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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 13, 1921)
10 THE BEE: OMAHA WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13. 1921. r Text ot President I Supports Peace Pact With I Reservations to Guard U. S. Chief Executive Also Approves Declaratory Resolu tion to End State of War With Germany Says . Two Treaties Would Be Impossible Urges Readjustment of Tax Laws. 't Washington, ' April 12. President f Harding's address to congress was i as follows: T Members of the' congress: You ,j have been called in cxtraor Jinary j-. session to give your consideration to national problems fir too press J ing to be long neglected. We face ' our tasks of legislation and adminis- tration amid conditions as difficult l "is our government has ever content I plated. Under our political system the J people of the United States have '; charged the new congress and the new administration with the read- justments, reconstruction ar.d res'.r- I ation which mu.st follow in the wake v of war. It may be regretted that we were 'i ; so illy prepared for war's afterma.i '. so little made ready to return. o the ways of peace, but we are not to he discouraged. Indeed, we rcusi be ; the more firmly resolved to under- take our -work with higb iope and ' invite every factor in our citizen y ship to join in the effor to find our - normal, onward way again. 1 The American people have ap 5 praised the situation, and with 'i-at tolerance and patiencf which go with understanding, they will give to us $ the influence of deliberate public .- opinion which ultimately become! " the edict of any popular govern- ment. They are measuring some of V the stern necessities, and will join in the give and take which is so essen- tial to firm re-establishment, i. Home Problems First. First in mind must be the solution 5: of our problems at nome, even f- though some phases of them are in- separably linked with our foreign re :. lations. The surest procedure in v. every government is to put its own $ house in order. , I know of no more pressing prob-;-. Km at home than to restrict our na - tional expenditures within the limits if of o'ur- national income and at the same time, measurably lift the bur- dens of war taxation from the shoui dcrs of the American, people. One cannot be unmindful that economy is a much-employed cry, most frequently stressed in pre-elec- i tion appeals, but it is ours to make t it an outstanding and ever-impelling ; purpose in both legislation and ad , ministration. The unrestrained ten-' ; dency to heedless expenditure and r t!ie attending growth of public in & debtcdness extending from federal : authority to that of state and mu t, nicipality and including the smallest political subdivision, constitute the ' most dangerous phase of govern- mcnt today. The nation camiot re- strain, except in its own activities, ", but it can be exemplar in a whole i; tome reversal. - Gradual Liquidation. y The staggering load of war debt i! niu? t be cared for in orderly funding aud gradual liquidation. We shall 'ft hasten the solution and aid affectivc j'ly in lifting the tax burdens if we I strike resolutely at expenditure. It is far more easily said than done. In the fever of war our expenditures H were so fittlc questioned, the emcr C gency was so impelling, appropria ' turn was so unimpeded, that we little noted millions and counted the p treasruy inexhaustible. It will I strengthen our resolution if we ever ', keep in mind that a continuation of I- such a course means inevitable dis t aster. Our current expenditures arc run I ning at. the rate of approximately 95,000,000,000 a year, and the burden it -is unbearable. There arc ; two I agencies to be employed in corrcc- tion: One is rigid resistance in ap ? propriation and the other is the ut ' most economy in . administration. - Let us have both. I have already charged ' depart ment heads with this necessity, , I am sure congress will agree, and both congress and the administra- tion may safely count upon' the sup-. port of all right-minded citizens, be- cause the burden is theirs. The pres i; sure for expenditure, swelling the ; fiow in one locality while draining j. another, is sure to defeat the imposi k tion of just burdens, and the effect of our citizenship protesting outlay : will be wholesome and helpful. I wish it might find its reflex in econ omy and thrift among the people themselves, because therein lies quicker recovery and added security tor tbe future. - Must Have Revenue. v The estimates of receipts and cx- penditures and the statements as to the condition of the treasury which , the secretary of the treasury is prc- pared to present to you will indicate j what revenues must be provided in . order to carry on the government's ?. business and meet its current re s' qttirements and fixed debt charges. r Unless there are striking cuts in the important fields of expenditures, re 1 ceipts from internal . taxes can not safelv be permited to fall below ,J ?4,000,000,000 in the fiscal years 1922 '; and 1923. This would mean total internal tax collections of about . $1,000,000,000 less than in 1920 and , $500,000,000 less than in 1921. The most substantial relict from ijthe tax burden must come, for the ti present, from the readjustment of - internal taxes, and the revision or repeal of those taxes which have be come unproductive and are so artifi- cial and burdensome as to defeat j? their own purpose. A prompt and : thorough-going revision of the intern " al tax laws, made with due regard to h- the protection of the revenues is, in $ my judgement, a requisite to 4he re vival of business activity in this country. It is earnestly hoped, therefore, that the congress will be able to enact without delay a ,' revision of the revenue laws and such jj emergency tariff measures as are t necessary to protect American trade , and industry. . . Repeal of Excess Profits Tax. ' It is of less concern whether in . ternal taxtticn or tariff revision shall : come first han has been popularly imagined because we must do both, ; but the practical course for, earliest t accomplishment will readily suggest 4 itself to the congress. .We are com,- mitted to the repeal of the excess profits tax and the abolition of in equalities and unjustifiable exaspera tions in the present system. The country does not expect and will not approve, a shifting of bur dens. It is more interested in wip ing out the necessity for imposing them and eliminating confusion and cost in, the collecction. ' The urgency for an instant tariff emergency act in character and un derstood by our people, that it is for the emergency only, cannot be too much emphasized. I believe ni the protection of American industry, and it is our purpose to prosper America first. The privileges of the American market to the foreign pro ducer are offered too cheaply today and the effect on much of our pro ductivity is the destruction of our self-reliance, which is the foundation of the independence and good for tune of our people. Moreover, im ports should pay their fair share of our cost of government. Agriculture Menaced. One who values American pros perity and maintains American standards of waee and livinc: can have no sympathy with the proposal that easy entry and the flood of im ports will cheapen our costs of liv- f ,i ,M t - J . ing. ii is more iiKeiy 10 ucsiroy our capacity to buy. Today Ameri can agriculture is menaced and its products are down to prewar nor mals, yet we are endangering our fundamental industries throughout the high cost of transportation from farm to market and through the. in 'flux of foreign farm products, be cause we offer, essentially unpro tected, the best market in the world. It would be better to err in protect ing our basic food industry than paralyze our farm activities in the world struggle for restored ex changes. The revision of our tariff laws should be based on the policy of protection, resisting that selfishness which turns to greed, but ever con cerned with that productivity at home, which is the source of all abiding good fortune. It is a fact that we cannot sell unless we buy, but ability to sell is based upon home development and the fostering oi home markets. There is little sentiment in the trade of the world. Trade can and ought to be honorable, but it knows no sympathy. While the delegates of the nations at war were debating peace terms at Paris and while we later iebated our part in complet ing the peace, commercial agsnts of other nations were opening their lines, establishing their outposts, with a forward look to the morrow's trade. It was wholly proper, and has been advantageous to them. Tardy as we are, it will be safer to hold our own markets secure and build thereon for our trade with the world. Business Basis Needed. A very important matter is the establishment of the government's business on a business basis. There was toleration of the easy-going, un systematic method of handling our fiscal affairs, when indirect taxation held the public unmindful of the federal burden. But there is knowl edge of the high cost of govern ment today and high cost of living is inseparably linked with high cost of government. There can be no complete correction of the high liv ing cost until government's cost is notably reduced. Let me most heartily commend enactment of legislation providing for the- national budget system. Congress has already recorded its be lief in -the budget. It will be a very great satisfaction to know of its early enactment, so that.it may be employed in establishing the eco nomic and business methods so es sential to the minimum of expendi ture. . .s "- ' r I have said to the people we meant to have less of government in busi ness as well as more business in government. It is, well to have it understood that business has a right to pursue its normal, legitimate, and righteous way , unimpeded, and it ( ought to have no call to meet govern ment competition where all risk is borne by. the public treasury. There is no challenge, to honest and lawful business success, but government approval of fortunate, untrammeled business does not mean toleration of restraint of trade or of maintained prices by unnatural methods. , It is well to have legitimate busi ness understand that a just govern ment, mindful of the interests of all the people, has a right to expect the co-operation of that legitimate busi ness in stamping out the practices which add to unrest and inspire re strictive legislation. - As we are to restore our onward flow of business, it is fair to combine assurance and