The New York herald., 1922-01-10

The legislative situation in Wash
ington for some time has been in
dire need of the White House confer
ence OF the Congress leaders held
on Saturday night with Mr.. HARDING.
A business house takes account Of
stock at regular intervals to see
where it stands on what has gone
before and what is the outlook
for what is yet TO come. A business
house could not get very far without
these careful surveys by its heads
and frank exchange of views about
is affairs
While the Harding Administration
,as had an extraordinary success in
getting down to work at the very
tart, staying on the job and show
,ng the country how it was fulfill
Ing platform pledges and campaign
pledges alike, the record Of Congress
has been far from as satisfactory.
Nothing at all has been done with
the tariff. except for the smatter OF
emergency duties on farm products:
the tax legislation has been more a
political expediency than an economic
performance; the problem of fund
ing of the foreign loans owed to US
has been football In both legislative
chambers, and altogether Congress
has so done things it ought not to
have done and left undone things 1t
ought to have done that the Ameri-
ran public is as thoroughly disap-
pointed with its score to-day as It
was cheerful and hopeful for it ten
months ago, when the Republican
party took control of the administra-
tive as well as the legislative branch
OF the Government.
The President has no desire TO boss
Congress, but the President cannot
helm knowing that national dissatis-
since last March is as marked as ma
tional satisfaction is with the Execu-
tive achievements. He cannot doubt,
as the public does not doubt, that for
Congress to go on as it has been
going simply means that the next
Congress election, less than ten
months away, will put large numbers
OF Democrats in the House seats now
occupied by Republicans, IL it does
not restore that body TO the Demo
cratic party, while the present ma
jority ranks in the Senate may be
dangerously thinned.
And Congress itself cannot fail to
realize that II the House of Repre-
sentatives should be taken from the
Republican party the Harding Ad-
ninistration could be stalled, just
when it had got under full headway
and was doing its biggest and mos.
valuable work for the country.
This is why President HARDING,
though reluctant 10 be put in the po-
sition of trying TO dictate to Con-
gress, must feel the necessity Of
psrntfng out to the legislative lead
efs ,ne urgent national demand for
closer purpose and better team
work than there has been between
the White House and Congress. The
Congress leaders themselves cannot
be blind to what difference there is
between public opinion as regards
the success of the Executive and pub
lie opinion as regards the failure of
the legislative branch. II they will
pattern their course after the ex-
ample of the sincere, sound and busi-
-csslike administration of President
HARDING there is yet a chance for
them to convince the righ, thinking
American people that they want to
live up to the pledges on which the
Republican party was put in full
charge OF the Government and that
thel know how to make good on
the.d. But there is no time to waste.