His tenacity of purpose was fur
ther exemplified in his continual
hounding for economy in public ex
penditures, and again in his insist
ence that Congress pass the mer
chant marine aid bill with a view to
curtailing the continual drain which
the operation of the war-built com
mercial fleet had become upon the
treasury. His greatest single effort
in the field of domestic legislation
was in behalf of this measure.
oo-o
ltolc of Peacemaker.
Not infrequently Mr. Harding was
called upon to play the role of peace
maker in governuicnta; affairs. He
intervened in a dispute between Con
gress and the treasury as to the form
general tax revision was to take, and
the program he appproved was car
ried out in the main with a reduction
of more than half a billion -in the
nation’s tax burden.
Likewise, his counsel settled the
long controversy between the House
and Senate on the question of Amer
ican valuation In the tariff law. He
proposed in its place a flexible tar
iff arrangement under which the tar
iff commission was given authority
with his approval to increase or
lower rates within prescribed limi
tations. Upon signing the bill, the
President declared it constituted the
greatest tariff reform in American
history.
