anaheim-gazette 1919-03-27

LAST CONGRESS LEFT RECORD OF INCAPACITY DEMOCRATIC N. Y. WORLD SAYS COUNTRY IS LEGISLATIVELY BANKRUPT Majority Party Proposed Nothing and Refused to Act on Proposals of Republican Members. Policy of Obstruction. "The country is legislatively bankrupt," exclaims the N. Y. World in an editorial ecorating the do nothing policy of Congress. "It must be apparent," says the World, "to every American citizen who concerns himself with affairs in Washington that the Congress of the United States has ceased to function as a legislative body." * * Worse still, it has shown it is practically incapable of doing anything." This judgment of the Democratic congress by the leading Democratic organ of the United States is echoed in practically every section of the country and in every line of business. Probably no congress in American history has been confronted with more complicated governmental problems. Undoubtedly no congress in American history has ever shown itself either so incapable of handling such problems or so unwilling to attempt their handling. Over three months have elapsed since the signing of the armistice. The mains that the Democrats in control of the Senate have refused to act upon Senator Week's bill, and have also refused to bring before the Senate anything in substitution therefor. Meanwhile, if the purpose of delaying legislative action is to permit the executive department of the government to work out the reconstruction problems, the plan is not succeeding because the executive department of the government, in so far as reconstruction is concerned, is displaying the same masterful inactivity that the Democratic congress did. In the House the same policy was pursued. Representative Zihlman of the 6th Maryland district, introduced, early in December, a bill which was a counterpart of the bill introduced in the Senate by Senator Weeks. This bill was referred to the Committee on Interstate Commerce and there it remains, the Democratic majority refusing to take it up and make any report upon it. Congress expired on March 4th, with both of these comprehensive reconstruction measures proposed by Republicans in the pigeon-holes of the Democratic committee. One of the most pressing problems of reconstruction is disposition of the railroad transportation systems of the country. In his annual address to Congress, just prior to leaving for Paris to attend the peace conference, the President said he had no program to offer for the future of the railroads but he hoped Congress would formulate a program during his absence; that if it did not he would feel it to be his duty to restore the railroads to their private owners at a comparatively early date. The only Democratic program which might be called a solution—although so to characterize it would be a misnomer,—was that proposed by Director General McTax on incomes as a City Council was most. The taxes levied by sidered burdensome. 80 per cent of the coderived from a tax on about 7 per cent from which is assessed ad rent a business man space, thus enabling transact great volume a small office to escap finitesimal tax, while may have to pay 10 th proportion. The rem revenue of the city license fees and franchise John H. Leenhouts, Wisconsin, who came vation of the City strong plea for the im income tax. He express surprised at the freedom of certain busi porations in Canadian surprised also to learn corporations had acco possibilities so great taxation. It was ad property tax was a fa produce revenue cap ing governmental sol come tax touched the best be tapped. In W come tax had been years. On Feb. 28 New Yo the income tax, and was doing the same t The crux of the whether the tax could locally or by the state bouts was of the opinion could be administered commission. All stat were administered local analysis. In the State of Wis to the imposing of organ of the United States is echoed in practically every section of the country and in every line of business. Probably no congress in American history has been confronted with more complicated governmental problems. Undoubtedly no congress in American history has ever shown itself either so incapable of handling such problems or so unwilling to attempt their handling. Over three months have elapsed since the signing of the armistice. The knowledge that hostilities would cease in a comparatively short time was possessed by all well informed people for several weeks before the signature of the armistice. Yet the Democratic congress has done nothing to meet the problems of reconstruction which everyone knew months ago would soon confront the nation, and with which the nation has actually been face to face since November 11th last. The policy of "watchful waiting," of drifting, of waiting for something to turn up, of trusting to luck instead of exercising foresight, of resorting to expediency instead of practicing statesmanship—seems to be peculiarly a Democratic policy. Until within a few days of the date for the expiring of the present Congress not even a single appropriation bill had been passed. That this