Evening star., 1921-12-03
The Country's Estimate of Con-
greSS.

STeSS.
The first session of the Sixty
seventh Congress has come to what
the New York Globe independently
calls IAN unwept end" But it is by
no means unsung, nor is it wholly
unhonored in the press. Popular it
admittedly is not, but, while its rec
ord is severely scored by many demo-
cratic and some republican papers.
it is also defended, to reverse, by
many republican and some demo-
cratic writer's
Representative Mondell is quoted
in the Kansas City Times Gnde-
pendent) as saying that the extra
session was one of the most diligent
and important sessions in history"
Mr.. MondelI says this, the paper eX-
plains, because he is the republican
leader in the House. Representative
Garrett, on the other hand, says that
nothing became the session so well
as its quitting. Mr.. Garrett says
that because he is the democratic
leader in the House" The verdict
of the country, the Times holds, will
be neither Mr.. Mondelfs nor MIR. Gar
/
be that the session, though an extra
one. was quite regular in its per-
formance." And yet, says the Pitts
burgh sun tdemocraticD. this partisan
exchange is more than ordinarily
significant, for few sessions have
combined so much that is good and
so much that is bad, and turned out
Heterogeneous composite or intel
ligence and stupidity, both tinctured
with vacilIation and bravado." as has
the one just ended.
However. republican Congress
which "disappoints the party in con-
troll SO sorely as to call forth sharp
criticism from such partisan papers
as the New York Tribune (repub-
lican) and the New York Herald Gin
pretty serious thinking" in the
opinion of the New York Post dnde-
pendent). For il has been "a Con-
gress of disappointments. the Knox
willie Sentinel independent demo-
cratic) thinks; after being called into
extraordinary session because of the
urgency and multiplicity of the
things that were to be done. 1t sat
from early April to late in November,
and excelled only in doing none OF
ills of the nation" the Wheeling
Register (democratic) adds, and it
has adjourned leaving the the nation
still SICK" with business staSnated
and idleness prevalent, for, accord
ing to the Albany Times-Union Gin
dependent), "it did nothing, or worse,
on every measure before it." Busi-
ness is the chief victim of congress
sional laxity, as many writers see IT,
for there was mo definite accom-
plishment as regards the tarln' ana
the revenue measure lis little more
than a makeshift," to quote the
Cleveland Plain Dealer independent
democratic). Further. in the opinion
of both the Plain Dealer and the
Fort Worth Star-Telegram Gnde-
tactics in dealing with the railroad
refunding bill have had a depressing
effect upon business. as the former
puts it. In short, complains the Cln-
cinnati Enquirer tdemocratic), niue
has been gained but the expert
ence," for 1.-THE whole of this year
is lost to productive industry, SO far
as gathering strength for the coming
year is concerned.
That, of course, is the negative side.
, In actual achievements this Congress
has been far from impotent, the
Sioux City Journal (republican) in
sists, because, as the Providence
Journal independently says, "the few
tended to, and the deck is thus left
fairly clear for the regular session.
The recent session faced one of the
most difi.cult jobs that any Congress
in the history OF the United states
has ever faced" the Baltimore Amer
lean (republican) declares, and sit is
pure folly to expect that a six-month
session could more than touch the
tremendous problems of reconstruc-
tion" that confronted it. Even SO, it is
none the less "a fact" the paper con-
tinues, that this Congress has sue
ceeded in getting a sound reconstruc-
tion policy started"
In addition, there is the large rec
ord of accomplishments" which the
Detroit Free Press independently
gives, in part, as followsi
Besides the tax bill are the grain
exchange and packers bill, the legis-
lation for financing agricultural ex-
ports. the budget bill, the good roads
bill, the maternity bill, the beer bill
and the emergency tariff. The Colom-
bian treaty was disposed of, peace
was declared and Congress had part
in calling the armament conference.
besides doing work in the direction
of reducing naval and Army expenses
without waiting for international
agreement"
The Wood Forbes Report.
l., Of 20 Uoad.