The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-03
9th CONGRESS
STANDS HIGH
NP(qITICS
Likely to Go Down in History
ais Reconstruction" Body.
Resume Of Its Work.

coming to an end today in fan
fare OF oratory and Iast-minute
confusion, will go down in history
as The Reconstruction Congress"
The Democrats may dispute the
title, asserting that little real re-
construction has been accomplished,
but the Sixty-seventh remains.
nevertheless, as the first Congress
elected since the war, and 1t con-
cerned itself for the most part
with matters that were incidental
to the war:
Praised by the Republicans and
heartily damned by the Democrats,
the expiring Congress has seen
more legislative fighting and more
forensic furore than any Congress
In recent history. 1t swept into
the Capitol on the crest of the
publican nnajorities in both House
fore. The Republican n1ajorities
were. in fact, too great for eff
Client party management, leading
to the establishment Of numerous
"blocsD and factions, OF which
the Farmers Bloc, composed of
Democrats and Republicans alike
is the most outstanding example.
Accomplished Much Work.
Regardless of partisan bicker-
ing, the Sixty-seventh Congress
bids fair to go down in history
Fas one of the notable ones. IF for
no other reason than the import
ance OF the work completed.
It established peace with Ger
many after the World War; it
initiated and approved the epochal
~ vAa in
the washington armament confer
ence, and It approved the -Four
Power Pact, binding the United
States, Great Britain, France and
Japan to maintain the peace of
the Pacific for an Indefinite num-
Der Of years.
Congress also provided plan
for settlement OF the $11.0O0,O 0O,-
900 war debts owed the United
States by European governments.
1t created an American Debt
Funding Commission composed of
three Cabinet officers and one
member each from the Senate
and House to negotiate with the
debtor nations terms OF settle
ment.
When Congress expired only one
such settlement had been reached
that with Great Britain, under
which the British undertake to
discharge their $4,000 ,000, 900 with
in sixty-two years at rate OF inter
est not to exceed 315 per cent.
These were the principal achieve
foreign affairs.
In domestic affairs it has dc-
cOmplished a tremendous volume
of work, covering a wide range
OF subiects-from taxes to beer.
Revised and Repealed Taxes.
One Of the first jobs tackled by the
new Congress when 1t came in on
March 4, 1921, was the revision of
tax laws. It repealed the excess
profits taxes, over the strenuous pro-
tests of the Democrats, and it re-
pealed the onerous luxury taxes,
which had been prolific Of consider
able complaint since the end of the
war It modified in various ways the
income tax law.
A budget system of running Gov
eminent expenditures was adopted,
doing away with the old loose system
OF lump sum appropriations for
projects Of all kinds.
No Congress in history ever en-
acted or attempted to enact such a
volume of relief legislation for agri-
cultural interests as did the Sixty
seventh.
Hard hit by the def1ation Of 1920
81, and the disastrous fall of prices
for farm products. the farmers de.
scended upon Washington en- bloc
and en- masse, demanding relief.
The country banks were filled with
paper and were loaned up to the
hiIt. At one time farm representa-.
tives appearing before committees in
Congress estimated that 100000
farm mortgages were in imminent
danger of foreclosure as result of
low prices, tight credit and all-around
depression.
Gave Birth to Farm BIOc.''
This situation gave birth to the
farm bloc" and, If for no other rea:
son, the Sixty.seventh Congress will
go down in history as having been
the father of this ambitious child.
Democrats and Republicans from
agricultural States joined forces and
showed through Congress a series of
bills aimed at easing the situation,
particularly as it affected credits
The War Finance Corporation was
given a new lease on life and more
cultural projects; the powers of the
Farm Loan Board were enlarged, and
everything remotely touching agri.
cultural interests was assured OF
leeway II it only had the support of
the farm bloc.
A great deal of this agricultural
legislation was showed ahead over
the indignant protests of party lead
erS, but the bloc was numerically
powerful enough and determined
enough to jam program through, ir.
respective Of party discipline and
control.
President Harding exercised his
veto power on two important meas
ures-the soldiers bonus bill, which
had passed the House by to l and
the Senate by q substantial major
icy, and the Bursum bill, which
would have increased civil war pen
sions. The House repassed the bo-
nus bill over his veto, but the ne
cessary two-thirds were lacking in
the Senate by a narrow margin of
few votes.
Tariff Act Is Far-Reaching.
The tariff act of 1922 is another
far-reaching piece of legislation for
which the Sixty-seVenth Congress al
ways will be remembered. After the
low-rate Underwood act. which had
been in effect for eight years under
Democratic administration, the Re-
publicans wrote and damned to en-