congestion was not unexpected is proved by the fact that Chairman Kitchin, of the House Ways and Means Committee made the statement several weeks ago that when the appropriation bills came up, Congress would have to pass them "with its eyes shut." The spectacle of Congress blindly approving bills calling for appropriations reaching the enormous aggregate of nearly $20,000,000,000, because owing to Democratic incapacity it had not been given time and opportunity to study the bills does not commend itself to the taxpayers who must foot the bills. No legislation was enacted covering the reconstruction and permanent status of the army or navy, and no legislation has been enacted, even of a preliminary character, looking to the solution of the labor problem. In a word, the Democrats in control of both Houses have produced nothing to show for the time they have spent since this session of congress convened in December. Worse, not only have they initiated no legislation of their own, but they have not permitted legislation proposed by the Republican minority to Paris to attend the peace conference, the President said he had no program to offer for the future of the railroads but he hoped Congress would formulate a program during his absence; that if it did not he would feel it to be his duty to restore the railroads to their private owners at a comparatively early date. The only Democratic program which might be called a solution—although so to characterize it would be a misnomer,—was that proposed by Director General McAdoo, prior to his resignation. This was a proposition to extend the present status of governmental control for a period of five years. This is no solution—it is merely a postponement of the day when it will be necessary to offer a solution, but it is the only concrete thing the Democrats have offered relative to the railroads. On the other hand, Senator Cummins, ranking Republican member of the Committee on Interstate Commerce, and long regarded as one of the best equipped students of the railroad problem, introduced a concrete program for the future operation of the railroads. This was referred to the committee on Interstate Commerce and there it remains without any action. So, in like manner, might practically every other problem of reconstruction be taken up and it be shown that the Democratic majority in both the Senate and House have not only refused to bring forth any program of their own but have refused to act upon concrete propositions offered by the Republican minority that they have not only miserably failed to initiate any constructive policies but they have assumed the role of obstructionists to every reconstruction proposal of the Republicans. Not only that but the various executive officers of the government clothed with practically unlimited power by the Overman law, are apparently making no headway in meeting the various critical problems which have been forced upon the country by the sudden return of peace. The War Department is in chaos. The Department of Labor is no better. Our foreign commerce still is paralyzed because of indecision in Washington regarding the policies which are to be pursued in the fields of foreign trade and because of the lack of shipping with which to accommodate foreign trade. Large industries, which turned themselves over exclusively to the manufacturers of war products are still On Feb. 28 New York received the income tax, and was doing the same task. The crux of the question whether the tax could be locally or by the state houts was of the opinion could be administered by commission. All states were administered local analysis. In the State of Wisdom to the imposing of the capital stock was less years that followed. That business rigidity from an income tax did not drive away businesses on contrary, while method of taxation and ability to pay, the increased. Business local government to profits to be derived from Mr. Leenhouts stated lieved the lowest point was best. He claimed better citizens to have stable helping to pay off their city. The war by making every one interested in the affairs munty or state they citizens. "HELLO, EUROPE" TELEPHONE How Turning a Screw of an Inch Made Hailions of Profits and Speech from the Limits A wireless telephone human voice may be ocean is more than a fact. When Bell fits telephone, do you supra of a wireless 'phone is unlikely. The magic carpet carry a man instantly to another, no matter. The magic telephone carry the voice instant more. And, inasmuch carries the thought and is the man, the telephone carries a man 2000 miles. The man of today, sings in Los Angeles, can be with his brain in Bea in New York, a hundred course of a single mo- Worse, not only have they initiated no legislation of their own, but they have not permitted legislation proposed by the Republican minority to be brought out of committees and given open consideration upon the floor of either House or Senate. For example, it has been over four months since Senator John W. Weeks, Republican of Massachusetts, introduced a bill calling for the creation of a joint