Congress Day by Day Monday, December 7 Senate-Vice President Dawes presided. New members sworn in: La Follette, Jr., Wisconsin; Williams, Missouri; Robinson, Indiana. Credentials of Nye, North Dakota, referred to election committee. Thayer elected secretary. Halsey assistant minority doorkeeper. December 17 fixed for World Court resolution. Adjourned at 12:25 p. m. out of respect to deceased members-La Follette, Ladd, Spencer, Ralston. House-Nicholas Longworth, Ohio, elected speaker. He announced his program: For "responsible party government," against "bloc government.' By close vote of 208 to 196, House majority changed rule, so that 218 signatures, instead of former 150, are required to recall bill from committee. Chairmen of committees announced: Snell, N. Y., rules; Green, Iowa, ways and means; Madden, Ill., appropriations; Parker, N. Y., interstate and foreign_commerce; Campbell, Pa., enrolled bills; MacGregor, N. Y., accounts; Beedy, Maine, mileage. Chairman Green, ways and means, announced tax bill, H. R. 1, ready for consideration. Tuesday, December 8 Senate-President's message, delivered in writing, read by clerk. President transmitted foreign debt agreements with Italy, Belgium, Esthonia, Latvia, Rumania, Czechoslovak Republic. Senator Ashhurst presented memorial of Arizona legislature and governor, setting forth that the so-called Colorado River irrigation compact gave all water capacity of that stream to Northern Mexico interests, as an answer to the President's criticism that Arizona had failed to sign compact. Senator Walsh presented equity court findings in re Standard Oil and naval oil permits by Ex-Secretary Fall. Senator Moses introduced postal salary resolution. Several thousand bills and memorials filed. Senator King introduced S. 665 to repeal the President's tariff-making powers, granted by Fordney-McCumber Tariff. jority Leader Curtis introduced 200 relief and pension bills. Howell introduced S. 1 for government operation of radio and S. 2 to amend Esch-Cummins law and restore competitive railroad rates. McKellar introduced S. 713 to govern presidential, and congressional campaign funds. Jones (Wash.) presented resolution asking constitutional amendment for D. C. representation in Congress. Jones (Wash.) and Fess introduced proposed rules limiting debateforerunners of Dawes' idea. Norris presented his plan fixing third Monday in January for beginning terms of President and Congress. Committee to fix Ma status of Senator La Follette was deadlocked. Executive session took up about 1,000 recess appointments. House-Began consideration of tax bill, with general debate limited. McLeod, Michigan, introduced measure for reapportionment. Johnson, Washington, proposed abolishing Federal Trade Com mission. Tinkham, "wet," and Cramton, "dry," proposed to place prohibition enforcement employes under civil service. Taylor, N. J., would make armistice day a legal holiday, and Bacharach, N. J., would make Roosevelt's birthday a legal holiday. Chairman Green, speaking on tax bill, estimated the proposed revenue reduction at $325,736,000. Wednesday, December 9 Senate-Not in session. Committees on status of La Follette and credentials of Nye were in session. House-President transmitted budget statement, placing 1925 surplus at $250,000,000 with estimate of $262,000,000 surplus for 1926. His attitude on road appropriations was: "Purely a State matter and ultimately should be financed with State funds." But as National Government is committed to policy of Federal postal roads, “it is necessary to continue them for the present." Resolution was adopted to investigate credentials of Langley convicted for violation of prohibition laws. Debate was continued on tax bill. Thursday, December 10 Senate-The Vice President laid before the Senate sundry messages from the President, including reports of changes in customs districts, reports from Territorial possessions, aircraft board, Muscle Shoals, budget, shipping, Federal Power Commission; also, memorials from State legislatures of Minnesota, Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Alaska, Hawaii, Porto Rico. Senator Couzens presented parts 15, 16, 17, 18 of hearings in the investigation of Internal Revenue Bureau. Shipstead introduced S. 973 to promote price equality between farm and other commodities, and S. 974 to exempt homesteads from distraint and sale for income taxes. Copeland introduced S. 983 to admit wives of American citizens debarred by immigration laws, and S. 991 to amend the Tariff of 1922. Borah placed on the table S. Res. 74 to recognize the Soviet Government of Russia. Jones (Wash.) presented S. resolutions 77 and 78 to amend Senate rules. Harrison read press editorials on President, Vice President, and Senator Butler. Heflin made an extended speech criticizing Government crop estimates. House-House discussed tax bill under rule of limited debate. Chairman Green said the President praised the ways and means committee for its bill, except the inheritance tax provision. Green was "surprised that in this House there should be so much comment against the Secretary of the Treasury" (Mellon). "I stand by Mr. Mellon." La Guardia