Show Americas America's Laboring Classes w Aided By Republican Party Army of Unemployed Reduced Burden of Taxes Lightened Immigration Re Re- Cost COlt of Living Lowered and War Menace Removed v. v S S. S REPRESENTATIVE EVERETT INDIANA MEMBER HOUSE COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMERCII According to estimates given out by bythe bythe the American Federation ot of Labor at that time there were between and wage earners out of ot employment employment em em- m. m when the Republican administration ad- ad ad ministration came Into power March 4 4 1921 This Industrial depression began early In the summer lummer of ot 1920 The Immediate problem before the Republican Republican Re Re- publican party was wal the return to normal normal normal nor nor- mal conditions Th underlying cause caule ot of Industrial depression was wal the prostration ot agriculture agriculture agri agri- culture brought broucht about by the radical curtailment of agricultural credits by bythe bythe the Democratic administration The American farmer buys 40 per cent of all manufactured products His desperate desperate des des- circumstances compelled Industries Industries Indus Indus- tries to curtail production and turn men Into the streets The Republican Congress Congre Immediately restored agriculture agriculture agriculture agri agri- culture to a healthy condition The farmer entered ered the market again as a buyer ot of manufactured goods The ranks ot of the unemployed began to decrease At the time the coal and railroad strikes were called there was wal a greater great greatS er demand for for laboring men than there w. w was a supply One of the most Important contributing In lag ing to factors the improvement of the unemployment situation was the early enactment by the special session of bf r the Republican Congress of the restrictive restrictive re re- Immigration law This was demanded by the laboring people of the United States Its enactment prevented prevented prevented pre pre- vented the Incoming of hundreds of thousands of ot immigrants Immigrant who would only hIVe have Increased the ranks of the unemployed and added to the Industrial industrial indus Indus- trial distress The previous Republican I can Congress had passed palled a similar law but It was vetoed by President Wilson The Republican administration came into power finding the burden of taxes ver very heavy The working man had bad to bear his hll share It was wal essential to his hla relief that the taxes be reduced The outstanding feature of ot the new tax law Jaw written by the special session lellion of the Republican Congress was WI an Increase increase in In- n- n crease creale of In the tax exemption of the head of every family who receives receives re re- an annual income of oi ot less In addition his exemption for tor children and dependents was doubled from to These Thele exemptions embrace practically all those on a aware wage ware or salary Ilary It includes over 4 heads of families in ordinary circumstances In addition the Ike new tax law repealed altogether the I nul nuisance lance taxes which working men had to pay on everything everywhere for everything they bought It also allo repealed all transportation taxes which were levied on all goods shipped by freight or express or parcel post I Such Sech taxes were added to the ultimate I cost coat of goods good I and in lu the long run were paid by the working men All told the new tax bill lifted from th the shoulders of the working classes ol of this country over oYer a year I According to a report issued sued by the th theU U U. S. S Department of Labor June 19 1922 the retail cost COlt of living was wa gradually reduced from March 1921 to the time the report was wal issued The living costs coma In no other nation in the world were reduced during this same lame time The sum lum and total of one year ol of Harding's Hardings administration so 10 far as it affects the working people has been the elimination of the problem of unemployment un employment except In tho those Industries affected by strikes reduction of taxes paid by the working clan cla classer e ei In a sum UI aggregating nearly nurl a billion dollar dollars the restriction of immigration a general general gen gen- eral pro program ram of lessened public expenditures expenditures ex ex- which Insures still further reductions in taxes tu an Increase of 1 15 per cent In the value of nf Liberty bonds bond millions of which ar are arll held hell by wage wage- earners and men Dlen on un act iM's iMs es e. a gradual grad ua ual reduction in III living co cot t. t s |