Evening star., 1921-07-01
LACK Of WHIP HAND.
|MPEDES CONGRESS
Vital Legislation Delayed Be-
cause Of AimIess Course
Being Followed.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

The LIST of July is here and Con-
gress has failed to live up to the pre-
dictions made during the last cam
country would know how much taxes
they would have pay for the fiscal
year. which in so many BUSINESS con-
Germs begins today.
Similarly the 1st of July marks the
beginning Of the governments fiscal
year <and is always regarded as a
turning point. Therefore. it is not
surprising to and discussion today of
the progress the new administration
had made to date. and to note certain
murmurings inside and outside OF
Congress. and a tendency to pass the
blame from the executive end OF the
Avenue to Congress and back again.
The truth is that any one who be-
lieved the republicans would be able
to get a tax bill out of the way by
July / miscalculated the speed OF
Congress. The republican majority is
so big that IT is somewhat unw1eldy,
and the old fashioned method OF hav-
ing the two houses steered by lead.
ers in whom the rank and file would
have confidence has given way TO the
groups and factions. which have their
own leaders.
Patronage COnsumes Time.
President Harding has never abated
his desire for the prompt passage OF
Il tax bill. but it is one thing to hope
for speed from Congress and quite
another thing to get 1t, especially at
the start Of an administration. when
senators and representatives spend Sc
much of their time either getting new
Jobs for their friends or saving their
old friends from losing their jobs:
Congress has literally slid along
from day to day without program and
without aim. Nobody sits over Con-
eress and cracks the whip. The same
ieisureiy methods that have prevailed
for years are still in vogue. and SO
many measures are proposed by IN
dividual members that the main
things like the tax and tariff bills are
not pushed forward with the combined
energies of the members.
Party Pride Disappears.
The real trouble is that pride of
marty is disappearing. Time was when
a leader might rally the elements In
the republican party by calling upon
its members to uphold the reputation
smooth dispatch of public business.
ONLY the democrats used to be held up
to scorn as unable to handle legisla-
ton efficiently. So many groups have
arisen in the Senate and House that
instead Of pride of party there is In
it's place a pride Of individual opinion.
There is little regard for party har-
mony. A republican Congress. for in
stance, has just embarrassed a repub-
lican President and Secretary of War
by ordering that the standing Army
be cut down to 10000 men by Octo-
ber /, instead of next May. as origi-
nally planned. AS a consequence. the
government is placed in the position
of having to discharge men who en-
listed for a year. The government, in
other words, is obliged to break its
contract. The Secretary of War
thinks it would be stain on the
honor of the government to do so. yet
he is required by law to bring the
Army down to the size for which
money was appropriated. He cannot
keep faith with the enlisted men with
out violating a statute.
If a trooper deserts and breaks his
contract with the government, he is
punished. but the Army men now won
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