New-York tribune., 1922-05-25
Beverid &c and
W atsOn Praise
Harding Record
Senator Tells Republican
Convention In Indiana
Bonus Will Be Passed
and Tariff 10 Aid Farm
Sees Reduction In Taxes
Asserts Rail Rates Must Be
Cut and the Workers.
Wages Be Rcclasssificd
Special DNpotcA 20 The Y,Snoss


lNDlANAPOLIS, May 24.-Thc hcav.
iesc oratorical artillery Of thc Rcruh-
Hcan party In Indiana was turned loose
to-day at TomEnson Hall, whore tho
state convention Of the party wa, ir
progress Nation wide interest cen
tered in the keynote address of Senator
James E> Watson. representing the cold
wing Of the party, and the one ot Al
bert j, Bovcridgc, Senatorial nominee,
former Progressive leader and winner
IN the primary over Senator Harry $.
New,
Complete and unqualified indorsc-
mont Of virtually cvcry act of the
Harding Administrations characterized
NC keynote speech Of Senator Watson>
! he Senator devoted almost his entire
address to praise OF the Administra-
ton. In addition, he declared; First
that a soldier bonus bill will be enact.
cd INTO law before the close OF The
present Congress; second, that railroad
rates must come down. and before
there can be = reduction in rates there
must be further reduction in railroad
wages; third, that the present tariff
blll VIII give agriculture its first real
protection and that the American val
uatlon plan eventually Will be adopted,
and fourth. that a ship subsidy should
be instituted
Harding Needs No Apologist
"This Administration does not need
any apologist; ali il requires is some
one 90 tell the story Of its achieve
ments," Senator Watson declared
He said those who say little has been
o1r,1t,- y 4 Z, 4
situation that confronted the Admin
istration when it first came into power.
He then pointed out tie expenditures
of the war, enlarging on the world wide
confusion that existed, the financial
condition OF the foreign powers. and
ending Wlth an attack on the Demo
cratic Admin stration.
Following his description Of condi-
tonS, Senator Watson told of the his
tory Of the present Administration.
speaking particularly of the budget
System, reduced appropriations, agri-
cultural relief and other legislation
Among agricultural relief measures
Senator Watson listed the urgency
tariff law. the export trade bill, the
packers bill, the grain exchange law
the law increasing the capital Of farm
loan banks, the authorization of the
increase OF interest on bonds, issued
b. the Farm Loan Board, the cstab-
hshment Of an agricultural inquiry
COMMISSION and the agricultural con
ference called by President Harding.
The problem Of the cN-service man
was next discussed by the Senator. He
declared the Administration is taking
care Of the disabled veteran In dis
cussing the soldier bonus Senator Wat
son pointed out that bill had already
NJ ba +, 4
bill in some form will be enacted
IN the Senate before the close of the
present Congress.
He declared the bonus viii not be
burden on The taxpayers and that it
eventually will be paid with the bonds
Of nations indebted to the United
States.
Praise for Tax Law
In discussing tax Legislation Senator
Watson declared the new tax law is in
fnitely better than the old one, but
he said ii probably would prove unpop-
ular. He declared the Administration
Is reducing expenditures and taxes
under the new law would be $780,
O00,0 lower annually. In this CON
nection the keynote speaker declared
that he is for a sales tax and he said
he voted for such tax. He said
A large part Of the speech was de
voted to the tariff. The Senator made
an argument for prote tective tariff and
endeavored to show how the proposed
law would be much better than the ex-
isting arrangement. He said that the
proposed law will give agriculture the
only real relief it has ever had and
that one Of the necessities for high
tariff is the depreciating Of foreign
currency.
The cancellation Of foreign debts was
strongly opposed by Senator Watson.
u am unalterably opposed to forgiving
one DOLLAR Of those debts he said. II
believe in collecting them in full At
the very earliest possible date"
Must Cut Rail Rates
In speaking Of the railroad situation
Senator Watson said: Before there
can be complete return to prosperity
in the United States railroad rates
must be reduced, and before railroad
rates can be reduced there must be a
further reduction in railroad wages.
Transportation charges absorb alto
gcther too much Of the value Of the
product transported, and the railroad
laborer himself feels the effect of it in
added cost of living.
RAILROAD wages viii not and should
not return to pre-war levels, but re-
ment and reclass sifications will
enable the roads to pay their skilled !
operators as much and their unskillcd
ess and yet lose nothing in efficiency