warning in one utterance. Retail Prices Too High. One condition in the business world may well receive your in quiry. Deflation has been in pro gress but has failed to reach the place where it can be . claimed to the great mass of consumers. Re duced cost of basic production has been recorded, but high tost of living has not yielded in like pro portion. For example, the prices on grains and live stock have been de flated, but the cost of bread and meats is not adequately reflected therein. It is to be expected that nonperishable staples will be slow in yielding to lowered prices, but the maintained retail costs in perishable foods cannot be justified. I have asked the federal trade commission for a report of its ob servations and it attributes, in the main, the failure to adjust consum ers' cost to basic production costs, to the exchange of information by "open price associations," which op erate, evidently within the law, to the very great advantage of their members and equal disadvantage to the consuming public. Without the spirit of histility or haste, in accusa tion of profiteering, some suitable inquiry by congress might speed the Harding's 9. price readjustment to normal rela tionship, with helpfulness to both producer and consumer. A measur ing rod of fair prices will satisfy the country and give us a business revival to end all depression and un employment. Cost of Transportation. The great interest of both pro ducer and consumer indeed, all our industrial and commercial life, from agriculture to finance in the prob lems of transportation will find its reflex in your concern to aid re establishment to restore efficiency, and bring transportation cost into a helpful relationship, rather than continue it as a hindrance to re sumed activities. It is little to be wondered that ill considered legislation, the war strain, government operation in heedless ness of costs and the conflicting pro grams, or the lack of them, for restoration, have brought about a most difficult situation, made doubly difficult by the low tide of business. All are so intimately related that no improvement will be permanent until the railawys are operated efficiently at a cost within that which the traf fic can bear. If we can have it understood that coneress has no sanction for eovernment ownership, that con crress does not levy taxes upon the people to cover deficits in a service wnicu snouia De seu-susiam .-.g, innc will be an avowed foundation ois which to rebuild. Must Cut Rail Rates. Freieht-carryinsr charges have mounted higher and higher. unl:l commerce is halted and production is discouraged. Railway rv'cs and cost of operation must be reduced, Congress may well investigate ana let tne public understand wherein our system and the federal regula tions are lacking in helpfulness or hindering, in restrictions. The r maining obstacles . which are the heritage of capitalistic exploitation, must be removed and labor must join management in understanding that the public which pays is the public to be served and simple jus tice is the right and will continnic to be the right, of all the people. Transportation over the highways' is little less important, but the prob lems l elate to construction and de velopment, and deserve your most earnest attention, because we. are laying a foundation for a long time to come, and the creation is very difficult to visualize in its treat pos sibilities. ' The highways are not" only feed ers to the railroads and afford relief from their local burdens; they are actually lines of motor traffic in in terstate commerce. Motor Car Important They are the smaller arteries of the larger portion of our Commerce, and the . motor car has become an indispensable instrument in our po litical, social and industrial life. There is begun a new era in high way construction, the outlay for which runs far into hundreds of mil lions of dollars. Bond issues by road districts, counties and states, mount to enormous figures, and the country is facing such an outlay that it is vital that every effort shall be directed against wasted effort and unjustifiable expenditure. The federal government can place no inhibition on the expenditure in the several states, since congress has embarked upon a policy of as sisting the states in highway im provement, wisely, I believe, it can assert a wholly becoming influence in shaping policy. Witjh the principle of federal par ticipation acceptably established, probably never to be abandoned, it is important to exert federal influ ence in developing comprehensive plans looking to the promotion of commerce and apply our expendi tures in the surest way to guarantee a' public return for money expended. - Cannot Make Mere Gift. Large federal outlay demands a federal voice in the program of ex penditures. Congress cannot justify a mere gift from the federal purse to the several states, to be prorated among counties for road betterment. Such a course will invite abuses which it were better to guard against in the beginning. The laws aroverninDr federal &A should be amended and strengthened. i ne teaeraj agency of administration should be elevated to the importance and vested with authority compara ble to the work before it, and con gress ought to prescribe conditions to federal appropriations which will necessitate