congressional committee on reconstruction. This bill, introduced early in October of 1918, was based upon a study by Senator Weeks of the reconstruction plans which had been worked out by European countries, anticipatory of the day when peace should come. It was pronounced by students of the various problems which were to enter into a readjustment of all activities to a peace basis, to be very complete and very definite. Yet this bill was held in committee, the Democratic majority refusing to take action upon the matter or to permit the bill to be reported to the Senate without recommendation. It is intimated in well-informed circles that the reason of this policy of obstruction (instead of reconstruction), is because the President did not wish to have any legislative action upon the subject of reconstruction for fear it would curtail the unlimited and autocratic powers vested in the executive by the Overman law. This may or may not be true but the fact re- PLAN FOR INCOME TAX IN MANITOBA Expert Presents Strong Case in Favor of Project—Business Interests Deem It Inequitable. WINNIPEG, Manitoba.—Strong opposition has greeted the proposed tax on incomes which the City Council is seeking authority to levy from the provincial Legislature. Members of the Grain Exchange, the Manufacturers Association, and the Board of Trade appeared before the Law Amendments Committee of the Legislature, and declared that the proposed ANAHEIM GAZETTE tax on incomes as outlined by the City Council was most inequitable. The taxes levied by the city are considered burdensome. At present over 80 per cent of the city's revenue is derived from a tax on real property, about 7 per cent from a business tax which is assessed according to the rent a business man pays for his floor space, thus enabling brokers who transact great volumes of business in a small office to escape with an infinitesimal tax, while retail merchants may have to pay 10 times as much in proportion. The remainder of the revenue of the city is realized from license fees and franchises. John H. Leenhouts, tax expert from Wisconsin, who came here at the invitation of the City Council made a strong plea for the imposing of a city income tax. He expressed himself as surprised at the freedom from taxation of certain businesses and corporations in Canadian cities. He was surprised also to learn that Winnipeg corporations had access to revenue possibilities so great with so little taxation. It was admitted that the property tax was a failure, unable to produce revenue capable of maintaining governmental solvency. The income tax touched the source that can best be tapped. In Wisconsin the income tax had been in force eight years. On Feb. 28 New York had adopted the income tax, and Massachusetts was doing the same thing. The crux of the situation was whether the tax could be administered locally or by the state. Mr. Leenhouts was of the opinion that the tax could be administered locally by a tax commission. All state income taxes were administered locally in the last analysis. In the State of Wisconsin, previous to the imposing of the income tax, kept them about one-thousandth of an inch apart. Bell's idea, which gave him millions, which has enriched the human race by thousands of millions in saving time and labor, was that the electrodes must touch, but very faintly. He turned that screw one-thousandth of an inch and there was at once the telephone of today. That turning of a screw one-thousandth of an inch, that faint distinction between success and failure, between articulate whistling and shouting and useful, distinct, clearly heard speech, that turning of one-thousandth part of an inch this way or that, is something that happens in the lives of nearly all of us. There are thousands of human beings in this world, millions of them, with important messages for the other human beings, with emotions, moral sense and character that need expression. But something is the matter with the screw that puts the mind in touch with the outside world. And the message is never carried distinctly, it never reaches. In all of us there is something that might at any time be done, some effort of the will, some application of concentrated thought, some new idea, some effort, some reaching out, born of hope that will not be destroyed; some little turning of some screw in the brain one-thousandth part or one-millionth part of an inch, that might make of the man unheard, misunderstood, lacking the comprehension of his fellows, a creature as far above the man that he was as the telephone of Bell is above the useless telephone of the poor, disappointed schoolmaster. —L. A. Herald. ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA long list of plant material commonly known as florists' stock. Excluded plants may still be imported through the agency of the Department of Agriculture, in limited quantities to supply the country with horticides and necessary propagating stock, such entry being safeguarded by the highly-developed inspection and quarantine service which has been organized by the department. The conditions of entry of these various classes of plants and plant products are given in the regulations under the quarantine. A news letter giving more detailed explanations of the conditions governing importations still permitted shortly will be sent by the Department of Agriculture to all horticultural, nursery, and florist trade journals. Quarantine No. 37 voices the belief that the policy of practical exclusion of all stock not absolutely essential to the horticultural, floricultural, and forestry needs of the nited States is the only one that will give adequate protection against additional introductions of dangerous plant diseases and insects. It represents the combined judgment of the large body of plant experts of the United States Department of Agriculture and the much larger body of State experts, including the experts of the State departments of agriculture and horticulture and of the experimental stations. This quarantine, furthermore, was urged and is indorsed by the American associations of horticultural inspectors, official entomologists, and plant pathologists, by forestry and horticultural associations, and also by leading plant propagators. It represents years of careful consideration by experts of the department and of the several states and of interests concerned, followed by a large and representative public hearing, and ribution; contains a portrace; forest or national forestry of important development system; and benefit to "The merger scope for than we have S. Graves, in comment derer Foe available within ther available war work we have $2,500,000 $1,000,000 July 1. "Of the 000 is imminent 000,000 will There will o more frational For therefore coming ye can use it we can't will be ad On Feb. 28 New York had adopted the income tax, and Massachusetts was doing the same thing. The crux of the situation was whether the tax could be administered locally or by the state. Mr. Leenhouts was of the opinion that the tax could be administered locally by a tax commission. All state income taxes were administered locally in the last analysis. In the State of Wisconsin, previous to the imposing of the income tax, capital stock was less than in the years that followed. He did not think that business rivalry would suffer from an income tax. The income tax did not drive away big business, but on the contrary, with this fairer method of taxation according to the ability to pay, the business houses increased. Business must help the local government to pay for the benefits to be derived from business. Mr. Leenhouts stated that he believed the lowest possible minimum was best. He claimed that it made better citizens to have every one possible helping to pay for the upkeep of their city. The war has taught that by making every one personally interested in the affairs of the community or state they become better citizens. "HELLO, EUROPE!" NOW IS A TELEPHONE REALITY How Turning a Screw One-Thousandth of an Inch Made Hundreds of Millions of Profits and Freed Man's Speech from the Limitations of Space A wireless telephone by which the human voice may be carried over the ocean is more than a promise—it is a fact. When Bell first perfected his telephone, do you suppose he dreamed of a wireless 'phone in the future? It is unlikely. The magic carpet was supposed to carry a man instantly from one place to another, no matter how far. The magic telephone actually does carry the voice instantly 2000 miles or more. And, inasmuch as the voice carries the thought and as the thought is the man, the telephone actually carries a man 2000 miles in an instant. The man of today, sitting at his desk in Los Angeles, can work and he can be with his brain in Boston, in Chicago, in New York, a hundred cities in the course of a single morning. Soon this brain one-thousandth part or one-millionth part of an inch, that might make of the man unheard, misunderstood, lacking the comprehension of his fellows, a creature as far above the man that he was as the telephone of Bell is above the useless telephone of the poor, disappointed schoolmaster. —L. A. Herald. ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Publicity Board will Spend Half Million Dollars T. B. Talbert of Huntington Beach, chairman of the Orange county board of supervisors, attended the big banquet and meeting given by the Southern California publicity board at the Hotel Huntington, in Pasadena, Thursday night. The purpose of the gathering, which included prominent men of Southern California, was to discuss plans for giving this end of the State needed publicity and advertising. Through county taxation and assessment of business interests the board expects to raise $500,000 a year for a period of five years. The directors feel that half this sum should be provided by the taxpayers, through the various boards of supervisors and the balance by business interests which will be most benefited by publicity. Support was pledged by many localities at this meeting including Riverside county, represented by T. F. Flaherty; T. B. Talbert, for Orange county; James Gabbert, for Ventura, and C. E. Grier, for