The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-07-11
PUBLIC DEMANDS
LOWER TAXES
Congress Finds Itself In
Wrong by Putting Tar
iff First
BUSINESS MEN RI.
MAKE COMPLAINTS
Too Much Difference OF Opinion Over
Tariff - VIII Take Long Time TO
Reach Agreement - President Dis
turbed Over Mistakes of Congress.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

turned UNtE Va NOHSiV9S'
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
fSpecial Disnatch to The Reformer. |
Copyright 1921.
WASHINGTON, July 11.-Puhlic
opinion is making itself felt in the ma
tional capitol. The impotence of the
country over the failure of congress to
get started ON a program of tax revision
has penetrated both the legislative and
executive branches of the government.
Letters of complaint from prominent bust
ness men, most of them Republicans, have
reached congress and. while it is true that
the average man outside of Washington
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 pref
prencp given to consideration OF the tarlf
ahead of the tax question.
REPRESENTATIVE MOndell Republican
leader of the house. who Is as conSclen-
tious a public servant as the Repnbn-
can party has ever had. makes a point of
the tremendous labor the ways and means
committee has had before it in shaping
tariff bill. and argues that this same com
mittee could obviously handle only one
thing at q time The ways and means
committee. unfortunately. is charged with
the task of making both the tariff and tax
bills.
Nub of the Situation.
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
tha present situation is not that the ways
and means committee has been wasting
time, for it 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. congress misreadS pub
lie opinion it is really partly due to the
failure of the country to assert its wishes
Enthusiastically.
1t now becomes apparent that there are
serious differences of opinion on the tariff,
and that many of the advocates of a per-
manent tariff are in doubt as to whether
any bill enacted at this session will not
have to be changed in a month. as the re-
suit of constantly changing economic con-
ditions throughout the world.
Unanimous for Tax Cut.
As for the tax question, on the other
hand. there is no division of opinion
among the advocates of change in the
tax rate. Sentiment is perfectly unani-
nous. Rarely in recent years has n de-
mand from the country for action on a
legislative matter been SO universally ap-
proved. Indeed, there are no party lines
on the issue. Democrats must support
any proposal for tax reduction along with
Republicans. While the tariff. therefore.
is important, there never has been any
doubt among disinterested observers that
the country would approve of prompt ac-|
ton on the tax question ahead of tariff
revision. The truth is the agricultural
group in congress. as we'll as other MEM
hers representing class interests. have
demonstrated again that a minority which
holds the veto power in the government
can frequently threaten the majority and
can practically dictate the course that
shall be taken.
President Frankly Disturbed.
President Harding is frankly disturbed
about the situation. He realizes that
congress should have tackled the tax
question first. He indicated as much
when the problem was first submitted TO
him, but felt reluctant to insist upon his
point of view. He now wishes he had put
his feet down hard and compelled action
on the revenue measure ahead of the
tariff. On the other hand, there seemed
to be a. much noise made at that time
about tariff revision as taxes. The artc-
ulate element won over the inarticulate.
The mass of the people who had little
interest in the tariff question failed to
speak out about taxes. They took it for
granted that congress. after what had
been said in the last campaign. would re-
duce taxes at once without further re-
minder from the country.
House Will Rush Taxes.
The delay, however, has not been fatal.
The warning from the country has come
OPPORTUNITY. Congress is bestirring it
self. just as soon as the tariff bill is
voted on by the house, the ways and
means committee of the house will get at
the tax question. Meanwhile. the senate
will debate on the tariff. President Hard
ing hopes that the discussing of the tax
bill in both the senate and the house will
not require much time. He. figures that a
tax bill can be got through both houses of
congress much more rapidly than tariff
measure.
In the first place there are not so many
changes to be made in the revenue law
and in the second place the chances are
that this time the revenue measure agreed
upon by house leaders in conference with
the treasury department and the White
House will not have to be rewritten in
the senate. A good deal of time may.
therefore. be saved. which under other
circumstances would be lost in the senate
The President hopes that the party will
caucus and get the tax bill ready by au-
tumn at the latest.