a consistent program of uniformity which will justify the fed eral outlay. I know of nothing more shocking than the millions of public funds wasted in improved highways, wast ed because there is no policy of maintenance. The neglect is not uni versal, but it is every near it. There is nothing congress can do more effectively to end this shocking waste than condition all federal aid on pro visions for maintenance. Highways, no matter how generous the outlay for contsrtuction, cannot be main tained without patrol and constant repair. Such conditions insisted on the grant of federal aid, will safe guard the-public which pays and guard the public against political abuse, which tend to defeat the very purposes for which we authorize federal expenditure. Water Tranportation Issue. Linked with rail and highway is the problem of water transportation coastwise and transoceanic. It is not possible on this occasion to sug gest to congress the additional leg islation needful to meet the aspira tions of our people for a merchant marine. In the emergency of war, we have constructed a tonnage equalling our largest expectations. It's war cost must be discounted to the actual values of peace, the large difference charged to the war emer gency, and the pressing task is to turn our assets in tonnage to an agency of commerce. It is not necessary to say it to congress, but I have thought this to be a fitting occasion to give notice that the United States means to establish and maintain a great mer chant marine. Our differences of opinion as to a policy of upbuilding have been re moved by the outstanding fact of our having builded. If the intelli gent and efficient administration under the existing laws makes es tablished service impossible, the executive will promptly report to you. Manifestly if our laws govern- First Message to Sixty-Seventh U. S. f I' I? - Jk Wrr,ert Jy - KarcLinci, , ing American activities on the seas are sucl as to give advantage to those who compete with us for the carrying of our own. cargoes and those which ought naturally to come in Americans bottoms through trade exchanges, then the spirit ofc Ameri can fair play will assert itself . to give American carriers their equality of opportunity. Co-Ordination Needed. This republic can never realize its righteous aspirations in commerce, can never be worthy the traditions of the early days of the expanding republic until the millions or tons of shipping which we now possess are co-ordinated with our inland transportation and our shipping has government encouragement, not government operation, in carrying our cargoes under our flag, over regularly operated lines, to every market in the world, agreeable to American exchanges. It will strengthen American genius and management to have it understood that ours is an abiding determina tion, because carrying is second only to production in establishing and maintainine the flow of commerce to which we rightfully aspire. It is nrooer to invite your atten tion to the importance of the ques tion of radio communication and cables. To meet strategic, commer cial, and .nohtical needs, active en couragement should be given to the extension of Amencan-ownett anu operated cable and radio services. Between the United States and its possessions, there snouid. oe ampie communication facilities providing direct services at reasonable rates. Between the United States and other countries not only should there be adequate facilities, but these should be, so far as practicable, direct and free from' foreign intermediation. Co-operation Urged. Friendly co-operation should be extended to international efforts, aimed at encouraging improvement of international communication facil ities. Private monopolies tending to prevent the development of needed facilities should be prohibited. Government-owned facilities, wherever possible without unduly interfering with private enterprise or govern ment needs, should be made available for general uses. - Particularly desirable is the pro vision or ample cable and radio services at reasonable rates for the transmission of press matter, so that the American reader may receive a wide range of news and the foreign reader receive full accotints of American activities. The daily press oi an countries may well be put in position to contribute to internation al undertakings by the publication of interesting foreign new. Aviation is inseparable from either the army or the navy, and the gov ernment must, in the interests of na tional defense, encourage its devel opment for military and civil pur poses. 1 he encouragement of the civil development of aeronautics U especially desirable, as relieving the government largely of the expense of development and of maintenance of an industry now almost entirely borne by the government through appropriation for the military, naval and postal a.'.- services. The air mail service is an apt initial step in me direction of commercial aviation. Regulation Necessary. It has become a pressing dutv of the federal gpvernment to provide for the regulation of air. navigation; otherwise independent and conflict ing legislation will be enacted by the various states which will hamper the development of aviation. The nation advisory committee, for aeronautics, in a special report on this subject. has recommended the establishment oi a Durcau or acronatics in tne De partment of Commerce for the regu lation of air navigation, which rec ommendation ought to have executive approval. 