regretted he could not join "this feast of mutual admiration." Mellon plan to cut in half the taxes on $5,000,000 incomes did not fit well with the President's appeal for "starving orphans." Oldfield intimated, that, under a five-minute rule, little could be done to amend the bill in the House, but The Sim House-Tax bill had the floor. mons called attention to the fact that a heavy part of the income and inheritance wealth of a State like New York originated in the West or was collected from the public at large. Hence, Federal taxation of New York incomes and inheritances was just as a national measure, and was no injustice to New York. Blanton reported that the Texas committee fighting the inheritance tax in Washington had all their expenses paid by special interests. It developed that similar interests were working Iowa and other States. Saturday, December 12 of House The Speaker reported two messages from the President on aviation, and referred them to committees on Military Affairs, Navy, and Commerce. Consideration of tax bill resumed. Garrett opposed the provision to give the chairman of the Board of Tax Appeals a life tenure in office as against "the spirit and genius of the Government of the United States" (Applause). Victor Berger declared that the proposed bill would "promote the concentration of wealth and hasten the downfall of the system." It would cut the taxes 3,000 largest taxpayers $100,000,000 a year. It would help "big business" and "campaign funds." Tax reduction for "42 men" equals that for 2,300,000. Gilbert, Kentucky, attacked the proposal of the bill to abandon publicity of tax returns, as "unwise and un-American." Concealment "penalizes honesty." Frear's speech of the day before appeared in the Record, describing the "expert" work of the "Texas Tax Club," the "Iowa Tax Club," the "Georgia Tax Club," and the rest, with 15 newspaper men and 45 bankers and an undertaker to a club-the new "Mellon plan" of "tax reform"-all financed from Wall Street. Monday, December 14 Senate-Rabbi E. J. Jack prayed that Senators' "good thoughts" be "supported by the labors of many and become fruitful and useful to the common interest." Jones (Wash.) presented S. Res. 86, calling upon the War Department to give reasons for demand on Shipping Board to turn over certain merchant ships. Large batch of new appointments was confirmed. House Chaplain Montgomery prayed for "willing submission." Garrett, minority leader, discussing the tax bill, declared the conditions of the country did not warrant reducing the maximum surtax to 20 per cent. Mills, N. Y., defended tax reduction for large incomes. Oldfield supported Rainey amendment for a 25 per cent surtax rate. La Guardia favored 30 per cent. Hull and Davey supported the Rainey 25 per cent proposal. Ramseyer's speech, favoring a national inheritance tax, quoted Lloyd George, British conservative, as saying: "It is a piece of luck for anybody who inherits a fortune. I am sure that most of us would be delighted to pay 50 per cent if we could get the rest." Tuesday, December 15 Senate-Smoot presented six bills to S. confirm foreign debt settlements. 1136, the Italian debt bill, threw off all interest to 1930, charged only % of 1 per cent to 1940, 4 of 1 per cent to 1950, 1⁄2 of 1 per cent to 1960, % of 1 per cent to 1970, 1 per cent to 1980, and 2 per cent thereafter, on a debt settlement for $2,000,000,000. Latvia was required to pay 3 per cent to 1930 and 31⁄2 per cent thereafter, as were Esthonia and Belgium. Wheeler presented S. Res. 88, calling for investigation of industrial espionage through detective agencies; also, S. Res. 89, calling for Commerce Department report on Government-owned Alaska seal fur skins. Walsh presented the Locarno Conference treaties for publication in the Record. Edge made a 10-page speech against the Volstead Act. Bruce supported Edge for 2.75 per cent beer. Sheppard and Willis supported present law. McKellar protested against Federal waterpower policy of War Department-denouncing sundry permits. House-Mrs. Norton, N. J., made her maiden speech, supporting her amendment to the tax bill to exempt from taxes $5,000 incomes of married persons and $3,500 incomes of single persons, as a proper Christmas present to small taxpayers. Congressman Rainey thought that this proposition to relieve 2,300,000 persons of all taxes was going too far, but favored part of the exemption plan for married persons. Hawley, speaking for the majority, opposed both the Norton and Rainey proposals. Wefald took exceptions to Hawley's position. Hull and Abernathy supported the Rainey plan, Frear said the tax bill reduced Secretary Mellon's tax by $850,000, which was more than the total relief to 146,000 small taxpayers in Wisconsin. Rainey's amendment was voted down-31 ayes, 103 noes. Publicity of tax returns was demanded by La Guardia. Mills said publicity had ceased in all States where tried. Berger interposed by stating that he published the Wisconsin income tax returns in his paper. Griffin held there should be no secrecy in transactions between citizen and government. Guardia's publicity amendment was beaten-23 to 165. was La Wednesday, December 16 