The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-06-20

sentiment which he had found out West,
particularly among Republicans who felt
that it was of paramount Importance.
that the tax question be disposed of with
out further delay.
The new administration in Washing
ton has not doubted the existence OF a
strong sentiment for tax revision but has
been unable, of course. to speed up con-
greSs because that body has thus far in
sisted on steering its own course.
But matters are growing serious. tie
publican leaders in various parts of the
country are worried. They know that
there is dynamite in the tax question,
they are even more concerned that con-
gress has evidently made little progress
toward solution, and here it is almost
midsummer when the whole thing was
TO have been passed and out of the way
The tangles in the tariff are local in their
effect and no one denies that discomfort
over certain proposed schedules Is caus-
ing considerable political ruction. The
insurgency of the Minnesota Republicans
who protest against the Fordney tarlH
on lumber is only the forerunner of n
series of clashes Between sections of the
| country as we'll as opposing interests in
the manufacturing, agricultural and
banking world.
Thus far President Harding has kept
ont of the general run of controversies
on the tariff but people on Capitol hill
| DellPNP he WIFI sooner OF tditT udNt 40
| take a hand and steer the ship. MIR.
Harding already has made it plain that
| he will insist on the tariff and tax bills
| this session and that while he would like
to see other measures like a new depart
ment of public welfare or a government
reorganization bill put through. he real
| ICES precedence must lac given the tarit
and taxes even though nothing else Is
| done on other bills.
| Mr. Harding is trying not to force ac-
ton. He is loath to do anything that
might seem to be dictatidn either in the
| WilSonian or RooSevcltian sense lie
would prefer that congress function un-
der its own leadership.
| But even tho leaders in congress are
not altogether sure that is good plan.
| They do not. of course. want To be forced
to do things against their better judg-
| ment they do not like TO be ordered TO
pass bill when there is a powerful SON
| timcut inside the party against 1t. but
| when the whole situation is more or less
| in confusion and members are pressing
| consideration of their own bills as
| against administration measures. it IS
| time for the leaders to get word of
| counsel from the chief executive.
So difficult has the whole situation be-
come incidentally that some of the Re
publican leaders who know Mr.. Hard
| ing's aversion to anything that may look
| like an instruction to congress are con-
! SlueTlng the wisdom OF Sending the steer
| ing committee of the senate and house
to MIR. Harding for advice. If the in
| itiative were consistently taken by the
leaders in congress they feel their consul
| tatiOns will not be subject to criticism.
| 1t is not merely on the tariff and taxes
| that conflicts have and will occur. by
| far the most serious situation before
congress today is the naval appropria-
ton bill. After slaShing the military ap-
preparation and insisting that the army
| be cut to 100000 men over the protests
lof General Pershing and Chairman Kahn
lof the house military affairs committee,
the naval program is similarly being
chopped up. The house insists upon go
ing further than the senate in cutting
down naval expenditures and while or
dinarily a controversy between the sen
ate and house over military and naval
expenditures is settled BY yielding TO the
| ecnatc's desires. this time the sentiment
in the. house is almost too powerful &c
be disposed Of that way. Most of tht
mcmbcrs of the Republican and Demo
cratic parties feel that their politica
lives are in danger if they do not cut
down government expenditures sufficient
~ to permit of a substantial reduction
| iii the tax rate.
The demand for economy is nOn-parti
san but the Republican leaders know
their party will be held responsible il
the next congressional elections Vic,
President Coolidge brought truthful It'd
ingS to the cabinet meeting. Some nc
ton from the executive to speed worl
on tariff and tax revision is certain t.
follow.