve
fhe railroads from the possibility OF
heing called upon Immediately fol
sums they owe the government tol
equipment and betterments during the
period of federal control
Realize on Securities
Al the same time its proponents In
sist. it would enable the goyernmen
IN realize on railroad securities it oh
tanned in the Wilson administrator
and those that might be taken in tht
funding of railroad obligauons 10 th'
-overnment. When the bill is debated
in the senate it's supporters will arSu'
that its enactment will put the rail-
rnode in still better condition to re
duce freight rates; that it would re
Iieva the treasury to the extent tina
railroad securities were absorbed D.
The investing public.
The foreign debt refunding bill Is o
primary importance because. 1t is said
every day Of delay in arriving at a
agreement with our foreign debtor
as to the terms of payment OF tn
sums they owe us, totaling approx
mateIy $11,O0O,O 900, is likely to compl
cate the situations because of undei
standings had in the meantime be
tween these nations
Pays Huge Sum
Pending an adjustment of our FOL
eign debt the United States is cary
ing and paying out of current revenue
load of approximately S5O0,00O,OO
per annum OF interest charges on sum
due us by foreign COVE tnments. 1t
asserted by congressional leaders tha
this country should know as soon a
possible how soon Europe can begi
10 assume a portion at least of hi
load we are now carrying on her az
count. The bill provides for a con
mission, headed by the secretary c
the treasury, whose duty shall be t
formulate the basis of settlement G
our loans to foreign governments,