, 1922-06-08

ton be of benefit in a constructive
way. At he very outset Mr.. Mon
dell entered his protest against and
expressed his opposition TO the 80
called cost plus contract system. He
evitable waste and extravaganza Of
such a system. and its unfortunate
effect upon the business OF the coun-
try.
Responsibilities and Economics
When MIR. Mondell became Floor
Leader on May 10. 1919, a very great
responsibility was placed upon him
In the matter OF carrying out a pro-
gram Of economy and reconstruction.
The record OF economy made BY the
seth Congress- under his House Lead
ership was a most remarkable one,
and was only accomplished by earn
est and persistent. continuous effort.
During that Congress the reductions
in appropriations below the estimates
amounted to $1,46S.0Ss.6 09.74. The
program OF legislation announced by
Mr.. Mondell at the beginning OF this
Congress was carried out. so far az
the House was concerned. to the
letter.
RECENT LEGISLATION
Emergency Tariff
Mr.. Mondell was one OF the frs,
10 urge the prompt passage Of a tariff
bill protecting the products OF agri,
culture as an emergency measure to
meet the situation until permanent
tarifS royfoiop oo,,ld ho orno~pl}oha
He earnestly supported the emery.
ency tariff bill which was vetoed by
President Wilson. and when tn.
measure was again presented in thu
67th Congress. Through his in.
fluence with the House conferees HI
was largely instrumental in securing
the final agreement under which thu
emergency tariff was extended unit
such times as its provisions would b.
superseded by the permanent tariff
bill.
Tax Revision and Reduction
One Of the most difficult problem
confronting the Harding Administra
ton and the Congress was that o
reducing the tax burdens laid upoi
the people during the Wilson admin
istration, and the difficulty OF af
fording real relief was enhanced b.
the fact that the "o%verhang" OF liza
bilities growing out Of the war AM
war contracts proved to be vastl,
greater than anyone. had antici
pated.-the peak OF expenditure
looming a year after the Armistic
was signed. The problems involved
In tax reduction were taken Il,
promptly by the Administration an
by the Congress Immediately upon 1t
assembling on April 18th. 1921.
On April 4th. seven days befor
Congress convened. Mr.. Mondell pre-
sented to the Secretary OF the Treas
ury. and after a talk with the Sec
rotary, to the President, an outlin
OF tax reduction which opened wit
he sentence: What we should hav
is a lifting rather than a shifting O
tax b~urdens.'
4 Lifting and Not il Shifting of Take
This slogan, announced by NJ
Mondeil. that taxes must be actual
lifted from the shoulders of IN
American people and not merel
shifted from one class To another, BIZ
came the watchword of his efforts
But lifting rather thar a Shiftin
proved difficult. In fact, the Hrs
statement from the Treasury to tn
Ways 9and Means Commute" as l
probable and ~eXpend1tur"
seemed to leave no opportunity 10
auy considerable actual reduction II
the sum total of taxes, and a yer.
general shifting was proposed ana
wide variety of new taxes suggested
in lieu of the taxes it was proposed
TO repeal.
In this state OF affairs Mr.. Mondel
l]appeared before the Ways and MeanS
Committee in the presence or the
Treasury experts and presented an
estimate of receipts and expenditures
ander which it would be possible TIC
actually reduce the total of tax leVl"s
by approximately nine hundred mil
lion dollars. On President Harding S
return to Washington, three lays
later. after consultation with Secr"-
,ary Mellon, the President invited
Mr.. Mondell and the Republican
Members of the Ways and Means
Committee to the white House, II
there the Secretary of tn" Treasury
at the Presidents suggestion present.
ed a new set of estimates under
which a reduction of tax l'vi"S IN APP
proXimately the sum suggested ny
Mr., Mondcll was possible, This
cleared the atmosphere at once. Tn"
n .r.p1inn n"pfnmNhlIp- ana