Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1921-07-21
The Record of Congress.
tst. Louis t-Dispatch.y

(St. Louis ost-Dispatch.)
Representative Mondell of Wyom-
ing, Republican floor leader, has made
a flattering report of the work done
by the special session of Congress. He
describes it, in sweeping praise, as tan
unexcelled record for efficiency and
we'll planned dispatch of business"
The statement would be interesting if
true, but, unfortunately, it is not true.
It's errata are apparent on the most
cursory examination of the submitted
list of things done.
At the head of the list, in the post
of honor, Mr.. Mondell placesthe tap
proximate net saving of $104, ,000,0 900
in the navy and army appropriations"
as their totaletood at the end of the
last session. Parenthetically, it should
be observed that the last session fail
ed to pass those bills, notwithstand.
ing the earnest pleading of Mr.. Hard
ing as President elect that those bills
be passed. And as matter of fact
they have not yet been passed. They
are still pending, though they have
progressed far enough for the people
to know the worst.
Does Mr.. Mondell honestly believe
that the people will applaud a Con-
gress for negligible saving on army
and navy expenditures that still ex-
ceed the total pre-war cost of our
Government?
Is Mr.. Mondell disingenuous when
he credits the, special session with
having enacted the budget bill, when
all it did was to make minor change
in the measure 80 as to remove the
constitutional objection pointed out
by President Wilson in his veto?
And when that miserable piece of
chicanery, the emergency tariff bill,
is pronounced great achievement,
along with the slovenly immigration
restriction bill, which will have to be
redrawn, and the impotent peace
Z resolution, the character of the Mon
dell resume is fully revealed. 1t is
the first stump speech in the cam
paign of 1922.
As items in the work done by the
special session several other measures
are mentioned; the bill toregulate the
packing industry, the bill for con-
solidating soldier relief agencies, for
amending the Volstead actto prohibit
medical beer, and the bill to regulate
trading in grain futures. Not one OF
those bills has been enacted-not even
"Volstead Junior'-yet they are pre-
sented in MIR. Mondelps statement as
of work done by the special session OF
Congress. Not only that, but there is
sharp division of opinion in Con-
gress on all those measures and pub
lie opinion is also divided upon them.
Finally, Mr.. Mondell cites as a
superior accomplishment the fact that
the permanent tariff bin has been re-.
ported and has invited comparison
between the present session and
previous sessions that had to do with
tariff legislation. In that challenge
the gentleman was inept. The last
Congress, previous to this, to enact
tariff law was the special session
called by President Wilson In 1913.
Regardless Of tariff views, and con-
sidering only the efficiency of Con-
gress, which is the point of the Mon
dell challenge, it is well known that
the Underwood bill was passed by the
House in less time than the present
Ways and Means Committee has con-
sumed before reporting the Fordney
bill.
But enough Of details. The fact IL
that the people did not elect this Con-
gress primarily to enact a tariff law
The people expected this Congress
first Of all, to correct the hastily
written wartime revenue Legislation
and to vitalize it's acts with drastic
economy in public business and ruth
less reduction Of Government ex'
penditures. The people wanted re-
lief from the burdens OF war from thil
Congress. No such relief has beeI
given, nor sincerely undertaken.
Almost three years have passed
since the war ended, during which
time the present majority party o
Congress has been in control. In al
that time Congress- has done literal.
and precisely nothing as regard
remedial revenue legislation.
That is the record.
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Republican Extravagance.