, 1922-06-08

sideration the Fordney Tariff Bill.
TO- before the Senate, Mr.. Mondell
made 1t his especial business to urge
wool rate on the secured wool con-
tent of the fleece and not only dis
cussed the matter with individual
members but appeared before the
Committee and was very largely in
fluential In securing the adoption
of the secured content tariff basis,
which had been SO long and so earn
estly desired by all Western WOOL
growers.
Emergency Tariff
At the beginning Of the First and
special sssion of the present Con-
gress NJ. Mondell urged and gave
his assistance a. Floor Leader to the
enactment of the Emergency Tariff
Act. which protects the basic asri-
cultural products Of the country. Be-
fore the expiration Of the period for
which the Emergency Tariff wa
first enacted he announced As Floor
Leader the extension Of the Emery
ency Tariff a. one Of the essential
features Of the Party program. and
when the Emergency Tariff Bill was
in conference he~was largely instru-
mental in securing the extension Of
the Emergency Act. to the time when
the new general tariff would take
effect. This extension to the date
OF the passage of the new tariff Act.
whenever that shall BE-. was of the
utmost importance and value to the
horticultural interests Of the country.
The Esch-C ummins Transportation
Act
Mr.. Mondell, like the great major
ity OF his colleagues. supported the
Transportation Act of 1920. which
restored the railroads of the country
to private operation and put an end
to the enormous drain to which Fed
eral operation of the railroads had
subjected the Treasury. Mr.. Mon
dell did not, however, approve all Of
the provisions of the measure. He
particularly did not approve some Of
the amendments made in the Senate
after the bill had reached hat body
from the House.
Mr.. Mondell particularly opposed
the rate making provisions of the
Senate bill. and especially those pro-
visions which became Section lisa of
the bill, modifying the rule of rate
making. Mr.. Mondell exerted his in
fluence earnestly for the rejection
of these Senate provisions, as did
most OF the House conferees in the
conference, but the Senate was very
insistent and the best that could be
secured was a modification OF these
provisions.
Mr.. Mondell's judgment in this
matter has been abundantly justified
by the opposition that has resulted
to what has enormously came to be
known In certain quarters as the
"guaranty" clause contained in the
proviso to the third paragraph OF
Section 15-a.. While Mr.. MondelI
has never beer favorable to either
this proviso or the remainder of the
paragraph, his objections to them
have been quite different from those
, Of certain members of the Senate
who. having supported these pro,
visions when the bill passed. now at
tack them on the ground that they
constitute a guaranty tending to in
crease freight rates.
Mr.. Mondell has pointed tut that
the so-called guaranty clause is in no
sense a guaranty clause, as proven
by the fact that the rates which have
been established by The Interstate
Commerce Commission under 1t have
only returned to the railroads an
income averaging about 8 per cen on
the value of their property as fixed
H., IL
sion, as compared with 5h named in
the provisO; and from the further
fact that the provisions of the pro-
viso actually expired by limitation
or the first Of March, 1922. Mr..
Mondell's objection to these pro-
visions are on the ground that they
complicate the rule of rate making:
contemplate a relationship between
the Government and the railroads Of
doubtful wisdom; and discourage
western railroad building. Mr.. Mon
dell believes that all these pro-
visions should be removed, not be-
cause they raise rates or constitute a
guaranty. but because they are not
wise for the reasons stated.
Progressive Legislation
While Mr.. Monde1l has persistent
ly declined to place the prefix pro
gressive" to his Republicanism. he
has nevertheless been forward-look-
ing and constructive in his views and
support of legislation. This is evil
denced by his support of the suffrage
and prohibition amendments to the
constitution, by his support of legis-
lation- such as thai for the rehabilita-
ton OF those injured and crippled in
industry, the maternity act, the en-
ployers' liability and the workmen's
compensation acts, his support Of
laws to prevent the exploitation OF