The Washington times., 1924-12-20
lcontlnued from F,Lrst Page.l

kANgANNANAA-SAA
the Philippines and become more
or less independent OF British rub
Der from the Straits Settlements.
However, the political situation in
the Philippines Ii so dubious and is
bound to be so dubious--in the mat
ter Of the continuance Of the
American occupation that American
investors do not come forward to
establish plantations in the Philip
pines.
Putting all these circumstances
together, a rapidly increasing mum.
Der OF people here hold that our
best policy would be to give The
Filipinos what they seem to want
and let them 90 their own indie
pendent way.
Certainly II the. President recon-
mended that policy to Congress it
would In all probability find a quick
acceptance.
Congress and Coolidge.
Passing from international sub
jects to domestic subjects, the at
tention Of the town il concentrated
largely on the eternal battle be-
tween the President and the Con-
gress--a battle now being waged
with varying results.
It seems likely that in the end
the President win get q chance TO
carry out his policy Of trying 10
lease our great power plant and
nitrogen plant at Muscle Shoals to
private bidder before falling back
upon Governmental operation OF
them.
incidentally It may be noted that
the debate on Muscle Shoals has
produced one new great Senatorial
reputation. Howell Of Nebraska
must now be added to the list Of
the Senate's great debating per.
Senator Howell's speech, advo-
eating Governmental operation at
Muscle Shoals, was a pain and a
scandal to this writer, who can
barely bring himself to believe in
Governmental operation of the ma
tional parks, but II was undoubted-
ly the most powerful defense Of a
Governmental operation proposition
that this writer has ever heard in
the Senate.
Graduate Of Annapolis.
Senator Howell is a graduate of
the Annapolis Naval Academy. He
is also q lawyer. He was for ten
years in the real estate and in
| surance business in Omaha. He
additionally Is an engineer. He
has been city engineer of Omaha
| and State engineer of Nebraska.
He subsequently for many years
| managed Omaha's water plant and
then established OKnaha's municipal
ice plant. He is a man, it will be
seen, Of great technical training
and of prolonged technical expert
ence.
His speech in favor of Govern
dealt only slightly, If at all, with
tistical proofs. IL was the speech
not Of an agitator, but of an engi-
neer and business man.
| This writer confidently prophe.
sizes that Senator Howell will be
the most formidable of all the
public ownership and operation
arguers in the United States Senate
during the immediate future.
| Nevertheless, in the matter Of
Muscle Shoals, Senator Howell
seems likely at present to have
argued in vain, and the President
seems likely to be allowed by Con.
gress to try to attract private
capital into the development of the
national nitrogen supply at the
Muscle Shoals site.
On the other hand the President
| seems likely to sustain a series Of
small-and sometimes perhaps.fair
| ly large-defects In the matter Of
strict adherence to the budget.
Bills Tempered with.
Each appropriation bill as it goes
through the House Of Representa-
tives contains deviatrons from the
budget. Sometimes these deviations
are in the direction OF more econ.
omy. Sometimes they are in the
other direction.
1t is further to be noted by the
tax.paying citizen that many bills
will be passed which are, not men
toned in the budget at all and
which may considerably impair the
bright vision which the budget holds
out Of large surplus in the Gov.
ernment's treasury at the end of
the next fiscal year.
The citizen is in this matter pre-.
/ SeuLeu With an OpLlcaI Illusion. First
Of all comes the budget with its list
of items and with It's totals Of
money to be spent and its calcula-
tions Of the amount Of money left
over.
Then, however, come many /,ms
which the budget has said noIning
about. These items glide through
the House and the Senate and eat
heartily into the surplus while the
tax-paying citizen is still looking at
| the budget.
An Illustration or this fact is to
be found in the omnibus pension
bill which at this writing the Senate
has just passed. Here is bill pro-
viding new pensions or increases OF
pensions for a multitude Of persons,
md It viii lcost much money, but
It is nevertheless quite outside the
budget calculations and allowances.
| In dealing with such things the
resident may suffer some defeats
in respect of his budget policy.
Also, unless the Senate can