Evening star., 1924-12-31
Politics at Large
BIZ N. o. MESSENGER.

A
day between Senator Bruce of Mary
| land and Senator Pat Harrison Of Mis-
| sissippi. Up to the present time no
| effective diagnosis has been made Of
/ the condition of the Democracy pre-
senting a foundation for the applica-
ton of remedy for the patient.
| The Republicans, for their part, are.
| not worrying over the causes of the,
| anemio condition OF the Democratic
party but are grateful for the con-.
| tributions made to the Republican
vote last November, evidently from
Democratic sources. They are con-
tent to see the Democrats wrangle
over their depleted condition, and will
BE glad to fan the flames of their
1 discomfort
| The House is hard at work on
| the heavy task of trying to get the
| appropriation bills over to the Senate
| in time to have them revised by that
! body and passed before March 4. The
! bulk of the labor deyolves upon the
| House. because the bills are exam
ined in more detail In the body which
| initiates them. The Senate can pass
a big appropriation bill with a few
| hours deliberatIon.
| The prevailing opinion among the
! leaders In Congress is that no extra
| session Will be precipitated by failure
| of any Of the appropriation bills to
| be enacted into law. 1t has occurred
/ in the past that appropriation bills
| have failed through filibustering and
! a resolution continuing the appro-
| prations of the current year was
| passed to provide for the needs OF
the Government. No propositions are
| now in sight threatening a filibuster
| against any of the appropriation bills
| Chairman Madden of the apprOpri-
ations committee warned the House
on Monday that whether there is to
| be further tax reduction depends in
! large measure upon what the House
and Senate do with the appropriation
| bills. The running expenses of the
! Government cannot be much further
| reduced, he said. The bottom has
! been reached in many activities. Some
| will necessarily remain stationary at
present amounts for number of
years, others will necessarily go for
| ward.
Fresh buying in the military serv-
| ices will have to be made soon for
| current operation. An additional
! building program has been authorized
for the Navy. Unless further cur
| tailment takes place In Navy build
! ing by concerted international agree
ment we will be put to added ex-
| pense annually to keep up our al
| lOtted strength. There has been little
| or no building construction by the
| civil activities of the Government
| since the war. Many places in the
| United States are in need Of added
| public quarters to accommodate post
Offices and other public activities.
| While he never wants to see
recurrence of the former wasteful and
| unbusiness-like practices in the au-
! thorization and construction of build
! fngs, Chairman Madden does want to
! see proper quarters provided in those
places where the Government can
| save rents.
| Chairman Madden has a suggestion
| for the handling of the surplus when
| one accumulates in the Treasury pro-
| viding for an automatic return to
| the taxpayer. It Is to this effect;
that an act might be passed which
/ would not interfere with any. other
| tax legislation requiring the Secre-
| tary of the Treasury at the end of
| every fiscal year to report to the
| President of the United States the
! amount of the surplus, whatever it
| might be, II any, over and above a
stated working balance and then
/ dllci lHc receipt OI Indt report from
the Secretary of the Treasury the
| President shall be required to direct
| the Secretary automatically to re-
I turn to the taxpayer whatever that
| portion OF the surplus might be with
out any further application of law.
! That seems to me a sensible propo-
! sition that would be inaugurated in
any mans business if he were con-
| trolling the business entirely him
I Sa1f yr-l.r
| ernment of the United States should
not be conducted on as wise princi-
pies as that of any in the land
X x X X
Representative Madden took occa-
sion in the House to sound what he
called a note of warning to admins
trative offices about the classification
! of salaries in the District of Column
bia under the new law. He said the
| committee had recommended in it's
bills a modification Of the limitation
which the House upon its recommen-
dation adopted in the bills of last
session. The modification recon-
mended is to correct what is believed
to have been administrative abuses
| In several OF the departments.
| 1.-THE new law" he said, gives con-
| siderable administrative discretion
| to officials in the departments. We
have protected the integrity of the
law as far as we have thought It
wise and at the same time permitted
a fair trial of operation. want here
to sound a note Of warning to ad-
ministrative officers. They must
scrupulously follow not only the let
ter, but what they unQuestionably
know to be the intent and the tenn
per OF the Congress in the matter of
salaries 1t has come to my attention
that there is a growing tendency pre-
Ivalent now in a minor degree to mag
Nifty and exaggerate the Importance
attached to the duties OF some posi-
tions in order that they may be
! changed to a higher grade and in
that way obtain greater compensa-
| ton
x x (; x
| Friends in Congress OF the League
of Nations are expecting a revival of
discussion of the league consequent
upon the speech of Viscount Cecil in
New York upon the acceptance of the
| $25, 900 Wilson peace award Monday
| night. The speech was widely read
at the Capitol and was recognized
| as high grade propaganda in behalf
| of the League of Nations.
| 1t is not expected that this prop
aganda is going to result in any def
mite proposition for the United States
ever joining the League of Nations,
however. The voters have put their
distinct stamp of disapproval upon
such action on the part of this coun-
try. The League of Nations idea is
kept alive by the admirers of Presi-
dent Wilson, but the idea is recog
nized by politicians as being aca-
demic.
In the course of his remarks Wis
count Cecil quoted Mr.. Wilson as
having prophesied at one Of the meet