1 recommend the enactment of legislation establishing a bureau of aeronautics in the naval department and removing the restrictions on the personnel detailed to aviation in the navy. The army air service should be continued as a co-ordinate combatant of the army and its existing organ ization utilized in co-operation with other agencies of the government in the establishment of national trans continental airwavs and in co operation with the states in the estab lishment of local airdromes ana landing fields. Aid for Disabled Soldiers. The American people expect congress unfailingly to voice tlv; gratitude of the republic in a gen erous and practical way to its de 3.1 fenders in the world war, who need the supporting arm of the govern ment. Our very immediate concern is for the crippled soldiers and those deeply needing the helping hand of government. Conscious of the generous intent cf congress 'and the public concern for the crippled and dependent, I invited the services of a volunteer committee to inquire into the admin istration of the bureau of war risk in surance, the federal board for voca tional , training and other agencies of government in caring for the ex soldiers sailors and marines of the world war. This committee promp ly reported the chief difficulty ,to be the imperfect organization of gov ernmental effort, the same lack of co-ordination which hinders govern ment efficency in many undertakings less noticed because the need for promnt service is less appealing. This committe has recommended, and I convey the recommendations to you with cordial approval, that all government agencies looking to the welfare of the ex-service men should be placed under one direct ing head, so that the welfare of these disabled saviors of our , civilization and freedom may have the most ef ficient direction. It may be well to make such an official the director general of service to war veterans and place under his direction all hospitalization, vocational- training, war insurance, rehabilitation, and pensions. ' Much Attention Required. The immediate extension and util' ization of the government's hospital facilities in army and navy will bring relief to the acute conditions most complained of and the hospital build ing program may be worked out to meet the needs likely to be urgent at the time of possible completion. The whole program requires the most thoughtful attention of con gress, for wc are embarking on the performance of a sacred obligation which involves the expenditure of billions in the half century before us. Congress must perfect the policy of generous gratitude and conscien tious administration must stamp out abuses in the very beginning. We must strengthen, rather than weaken, the moral fiber of the beneficiaries and humanize all efforts so that re habilitation shall be attended by rc spiritualization. Department of Welfare Urged. During the recent political can vass the proposal was made that a department of public welfare should be created. It was indorsed and commended so strongly that I venture to call it to your attention and to suggest favorable legislative consideration. Government's obligation affirma tively to encourage development of the highest and most efficient type of citizenship is modernly accepted, almost universai.'y. Government rests upon th cbody of citizenship; it cannot maintain itself on a level that keeps it out of touch and un derstanding with the community it serves. Enlightened governments recognize this and are giving their recognization in policies and pro grams. Certainly no government is more desirous than our own to re flect the human attitude, the purpose of making belter citizens physical ly, intellectually, spiritually. To this end I am convinced that such a de partment in the government would be of real value. It could be. made to crystalize much of rather vague generalization about social justice into solid accomplishment. Events of recent years have profoundly im pressed thinking people' with the need to recognize new social forces and evolutions,' and to equip our citizens for dealing ightly with problems of life and social order. Favors Merging Departments. In the realms of education, public health, sanitation, conditions of workers in industry, child welfare. proper amusement and recreation, the elimination of social vice and many other subjects, the government has already taken a considerabh range of activities. I assume the maternity bill, already strongly ap proved, w ill be enacted promptly, thus adding to our manifestation of human interest. But these undertak ings have been scattered through many departments and bureaus with out co-ordination and with much over-lapping of functions which frit ter energies and magnifies the cost. Many subjects of the greatest im portance are handled by bureau within government departments which logically have no apparent re lation to them. Other subjects migli'. well have the earnest consideration of federal authority have been ne glected or inadequately provided for. Hazards and Beauties of Night Air Trips Woven ; Into Dead Flier's Report Posthumous Record of