Senate-Bruce rising to question of personal privilege took exception to reported statement of Wayne B. Wheeler, to-wit: that the two "wet Senators," Edge and Bruce, had added nothing to the case of 2.75 per cent beer and had only revealed the "emptiness of their stomachs." Bruce's answer that Wheeler had revealed "emptiness of head." Ernst announced that the status of Nye, appointed Senator of North Dakota, had been postponed over the holidays. Cummins introduced S. 1734 to give the Interstate Commerce Commission control over motor vehicles. Reed (Mo.) presented S. Res. 91 to investigate foreign debt settlements. Smoot's request for unanimous consent to take up the six foreign debt bills was opposed by Reed (Mo.), Norris, Johnson, and McKellar. Aircraft bill was debated. House-Tilson presented H. Res. 50, giving full list of majority committee appointments. "Insurgent" members were placed at tail of innocuous committees. Wefald, Minnesota, was put at end of invalid pensions and patents. Wisconsin members brought up the rear of such committees as war claims, revision of laws, civil service, pensions, Indian affairs, territories, labor, census, and expenditures of sundry departments. Minority presented H. Res. 51, naming Democratic committeeships. Garrett gave list of 43 Republican members who had eaten crow on the House discharge rule. He quoted St. Paul for the benefit of Wisconsin members to the effect "the powers that be are ordained of God." Chairman Green held that any bill for foreign debt settlement should originate in the House, instead of in the Senate as asked for by Senator Smoot. Crisp and Blanton, of the minority, agreed. Rainey, attacking the tax bill, declared: "There is a God who doeth all things well in this world in spite of what you gentlemen stand for." Blanton, criticizing alleged lobbying of "Lame Duck" Mondell, for tax bill, quoted Roosevelt's autobiography, in which the former President said: "Mr. Mondell consistently fought for local and private interests as against the interests of the people as a whole." Sundry amendments offered by minority and progressives were rejected. Thursday, December 17 Senate-World Court resolution S. Res. 5, the special order, was supported by Swanson, of Virginia, in extended speech. Ransdell presented a resume of recent waterway developments. Copeland discussed the coal situation. Ashurst presented telegram of Governor Hunt of Arizona to Vice President Dawes, announcing the governor's veto of the so-called "Columbia River compact" giving irrigation rights to Mexican interests. House-The majority rejected the Frear, Huddleston, Drane, and Griffin amendments to tax bill. Said Lozier: "This is a rich man's tax reduction bill." Wefald charged Mills, N. Y., with "dominating this House." Rainey amendment to reduce automobile taxes beaten, 95 to 188. House adjourned to 11 a. m. Friday for final vote. Friday, December 18 was Senate S. Res. 93, by Senator Blease, to investigate violation of Volstead Act by foreign delegations, was referred to foreign relations committee. Lenroot discussed the Republican platform_on world courts. Walsh placed in the Record the data of the Mosul case. Smoot wanted the Record changed, quoting his former statement on the French debt; it was the Parmentier delegation, not Calliaux, who disavowed the debt of France to the United States. House-As the House assembled to pass the tax bill, Chaplain Montgomery prayed "Thy hand, so mighty and yet so gentle, is upon us. Preliminary to the final vote, Tilson filed data showing that the British rubber trust was levying upon this country $700,000,000 annually over and above a fair price. H. R. 1 thereafter had the floor. Chairman Green moved that all debate and amendments end in one hour. Finally, Rainey got the limit extended to 11⁄2 hours; he and Green dividing time. The denatured alcohol tax brought out a statement from Rainey that 50,000,000 gallons annually find their way into "bootleg channels" and threaten prohibition enforcement. Cutting down the tax as proposed in the bill, was favored by drug and liquor interests and opposed by the AntiSaloon League. Hudson brought out the information, that the patent nostrum lobby and bootleg industry wanted this proposed tax relief. La Guardia held that the tax cut on alcohol in the bill gave the bootlegging industry a "subsidy of several million dollars." It "will market a special Upshaw blend of pure hootch." Treadway was for the tax cut as an aid to the "Lydia Pinkham proprietary medicines." McReynolds said the provision represented the American Drug Association of 55 wholesale and 53,000 retail companies, whose medicines ran 20 to 90 per cent alcohol. Knutson said: "I know better than to ram my head up against a stone wall. The steam roller seems to be working very efficiently and I have no desire to be flattened out." After a long speech by Wood on the exploits of the G. O. P.all minority amendments being rejected -the bill passed with 25 nays and 12 not voting. The main test was on the Rainey motion to recommit-147 to 267. Saturday, December 19 Senate-Not in session. Borah and Walsh speeches on world court appear on pages 799-814 of