Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-10-16


of national interest.
"One must dissent from the too
! prevalent idea that our plan of con-
gressional government is not proving
equal to the strain of these times. The
most casual student of history, compar-
ing the executive record of the recon-
struction period following the Civil
war with that of the period following
that of the World war, must realize
| that we have gone toward lessenlng
partisan, factional personal and sec
tional strife in the law making process
| Whoever will compare the turbulent
J period of legislative and political his
| tory from the close of the Civil war
to the end of President Hayes admin
/ lstration with the record made since
| the armistice, four years ago, must
agree with this judgment He will find,
| in the earlier period, such commissions
as marked the impeachment of one
president, an embittered national cleo
| ton contest and a prevalent conflict
| between legislative and executive
| branches. Contrasted with that show
| ing, the business like fashion in which
| the sixty-seventh congress has ad-
J dressed itself to its huge task ought
| to inspire us with the conviction that
conditions nowadays are met quite as
fortunately as may be expected.
Compare With Other Nations.
''If it be urged that we cannot fair
! ly compare the conditions of one gen.
| Grafton with those of another then let
| there be a comparison of the progress
which our country has been making
since the armistice, with that of any
other major belhgerent in the World
war. 1t must be agreed that we have
come through this trying epoch with
| less of distress and disaster than many
others of the great powers.
so, whether the comparison is made
with our own experience in after
!, war reconstruction a generation ago,
! or with the experiences of the other
nations since the World war, 1t is clear
| that we have been most fortunate. The
sixty-seventh congress must be award
ed recognition for splendid achieve
ments along these lines.
| '.The two congresses serving since
the restoration of peace have been in
a worldwide initiation and deflation
period. Our country has done its part
| in this experience with even menace
| to our gold standard money system.
What other country has such record!
! Our governments expenses have been
reduced in a preparation unequalled,
/ think, anywhere else. Our debt has
/ been impressively reduced and policies
have been adopted which insure con-
| tinuing reduction hereafter. Our mill
tary and naval expenses have been re-
stored approximately to normal with
| promptness which is the more strik-
| ing if we contrast it with the expert
! ence of other nations which particl-
pated in the war.
| Praises Protective Tariff.
There is no need for detail con-
/ cerning the legislation which has been
passed by the sixty seventh congress.
/ In a time when wide differences in
producing costs and a well night uni
/ yersal tendency to erect barriers
against international trade were men
acing our commerce and industry, we
! have passed tariff legislation which
! first protects our own producers, and
! second, through its provisions for ad-
ministration adjustment of duties to
| changing conditions, makes possible to
adapt them to shifting economic rela-
| tions and enables US to encourage for
eign trade. In the present disturbed
condition of money exchanges and
world trade l believe that by lnaug-
urating this policy of flexibihty and
elasticity, we have set an example
which the commercial world will ac-
=
ton on which to rest our commercial
policy. The first duty is to protect our
national interests, but in many ways
real protection comes from co-opera-
ton with other nations. The best in
telligence of the day recognizes the
need to encourage intimacy and un-
| derstanding in the social, economic and
! political family of nations; and it
recognizes that, in thus inaugurating
! q plan which looks to intimate con-
sideration of the facts we are offering
a means of true unification and solidar-
ity among the interests which make up
! our industrial civilization and We are
taking a step toward the solution of
some of the most perplexing economic
I problems which confront the nations.
/ The last thing in our thoughts is aloof-
1 ness from the rest of the world.
mo other belligerent country has.
since the restoration of peace, reduced
| its expenditures so rapidly as has our
own. For the year ending June 81,
1920. our public expenditures aggre-
gated S6. .403, ,343, 900; year later 3d.
115. $4,000.
Ample Care of Veterans
For the fiscal year 1922, S3,3l3,-
GOT 600. This has been possible
through united and determined efforts,
Legislative and administrative, based on
the sound business policy of proper
budget organization. The appr0prla-
; tion for the army for the fiscal year
1922 % is less than one-third that for
the wear 1920, nearly as great
| reduction has been accomplished in
the navy. In all other directions, save
only in the provision for the care. of
those who fought for us, there has
been similar economics. In making
provision to care for the rehabilitation
of wounded. disabled and diseased men
| of the service no expense has been
shared that was necessary TO perform
the full national duty gratefully and
generously. The national fiscal policy
| has been directed to arrest the too
rapid deflation which had set in, and
to this end there has been a progress