Lieut. Coney's Transcontinen tal Flight Reveals Story of Search at Night for Paths Through Rocky Mountains and Dan gers Encountered Three Miles Above s "Earth Solos to His Death. By GEORGE R. HOLMES International News Service Staff Correspondent Washington, April 12 The strange beauties and the well nigh incalculable hazards encountered in flying at night were never more strikingly , illustrated than in the posthumous official report of Lieut. W. D. Coney, the daring transcon tinental pilot, just made public by the Army Air Service. Lieutenant Coney made a record flight from California to Florida with but two stops, each being necessitat ed by accidents to his plane. He crashed and was killed on his return trip. The report which is now made public was written by Lieutenant Coney upon his arrival at Jackson ville. Had it been written 30 years ago 20 years ago it would have been put down as an excellent piece of imaginative writing and the action it chronicles wholly impossible of ac complishment. ; Into the stiff, stilted form of an official army report Coney managed to weave some of the beauties of those moonlit wastes that lay miles above the earth, and also some of the dangers such as coming out of a cloud thousands of feet up and finding a snow-capped mountain peak only a hundred feet below. Clouds Marred Start Scores of pilots have been killed in just such a way running full tilt into a mountain peak shrouded per haps in mist while hurtling through the air anywhere from 100 to 150 miles an hour. The report reveals that Coney s start on his ill-fated trip was not auspicious. It was raining and very stormv. he wrote, "the clouds black and very low. The last minute adjust ments and a rechecking of compasses were accomplished in a downpour ot ram. It was decided that as soon as the clouds broke to the '.vest I would take off and climb through the iioie and then turn on my course, Moon Above Rain "Shortly before 7 o'clock, a hole became visible in the west and I took the air. The ship was a little loggy and tail heavy from excess weight, but handled fairly well. circled once over the crow'd on the field, picking up their location by the numerous automobile lights. then began picking my way through the rain clouds. At 7:35 I had climbed above the clouds and was greeted by a bright full moon. The To bring these various activities together in a single department, wnere the whole held could be sur veyed and where their inter-relation ships could be Drooerlv aoDraised. wouia make tor increased effective ness, economy, and injustice of di rection. Jn creating such a denart ment, it should be made plain that there is no purpose to invavde fields which the states have occupied. In respect of education, for example. the federal government has always- aided them. .National appropriations in aid of educational purposes the last fiscal year were no less than sos.uuu.uuu. There need be no fear of undue centralization or of creating a fed era! bureaucracy to dominate af fairs better to be left m state con trol. We must, of course, avoid overlapping the activiHes by the sev eral states and we must ever resist the growing demand on the federal treasury for the performance of serv ice for w'hich the state is obligated to its citizenship. Would Probe Lynchings. "Somewhat related to the forego ing human problems, is the race question. Congress ought to wipC the stain of barbaric lynching from the banners of a free and orderly representative democracy. We face the fact that many millions of people of African descent are numbered among our population and that in a number of states they constitute a very large proportion of the total copulation. . ' It is unnecessary to recount the difficulties incident to this condition, or to emphasize the fact that it is a condition which cannot oe re moved. There has been suggestion, however, that some of its difficulties might be ameliorated by a humane . i . , :j a.i - ana enngnicnea consideration oi u, a study of its many aspects and an effort to formulate, if not a policy, at least a national attitude of mind calculated to bring about the most satisfactory possible adjustment of relations between the races and of rarh ran to the national life. One proposal is the creation of a commission . embracing represent. tives of both races to study and re nnrt on the entire subject. The nrooosal has real merit. I am con vinced that in mutual tolerance, un derstanding, charny, recognition of the inter dependence ot the races, and the maintenance of the rights of citizenship, lies the road to righteous adjustment. - , American Smelting Firm Announces Wage Reduction New York, April 12. The salat ied force of the American Smelting & Refining Co. will receive a 20 per cent cut in pay and wages of labor ing classes of between 30 and 40 per cent, effective June 1, it was learned officially tonight. Fifteen hundred meniDers oi me pvi-iitive force, whose annual sal aries total $3,750,000, are affected by the 20 per cent decrease. Approxi mately 12,000 wage-earners are af fected by the larger decrease, which, it was pointed out,' is based on the higher wages paid during the war emergency. Durability is the claim of its Eng lish inventor for a lamniated steel gear-wheel on the principle of the rawhide pinion. coast range of mountains