Congressional Record. House-Mills moved a correction of the Record in regard to the Board of Tax Appeals. This board is increased to 16, salaries increased to $10,000, terms extended to 14 years, all may be appointed from one and the same party, and any member may resign and take up Amendments practice of the tax law. and protests on these features were "steam-rollered." Chairman Madden, appropriations, moved consideration of the Treasury and Post-Office appropriations bill, increasing the former from $763,000,000 to $867,000,000-10 hours for debate, Snell in the chair, reading of bill dispensed with. Vare opened debate with a eulogy of the distinguished chairman, Mr. Madden, and then declared the Volstead Act "a mistake," and "fundamentally wrong"; enforcement was too expensive. Byrns showed by figures that Republican administration had reduced appropriations to less than $275,000,000 a year below the war level. Oldfield brought out, that Wood's five minutes the day before had resulted in a speech over one hour long in the Congressional Record on politics not germane to the tax bill. Hull's speech, appearing in Record, attacked the prostitution of the Tariff Commission, the gift of $2,500,000,000 to Italy, the tariff levy of billions on farmers and consumers, and the narrow Administration attitude of tariff reprisal and favoritism in debt settlement, which restricted our export trade abroad and labor employment at home. Monday, December 21 Senate-Pittman, from committee on public lands, reported favorably S. J. Res. 4 suspending power of Federal Power Commission to issue waterpower leases on the Colorado River. Capper introduced S. 1907 to control sale and use of firearms in District of Columbia. McNary introduced S. 1910 to create a co-operative farm division in Agricultural Department, and S. 1911 for a farm export corporation. Walsh discussed the world court. Pepper suggested amendments. House-Snell presented H. Res. 59 to investigate British levy on U. S. rub-ber. Oldfield suggested it was retaliation for our tariff reprisal on foreign commerce. Hull called attention to the fact that our tariff rate on British goods had been raised from 19 per cent up to 32 per cent. Oldfield added that the resolution involved $4,000,000,000 of tariff taxes on American consumers. "Great Britain, Brazil, and the other countries are simply retaliating now against our people on account of the nonsensical, outrageous, damnable rates in the Fordney-McCumber Tariff law." (Applause.) Madden discussed at length the provisions of the Treasury and Post-Office appropriations bill. Tuesday, December 22 Senate-La Follette introduced S. Res. 99, calling upon the Secretary of the Treasury for corporation income-tax returns of coal companies. Couzens placed in the Record a statement regarding the Atlantic Gulf Oil Corporation suit for $5,000,000, exempting Justice Harlan F. Stone therewith. Pittman resolution suspending waterpower licenses on Colorado River was adopted. Heflin favored abolishing cotton exchanges. House-Committee on status of Langley, convicted of prohibition law violation, asked for more time. Blanton, discussing the prohibition enforcement provision of the appropriations bill, said: "If you want to enforce prohibition, take it out of the hands of Secretary Mellon and put it in the hands of somebody who believes in prohibition; put it in the hands of a man who is not interested in the liquor business; put it in the hands of a man who is not interested or involved to the extent of several hundred thousand dollars if he enforces the law." Amendments of "wet" member to prohibit prohibition officers from using disguises and deceit were defeated. House adjourned over holidays until Monday, January 4, 1926. What Is Industrial Democracy? NORMA [ORMAN THOMAS is the author of a new little book, which will "make you think." The following very illuminating review of it is by Henry W. Laidler: The struggle of American people in the past has been largely a struggle for political democracy. The struggle of the future, in America and abroad will be largely one against the autocracy of industry and in behalf of greater participation by the workers both in the ownership and in the control of the great industries of the country. In that great struggle the organized workers of the country are bound to take a leading part. Just what they are at present accomplishing toward that end, and what they bid fair to achieve in the future in this important fight, is vividly presented by Norman Thomas, Executive Director of the League for Industrial Democracy, and a contributing editor of The Nation, in his concise volume, "What Is Industrial Democracy?" just published. (New York: League for Industrial Democracy, 70 Fifth Ave., 1925, 60 pages, 15 cents a copy; $1.00 for 10 copies.) The volume begins by a statement of the case. "Democracy means," says Mr. Thomas, "in Lincoln's phrase, government of the people, by the people, and for the people; and industrial democracy is the application of this same idea to our economic life." The present economic order fails to live up to this ideal of democracy. (1) It lodges control in owners who are in