San Bernadino. The supervisors, under the law, may levy a tax for advertising of two cents on each $100. It is expected, too, that public donations will swell the total. UNCLE SAM EXCLUDES UNDESIRABLE BUGS Plant Quarantine Law is Strict in Its Provisions. The effective date—June 1, 1919—of Plant Quarantine No. 37 will mark the operation of new and strict regulations governing the importation into the United States of plants and plant products. The quarantine order has been promulgated by the Secretary of Agriculture to check so far as possible introduction of more dangerous crop enemies. Experts of the Department turbidity and horticulture and of experimental stations. This quarantine, furthermore, was urged and is indorsed by the American associations of horticultural inspectors, official entomologists, and plant pathologists, by forestry and horticultural associations, and also by leading plant propagators. It represents years of careful consideration by experts of the department and of the several states and of interests concerned, followed by a large and representative public hearing, and thereafter by several months of further investigation and consultation with principal producing nurserymen of this country. The number of known foreign pests awaiting entry to the United States is vastly larger than those which have already gained entrance, and the unknown quantity, perhaps more dangerous than the known pests, officials point out. The risk is illustrated by recent introductions—for example, the alfalfa weevil, the oriental peach moth, the Japanese beetle, and the citrus canker, together with such older importations as the San Jose scale, the brown-tail moth, the chestnut-blight disease and the white-pine blister rust. ROAD DEVELOPMENT IN NATIONAL FORESTS War Department to Furnish Equipment for the Purpose. The development of the National Forest road systems is given great impetus by the terms of the Post Office appropriation act which the President has just signed. Besides increasing by $200,000,000 the total fund available under the Federal-aid roads act, the new law makes available for expenditures by the Secretary of Agriculture $9,000,000 for roads and trails within or partly within the Forests. The law also authorizes the Secretary of War to transfer to the Secretary of Agriculture material, equipment, and supplies suitable for highway improvement and not needed by the War Department. While most of this will be distributed among the highway commissions of the states for use on Federal-aid roads projects, not to exceed 10 per cent may be reserved by the Secretary of Agriculture for use in building National Forest roads or other roads constructed under his direct supervision. The $9,000,000 fund may be used for maintenance as well as survey and The magic telephone actually does carry the voice instantly 2000 miles or more. And, inasmuch as the voice carries the thought and as the thought is the man, the telephone actually carries a man 2000 miles in an instant. The man of today, sitting at his desk in Los Angeles, can work and he can be with his brain in Boston, in Chicago, in New York, a hundred cities in the course of a single morning. Soon this condition may be extended across the sea to Europe as an every-hour commonplace event. Nottingham has done so much to free men from limitation of time and space as the telephone. And the hundreds of millions of dollars that the telephone has earned in this country are all due to the fact that Bell, the inventor, turned a little screw one-thousandth part of an inch in a certain direction. Long before the days of Bell, Reis a German schoolmaster was actually using a telephone of his own invention. That old telephone, although it would seem queer to you, and looks like no telephone at all, actually was to all intents and purposes the telephone of this day, with its transmitter and receiver. Reis could whistle, sing and transmit other interesting noises through his telephone. But it was impossible to speak through it. Reis' idea was that the telephone must be arranged in such a way that the electrodes did not quite touch. He wanted them to be as near as possible but he did not quite let them touch each other. He was sure that that was right and therefore the little screw connecting the two electrodes The effective date—June 1, 1919—of Plan Quarantine No. 37 will mark the operation of new and strict regulations governing the importation into the United States of plants and plant products. The quarantine order has been promulgated by the Secretary of Agriculture to check so far as possible the introduction of more dangerous crop enemies. Experts of the Department of Agriculture estimate that the losses caused by the pests already introduced, for the most part through the agency of imported plants, aggregate hall a billion dollars annually. Important provisions of the new quarantine are as follows: Requires permits and compliance with regulations for importation of lily bulbs, lily-of-the-valley, narcissus, hyacinths, tulips, and crocus; stocks, cuttings, scions and buds, of fruits