Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-04-06

v. S. Preventative SIMEON
D. TESS, OHIO, CHAIRMAN RE-
BLIcAN coNGREsSICN NAL
COMMITTEE.
OF the womanhood of the country.
This great piece of humanitarian leg
islation is the first of an ambitious
program of progressive legislation
espoused by women in their new
sphere of political activity
The Republican Congress enacted a
new taxation measure. This new
measure reduces during the current
year the public tax bill in the sum of
100000. 1t increases the exemp.
lions allowed the man of moderate in.
come; it repeats the nuisance" taxes;
all of the transportation taxes, which
were heavy burden upon agricultural
and industrial shippers; it repealed
the excess p"ofits tax and reduced and
revised the surtax.
In this connection it is interesting
to set down the actual reduction of
public expenditures which have taken
place since the Republican Party came
into control of the United States Con-
gress. The operating cost of the
United States Government in the year
1919 was SIS, 100000, 900 That year
the Republican Congress began to
function. 1t used blue pencil upon
the appropriations asked by the Demo-
cratic administration chiefs The op-
Grating costs Of the Government in
1920 were only $7,500O0O,000 The Re-
publican Congress continued to econo-
mlZe, and the cost Of running the Gov
eminent in 1921 was reduced to &c.
5O0,O00,000 Much of this was the
residue OF the Democratic administra-
ton. By close cooperation between
the executive departments and the
Congress in 1921, the expenditures of
the Government for the current year
are to be not in excess of S4,000,000,-
900, and economies which have been
put into effect give promise of cutting
this to $500, 100000. In connection
with this, Congress has enacted the
fOreign-debt funding law, which au-
thoriZes q commission to take imme-
date steps to place our loans to
foreign countries in collectible shape,
so that we may begin to receive the
interest and principal due US and
thereby still further reduce our do
nestle taxation.
In summing up, it may be stated
orfu in
1921, found the nation with her rela-
lions with many foreign countries
strained to almost the breaking point,
her fundamental principles under dis
cussion, her historic significance in
question, her population surfeited with
the profits of war and wild extrava-
gance her industries inflated by over
expansion from war demands, and
problems of reconstruction compl1-
Gated and imminent.
TodaS sees peace again established
with all countries, foreign relations re-
sumed with honor to ourselves and
complete justice to others, the finest
attitude of the world toward our morat
leadership as evinced in the arms con,
ference, a policy of proper regard for
the defenders of the nations rights,
an economic administration upon the
soundest principles of economy, a re-
duction of our public funded debt to
the amount of 100000, and re-
duction of our floating debt of $780,
100000, reduced taxation of over
three-quarters OF a billion dollars per
year, a rejuvenated agriculture and
industrial fabric sorely distressed by
the havoc OF war, the prospect of gen.
eral employment of American labor
in American industries, the only coun-
try which not only is balancing its
budget, but has really reduced the war
debt, has restored its credit, and dis
plays signs Of promise on all hands of
a resumption again of our happy and
promising stage which preceded the
Inauguration of the Democratic folbles
of the new freedom and policies of
suspicion and persecution of success.
Such is the achievement of the first
year Of the Republican administration
in control of both the executive and
legislative branches of our Govern
ment.
But it should be noted that all Of
this splendid program has been car
ried out in the face of the persistent
opposition of the solid Democratic
Party, which has attempted to defeat
every effort to rehabilitate the nation,
and which has opposed every measure
proposed, not because it had anything
to offer in substitution, but because 1t
is habitually the. party of opposition,
complaint and petty criticism.
The Republican Party gladly goes
to the country upon it's record of con-
structive work, confident that the
memory of eight years of Democratic
mierule is too vivid in the mind of the
public to leave any doubt as to the
decision of the American people as to
which party should have control of the
Congress during the critical period OF
nationwide and worldwide reconstruc'
ton.