Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-07
CONGRESS UNABLE
To CLEAR CALENDAR
IN THREE MONTHS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Ueased Wire Service to The Journal.)


tCopyrlght. III.
WASHINGTON, Tee. 6.-Three
| months from Monday the congress
| which has just convened must finish
its work or an extra session will be
called. Judging by the rate of speed
at which every congress moves rela-
lively little can be accomplished in
three months, but this will not pre-
vent a concentration of effort on
vital measures. What, however, can
be done and what will be done are
two different things.
The pubic may expect an attempt
to do many things, an attempt at
least to satisfy the restless mood of
the electorate, it's craving for some
thing positive. something curative.
President Harding has ready a
message full Of recommendations. He
knows congress can't act on them
all even if acquiescing in his point
of view, but the start must be made
some time and the record of the ex
ecutiVe must be made clear. So, al
though he knows he cannot get
through congress very much of any
thing in the three crowded months
ahead, he realizes that it is his duty
to lead, to take the initiative and to
begin a drive for the legislation that
must round out his presidential term.
An extra session is, of course, in
evitable. The only question is how
long after March 4 it can be delayed.
1t is incpnceiVable that with so many
problems untouched and so much I'M
finished business that congress
should have vacation from March
4 next to the following De cember.
For more than a decade congress
has been in almost continuous SEES
aion-rarely away from the national
capital more than month at a
time
First of all, Mr.. Harding wants
the shipping problem solved. He puts
this measure above all others in or.
der of Importance. But the so-called
short session of congress from De-
cember to March has the usual num-
Der Of appropriation bills to pass
which occupy at least sixty days and
often more.
Financial Problems
These bills cannot be rushed
through nowadays as quickly as in
the old days when the entire budget
of the federal government was a
billion dollar budget and a demand
for economy due to the widespread
drain of the income tax law on the
voters pocketbookt appropriation
bills must be infinitely examined.
There's a bigger problem, how
ever, than the mere balancing of a
budget this year. It's to find an
extra $500, 100000 to pay the deficit
which has arisen for the fiscal year
beginning next June. Additional
taxes would not be popular. And
yet revenues must be increased
somehow. The treasury department
hasn't announced any plan by which
it hopes to wipe out that big deficit
Probably it will be tempted to re-
main silent so as to influence con-
gress to economic still further. But
naturally there will be a demand
that the executive branch of the
government demonstrate how the
deficit is to be met
One Of the principal reasons for
the deficit is the shrinkage of tax
receipts which is partially due to
the poor business conditions of the
early part of this year and the pre-
ceding year. But business condi-
tions are better now than they have
been, and the truth is there should
De a noticeable increase in revenues.
Nobody, of course, can tell how much
will be received from those sources
Nobody can estimate either how
much will be derived from the new
tariff bill, though it's sponsors are
not claiming that very much will
be brought in that way.
tlo 10 -,
are certain to be proposed IN the
extra session which will follow after
March 4. President Harding him
self has announced that ne isn't
satisfied with the present law. The
radicals who want the excess
profits taxes restored are eager for
an opportunity to have the whole
tax question reopened. But the SEES
sion which follows after March will
be close on the heels OF a presider-
tial campaign, and from a political
viewpoint it will be essential for the
administration to advocate downward
revision Of the tax laws rather than
increases.
The soldier bonus movement is by
no means dead and will continue to
press for attention especially if re.
vision of the tax laws is proposed.
On top of this is the demand of the
farmer for new agricultural credit
system, something upon which q.
congress could we'll devote all of the
next three months without feeling
that it had really scratched the sur
face of the problem. The manifest
unrest of the rural communities, re-
f1ected in so many districts where
Republicans hostile to the admins
tration were nominated and elected
has made deep impression on the
authorities here. Both parties are
NHNEE