was direct ly below, although entirely invisible from my position. Bathed in Rays. "The weather from Yuma east looked very bad, the clouds extend ing from the mountains up to at least 14,000 feet. Flying at 8,000 feet, I started to climb, as I had to have at least 12,000 feet to clear the mountain range northwest of Tucson, Ariz. The motor was working beautifully at 1,500 revolu tions a minute; the oil was steady at 30 pounds. The clouds were all around me, the ground being visible only in small patches through the clouds. The moon rays touched my plane only at intervals. I be lieved that 1,500 more feet would put me above the clouds and I con tinued a slow climb to reach the top. "Small lights began to appear through the broken clouds. Those I took to be towns along the South ern Pacifis. I was, flying now at 15,000 feet and the air was getting very rough and the clouds were thicker and heavier. Sandwiched in Clouds ,"At 16,000 feet I ran into a heavy snowstorm. Hoping to fly through it in a short time I continued on my course rather than lose time trying to go around. Shortly after 11:30 my compass began to act qucerly. It inclined to the left (I corrected on my controls wkhout result), then it made a number of revolutions, became quiet and re mained inclined to the left. "The air was very rough afld on account of the extra weight I found j;ffi.i,H tn Wirn wv balance. In fact, I did make two' complete turns before I realized it. "A few minutes later I put the plane in a glide toward the south cast, as I mnembercd seeing thin white clouds in that direction prior 10 entering the snowstorm. Soon 1 was out of the snow but sandwiched between clouds at 10,000 feet. Sheet of Snow. "The mountains ahead on rnnr( were almost touching my the uooer layer of clouds, while their base was ciivcxiiiJtvi m ...wuv. . annearcd to contain rain. Just be fore reaching the ridge I flew into down current of air and lost 700 or 800 feet altitude. Shoving my throttle full on I tried to regain my pltitude. but could' not. Turning sharply off my course, I headed north for ten minutes and found a hole in the clouds below me. A few minutes later I was. below the clouds st an altitude of 6,000 ' feet.' ; All charted landmarks had been wiped out, as my flying above and through the snow had made ir useless for mt: to check the country as I passed over. Soloing Through Canyon. "Getting under the clouds near the ground, I felt more comfortable. Picking the largest pass or canyon in sight, I started through toward the east. Here I ran intc a heavy rainstorm and was forced to throt tle my motor to 1.380 revolutions a minute to save the blades of the propeller. (Pelting rain will quickly knock a wooden propeller to pieces if revolving very rapidly. Raindrops will make dents in the hardest wood.) ' , "Going between the mountains was not so bad, but it did keep me worried as I did not know at what turn I would find a mountain stop ping up the exit to the pass. Guiding Stellar Light. "Shortly after midnight, I had flown out of the lain and mountains and was passing over fairly good country, hilly, but no mountains; the moon was shining through the clouds, adding greatly to my com fort. I opened my motor wide again and climbed back to 10,000 feet alti tude. The clouds by now Were bunched in heavy banks and from their position I judged my compass course to be the same as Yuma, with the addition of one point to take care of magnetic deviation. ': Fringes Mountain Top. "Flying under or over or around the clouds,' through them only when I felt sure they were light and small, I proceeded on. Once while bank ing to avoid a heavy ctoud center I noticed a .snow-capped peak less than 100 feet below and touching the cloud I was flying through. "From 1 to 4 a. m. I flew a zig zag course, checked by the plane's clock, and during this time I passed over several snow-covered ranges, through one small snowstorm and skirted innumerable cloud banks. At 4:30 I saw the first streak of the on coming day. It looked more like a reflection of the moon on the clouds than the rising sun. I was flying at 11.000 feet with the motor running 1,500. The country below was lall inir awav into barren foothills and looked most friendly after viewing the rugged peaks so long."- Continuing his report, Lieutenant Conev details how he was forced down at Bronte, Tex., and again at Dallas before reaching Jacksonville. Historic Log Invaluable. The log of his historic trip reveals that the total flying time elapsed be tween San Diego and Jacksonville was 22 hours and 27 minutes. The average speed was 97 miles an hour ar.d the maximum altitude attained 16.000 beet (about three miles above the earth.) A total of 150 gallons of gasoline was used, about 20 gal lons an hour, and 25 gallons of oil, about a gallon an hour. The reoort of the dead lieutenant will be invaluable in instructing fu ture army flyers in cross-country and transcontinental piloting. The wealth of experience obtained I., the trip which could not be incorporated in the orhcial report nas, or course, been irrevocably lost by his death. Congress Lifting Taxation Burden Urgent President Says Immediate Passage of Tariff Laws . to Protect Farmers Among Recommendations In Message to Coiigrcss. llilrato Trlhune-Omnhn IW I.nwl Wire. Washington, D. C, April 