Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-08-17

| pleXity OF those confronting FIeSIueHt
Harding and his Republican Congress
| Scattered all about us at the begln-
+, ming of this administration was inc
wreckage of war. of extravaganza and
| incompetency, of abnormal interna-
| tional conditions We had passed
| through two years of public expendi-
lures on scale of profligacy almost
impossible to comprehend or believe.
| Our national debt had increased from
$1,000. 600, 900 to SIS. 0eG 100000 the In
terest on which equalled the entire
cost Of government before the war We
found the departments habituated TO
! extrava gance. the payrolls swollen
+, with thousands Of needless employees,
public business indescribably democrat
/ ICED, and losses from the shipping
| board approximating s16,U00,00O a
! month. The doors of our country
were open to the paupers and pauper
labor Of Europe and our bonds were
selling at IS cents on the dollar. We
! were at war with Germany, and on the
verge OF war with Japan. We found
the transportation systems Of the
country disorganized and bankrupt by
government operation, with traffic
rates so high as to cripple business.
We found a huge and increasing army
OF unemployed. with agriculture and
| industry. deep IN the shadow of depres-
sion. We found people bowed down
| by excessive taxation and the high
cost Of living, with no relief in sight.
/ We found certain fixed charges that
I; 4 y
mating $4,000, 600 600. that had to be
provided for by a Republican Congress
| before one cent was available for the
! running expenses Of the government.
We had passed through an orgy of eX-
! travagance. speculation and imitation,
and had come to the morning after, to
, the day of settlement when facts must
be faced, problems solved, and policies
determined. not in the pomp and glory
of war, but by months Of earnest COM
mittce work and legislation. On
March 4th, 1921, the Republican party
entered upon its difficult task of res
toration and rehabilitation.
Peace Resolution
| FIRST we put an end to the technical
| state of war with Germany and Aus
| tria. an act essential to the prosperity
OF our own country and the roha bilita-
| ticn of Europe.
immigration Restriction Act
/ Millions Of our own people being in
, idloness, and the country threatened
| with an immense food of immigrants,
as an aftermath of the war, we carly
enacted an immigration restriction act,
To-,
the volume Of this food of foreign hui
manity, that, IN lesser numbers. they
may be assimiatcd into our body poll
tic and taught cur national ideals and
the American conception of liberty
under the law.--that VIC may have in
truth and in fact. ono allegiance one
language, one ration, and ono fag.
The Budget
Ono of tho first acts of this Rcpuh
| lcan administration was the inaugura-
tion of n budget system, and the ap
plication Of scientific business methods
TO governmental estimates and cxpcn-
diturcs. Already it has resulted in the
saving Of millions of dollars to our
| taxpayers. and is TODAY under tho di
rection of distinguished Ma inc man.
| Brigadicr General Herbert NJ. Lord.
| Reductions in Appropriations
The national Republican platform
pledged reduction in expenditures.
Have VIC kept that pledge? The first
act of Republican Congress was the
! reduction of tho Democratic appropria-
tions of 1920 il such an amount as TO
save the taxpayers of this country the
sum of S940,00000O. From tho Dom
ocratic appropriations for 1921 and
1922, tho Republicans cut $3.50, ooo, 900
more, making total saving for the
three years Of s3.S9o0O0, ooo, or over
SOS each for every man, woman and
child in the United states.
The Republican party during the
first fiscal year of its stewardship, end
ing June 3oth last, has reduced ex-
pcnditures over $4,000. 0OO, 900 under
tho expenditures of 1920. and about
s1.750 600, 00o, 900 under the cxpcndi-
lures of 1921. It has reduced taxation
by millions, pali its bills, accumulated
surplus of over $500, 100000 and
reduced the public debt by $1,000, 0OO,-
600 Since MAY 81, 1919, We have re-
duced the public debt by nearly S.
600 100000. This represents an
achievement in economy, business sa-
gacity, and public service that is al
most incredible. Constructive econ
omy has ever been tho first thought
and the chief aim of tho present adj
mlnistration, because our statesmen
have realized that only by the difficult
road of wise economy can come recon
struction, rehabilitation and a return
to normally.
Agricultural Relief
Agriculture in the United States
is the basis Of all industry and the
foundation Of all prosperity. In the
process of dcfation necessarily follow
ing the war, agriculture was the first
to feel its full effects. Immediately
prices of farm products became 50
low that they did not meet the cost Of
production: Vet tho cost of everything
needed by the farmer, including tr2k.
sp"rtation and labor, remained at -
war level. Conditions became intolcra-
BILE. The impoverishment of the Ameri-
can farmer meant the destruction of
the purchas sing power Of one-half
our population and marked cur
ttailmont in the production Of the
necessities of life. To suppant
the iniquitous Underw ood- Simmons
tariff act, an emergency tariff on agri-
cultural products was Immediately
passed, an act Of untold benefit not
only to agriculture but TO the general
business of the country.