great numbers absentees. (2) It is organized primarily for profit and not for service. Trade unionists, Mr. Thomas continues, have been a force in the past against the complete subjection of the worker to the owner of industry. The author describes the ordinary work of the unions in the control of shop conditions and follows this with an appraisal of such newer developments as the impartial chairmanship machinery, the B. and O. Plan, the Plumb Plan, the miners' proposal for nationalization, the labor education movement, labor banking, etc. An analysis of producers and consumers' cooperation, government ownership, employee representation plans, and the more theoretical proposals of the syndicalists, socialists, guildsmen, consumerists, and communists, make up the remainder of this thought-provoking volume. The more immediate program toward a finer civilization, Mr. Thomas believes, should include "(1) public ownership of basic utilities with democratic administration. This will require continued development of labor unions and the growth of a political party consciously based on the interests of the workers as opposed to the owners. At this moment the transcendent issue for us is the ownership of super-power which is rapidly creating a new industrial revolution before our eyes. If super-power cannot be socialized, and that promptly, the whole cause of industrial democracy will be indefinitely delayed. (2) steady development of workers' representation in private enterprises, but of workers given dignity and power by the backing of a labor movement bigger and more extensive than the organization of particular workers in particular shops." (3) The strengthening of cooperative enterprises. "While the new social order must be a growth," the author concludes, "it must be based on great and truly revolutionary conceptions of human freedom and fellowship. For while men must have bread, bread alone will not feed their hunger for beauty and freedom and fellowship and truth. In the quest of these things is the joy of comradeship and the satisfaction of the deepest impulses in man." This short volume combines the art of the skilled writer, the keen insight of the social scientist and the vision of the social prophet. It should be in the hands of all those interested in the struggle of mankind for a nobler destiny. Reed Gets Excited "I ask the champions of this new heaven, in which there shall be neither selfishness nor ill will, where exact and equal justice will be weighed out in the unvarying scales, and all men and all nations shall receive their absolute due, why not go into it? Why reserve something? If it be so fine and great a thing, why not embrace it? Why not take it to your bosom? Why not trust your fortunes to it? Why not give our country the benefit of these glorious things without reservations? The fact is you stand here confessedly afraid of the thing you tell the American people they ought to swallow-afraid of it, afraid to go into it-and you might well be afraid. You might well be afraid, sirs. I shall not argue this today, but at a later time, because this tribunal does have jurisdiction, because, as I shall undertake to show, in its practical aspects it does have a power of assertion, and because to employ a colloquialism -the whole "set-up" of the entire organization is for the enforcement of compulsory obedience. The body has gone so far that it actually took the preliminary steps to call on other nations for force to be applied in the Greek and Italian controversy."-SENATOR J. A. REED. "Under existing law the number of personal returns filed up to September 30, 1925, was 7,298,481, the aggregate net income reported $25,023,210,893, and the tax paid thereon $689,134,185, or at the average rate of 2.75 per cent. Compared with the previous year, the number of returns decresed 399,840, or 5.48 per cent, but the total net income reported this year is $183,073,529, or 0.73 per cent greater than reported in 1924, while the total tax paid increased $25,482,680, or 3.7 per cent. The average net income reported for 1925 is $3,428.55, the average amount of tax paid $94.42, and the average tax rate 2.75 per cent."-CONGRESSMAN HAWLEY. THE IMMORALITY OF IGNORANT VOTING Writing in the Kansas State News, Hon. Charles Stephens gives this advice: "If you should decide to try to learn facts about those in charge of our government, which are not published in the big daily papers, what would you read? What paper could you take which is not controlled editorially by New England's industrialists? There are two sides to every question and nearly all our big dailies give the New England side. Where may we get the best there is published on the other side? The writer recommends THE SEARCHLIGHT ON CONGRESS, published in Washington, D. C., by Lynn Haines, one of America's greatest students and writers along those lines. He tells what the big papers fail to print. It is morally wrong to vote ignorantly." During 1926 The Searchlight will try to do a better job than ever before. Your help is essential to its success. Subscribe now! Subscription, $2.00 a year. THE SEARCHLIGHT ON CONGRESS Lenox Building Washington, D. C. |