12. Restriction of natfonal expenditures and lifting of the burdens of .var taxation were declared by President 1 larding in his address to congress today, to be the most pressing do mestic problems. In outlining other construction policies,' the president urged imme diate Enactment of the emergency tariff legislation to benefit farmers. complete revision of the tanii laws, budget legislation, investigation by congress of the railroad situation with a view to fixing the responsi bility for present conditions, main tenance of an American merchant marine and investigation of "open price associations," which may have retarded the decline of retail prices ina degree proportionate to prices paid the original producer. Optimism expressed by many con gressional leaders regarding the pos sibility of a substantial reduction in the aggregate revenue to be raised from internal taxation is not shared by President Harding. The declara tion in the president's address to congress that "the most substantial relief from the tax burden must come, for the present, from the re adjustment of internal taxes and the revision or repeal of those taxes which have become unproductive and are so artificial and burdensome as to defeat their own ouroose was at variance with statements which have been made by Representative Mondell, republican leader of the j house; Representative Good, chair- I man of the house appropriations cemmittee, and other party leaders. Agrees With Houston. President Harding, in asserting that "receipts from internal taxes cannot safely be permitted to fall below $4,000,000,000 in the fiscal years 1922 and 1923" took a position exactly in accord with that of former Secretary of Treasury Hous ton and the experts of the Treasury department who have held over from the democratic administration. While the president made only a vague reference to the question of war debts, his remark relative to the $4,000,000,000 tax total gave reason to believe that he may not approve the policy advocated by ' many republicans that no attempt should be made to retire the float- . ing debt frc "; .urrent revenues, but i that the treasury certificates of in- f debtedness totalling more than $2, 500,000,000 should be funded into long term obligations and the bur den of the war debt passed along to a future generation. v Some members of the house ways aim means tiwiuHiuce were surpnscu at the president's estimate of needed J ' -..iA t.1! .L.i icvcuuca ciiiu wuuiu uoi peiieve inai . his $4,000,000,000 figure applied to "internal taxes" until they had ex amined the printel text of the ad dress. Big Cut Possible. Representatives Mondell, Good and others who have urged an actual reduction in the aggregate to be de rived from taxation, have estimated the total necessary revenues at ap proximately $4,000,000,000. but in this sum they have included $500,000,000 from postal receipts, $500,000,000 receipts from miscellaneous sources, . and $500,000,000 or more receipts from customs revenue under a re vised tariff law. Their figures hav: indicated that total receipts from in ternal taxes need not be much in excess of $2,500,000,000 hereafter. Those who have counted on the reduction in the . aggregate from $4,000,000,000 to $2,500,000,000 have argued that the excess profits tax. the transportation tax. the luxury 'tax, soda water taxes, and the high est surtaxes on individual incomes could be repealed without any need of substitutes. The estimated rev enue from these various taxes against which most of the criticism has been leveled, would total about $1,000,000,000 for the next fiscal year. Under President Harding's pro gram it will be necessary to find $1,000,000,000 , additional revenue from other sources. In view of his close adherence to the policies as recommended by treasury experts, it seems a certainly that the admin istration will favor the raising of ad ditional revenue by either an in creased tax on corporations or a"" tax on undistributed earnings of corporations and by the levying of new excise taxes and the revision of some of those now included in the law. Of the $1,000,000,000 needed, additional revenue it is estimated that probably $300,000,000 or more will be obtained through revision of the tariff law. As was expected President Hard ing refrained from a comment upon the proposed sales tax or other pro posed substitutes. ExKaiser Refused Right To Accompany Wife's Body Br Tha Asmciatd Frrnn, 1 Doom, Holland, April 12. For4 mer Emperor William desired to ac- J company the body of Ex-Empress Augusta Victoria to the Dutch fron tier, but the government is said to have refused him permission. Should this prove true, he will follow the uuuj is A) a aai van" j " - Utrecht, to which place it will be taken in an automobile hearse. From Maarn the body will be transported to Potsdam in a special train. Since the death of his wife early yesterday, the former emperor has been over come with grief. Frequently he can not bear anv company and strides away into the park about Doom castle, where he paces to and fro alone. Frisco Hears Opera San Francisco, Cat., April 12. Th Chicago Grand Opera company opened a two eeks season today with Verdi s "Otello, Charles Mar shall, the American dramatic tenor; Rosa Raisa and. Giocomo Rimini singing the leads. . Y 'A