for propagation; rose stocks for propagation, including Manetti, Multiflora, Brier Rose, and Rosa Rugosa; nuts, including palm seeds, for propagation; seeds of fruit, forest, ornamental, and shade trees, seeds of deciduous and evergreen ornamental shrubs, and seeds of hardy perennial plants. Leaves unrestricted, except in special cases, importations of fruits, vegetables, cereals, and other plant products imported for medicinal food, or manufacturing purposes; and field, vegetable, and flower seeds. Excludes all other classes of plants for propagation, including fruit trees, grape-vines, bush fruits, grafted and budded roses, forest, ornamental, and deciduous trees, ornamental and deciduous shrubs, pine trees of all kinds. Broad-leaved evergreens (such as azaleas and rhododendrons), and a still be important of the Department limited quantify with housing stock, guarded by the nation and quarries been organized of these varied plant regulations unforeseen letter explanations of importations will be sent by culture to all and florist causes the belief exclusion essential to natural, and for States is the adequate introductions cases and in defined judgment experts of the moment of Agriculture body of the experts of agriculture of the experi-quarantine, furious is indorseditions of horticultural entomoloists, by forest societies, and propagators. It useful considera-department and end of interests a large and hearing, and distribution; but in addition to this it contains a new feature of much importance. This new feature permits the Secretary of Agriculture without the cooperation of local officials to build and maintain "any road or trail within a National Forest which he finds necessary for the proper administration, portection, and improvement of such forest or which in his opinion is of national importance." In the view of forestry officials this law is the most important step ever taken for rapid development of a National Forest roads system, and will be of inestimable benefit to the local public. "The measure gives us much broader scope for a fully developed program than we have had before," says Henry S. Graves, Chief of the Forest Service, in commenting on the new law. "Under the Federal-air roads act we had available, for roads within or partly within the Forests $1,000,000 a year, available until expended. Owing to the war, which practically halted the work, we have an accumulated balance of $2,500,000 unexpended and another $1,000,000 which will become available July 1. "Of the new appropriation, $3,000,000 is immediately available, and $3,000,000 will become available July 1. There will also be available $400,000 or more from the 10 per cent of National Forest receipts. Altogether, therefore, we have in sight for the coming year about $10,000,000 if we can use it advantageously: Whatever we can't use advantageously so soon will be added to the $4,000,000 of the new money that becomes available the following year. "We already have our plans for approved road projects sufficiently shaped up so that a prompt start will be possible as soon as the weather permits. In some cases, however, these plans must necessarily be suspended on account of pending proposals for the creation of National Parks affecting National Forest lands. It would be obviously improper to expend the funds intended and voted by Congress for the development and protection of the National Forests on areas which may soon cease to be National Forests." "This legislation will not only make it easier to protect the Forests without costly expenditures to fight bad fires in inaccessible localities, but will also help enormously the many small communities and scattered settlers in for lack of roads. It will also enable and near the Forests who now suffer the construction of important trunkline roads crossing the mountains, with suitable provision of subsidiary roads. One result unquestionably will be a marked development of recreational use of these great national playgrounds with their wealth of too little known attractions. Altogether, the opening up of the Forests to more complete and varied use by the public, which is the fundamental object of their administration, will be tremendously advanced." Under the law preference is given to the employment of honorably discharged soldiers, sailors, and marines for the required labor. RETURNING soldier, exercising that good judgment all Americans do, got into the best civilian clothes he could buy when he got out of the best uniform any man can wear—the uniform of Uncle Sam. He came straight here and picked out, Value First Clothes, made by Michaels-Stern. JACKSON'S "MEN'S WEAR SHOP." YOUR MONEY'S WORTH ALWAYS Anaheim, California Value First Hats Value First Shirts Value First Neckwear WHY Everybody Eats at the Exchange Grill Excellent Service and Exchange Grill Excellent Service and Good Eating A. KLUEWER, Prop. High Pressure Power also a full line of hand power sprayers SENDFOR CATALOG of Pumps, Engines, Motors, Etc SMITH BOOTH USHER CO ESTABLISHED 1890 THE PUMP AND ENGINE HOUSE OF THE PACIFIC COAST LOS ANGELES