The spectator., 1921-08-26
DEMANDS OF THE GOVERNMENT MAKE REDUCTION BY CON-
 GRESS DIFFICULT.
BURDEN IS ON REPUBLICANS
Seemh sly Unavoidable Expenditures,
 Including Huge Sum for Shipping Board, Win Make Savings By Gen
By EDWARD 8. CLARK.

sentatves is facing the task of taxa tion legislation. The members are try ing to put good face on the matter, ! but taxation is looking at them with not altogether pleasing couutenance. | Taxation is an ugly customer. Con gressmen do not like to deal with it, and the people do not like ta have 1t dealt with although they know that the dealing herewith is inevitable.
 Congress has taken note Of what Chairman Lasker of the shipping board has said concerning his forthcoming ! request that congress appropriate i $500, 100000 to pay the boards eX- i penses for the coming fiscal year. The chairman's words were: This may 1 throw sand on the gears of taxation | revision. but l cannot help it."
 Every political party when it Is in | power looks dismal-eyed at the prob { lem of tax revision. Fairly definite | promises were made by both parties in their national conventions that the 1 taxes of the nation would be reduced l It turned out that It is the lot of the Republican majority to do it, Hcw is l 1t going to be done?
 There are those in Washington who easily can understand why the house put off tax revision until after It had finished with the tariff. IL was simply n case of poStponing the most disagree able and probably the most disappont | ing work that was to confront the jaw makers during the present session.
 Not only the probable request for l $500 GOO GOO for the shipping board, but n dozen other things have been drib- bling sand into the gears of the tax revision machinery. Congress has cut out adjusted compensation legislation at the request of the President. but in the earlier researches into what 1t was to cost to run the government. the bonus was given no consideration. Therefore the relief is not material.
 Makes Dawes Savings Look Puny.
 Here is Brig. Gen. Charles G. Dawes hard at work in the sweltering Wash ington weather trying to save money for the country, and yet every day he gets news which means that though
 he shall accomplish what the hoy called Herculaneum job, the results with dollar sign before them will ap- pear pitfully small when placed side by side with the enforced expenditures of government General Dawes will deserve just as much credit as If con gress were not compelled to spend its tun. and also its ton af good money, ! but it probably will be little bit dis couraging to know that the huge sum which he probably will save may ap- pear like shriveled shrub alongside of sequoia of compulsory eNpendi- lures.
 Members of the Republican majori- ty are asking themselves today how taxes can be cut with the demand for money which is constantly being heard through the hole in the cashiers win dow. There are expenditures which
 can be cut off. but there iS q day of reckoning for the government, just as there is for the small business man. | The administration through its Selec- l t
 those of which Dawes and Walter F. Brown are the chiefs, has done a,l that It can apparently to produce offsets against expenditures, but the grim fact remains that congress must make provisions for huge governmental eX- penses. and that in order to do it must make provisions for taxation
 Republicans Have Some Hope. ! The leaders of the Republican party seem to feel, and justly so probably, 1 that if they can make a showing of a ! reduction of taNation, relieving the ! burdens where they fall heaviest. not | only on the big fellow but on the little | fellow, they will he secure in the con ! tinued confidence of the country. At i the same time they know that taxa ton and other sources of revenue. if | there be any such, must produce suf- 1 ficient amount of money 10 meet in full | the running expenses of q big govern ment with all kinds of work in hand and with all kinds of debts 10 meet.
 Interest in taxation legislation is one hundred times keener than in any | tariff legislation. An American puts his hand in his pocket and draws out kcash when the tax collector comes round. He may lose some cash through the tariff. but he does not know much about il. Of course. also, he may gain little something through the tariff. but perhaps he knows less about this than he does about the loss.
 The house will put through tax legis- | lation under rule limiting debate. l The senate will talk taxes through the twilight and darkness of many days. ] If taxation could be talked to death