The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-28
BONUS BILL WILL
 COST NATION TWO
 AND HALF BILLION
Houston Submits Estimate To- gether With Figures Showing
 Cost of Any One of Five Optional Provisions
By Associated Press

Washington, December N.-Apprexi- mately 2, on. .ooo.0oo was the estimate sub mitted today by Secretary Houston of the treasury as the cost of carrying out provisions of the soldier bonus bill.
 The treasury secretary presented his estimate to the Senate finance committee without comment other than to urge that no legislation be enacted which would lay an additional burden on the nation 8 finances. The estimate was accompa- nied by figures showing the cost Of carrying out any one of the five optional provisions Of the bonus bill provided all former service men chose a single plan. The figures for the various plans rangs from s1.342, ,o0O,0o0 for the adjusted pay provision to A,534 600 for the insur- ance provision. The maximum possible cost of the vocational training aid and the farm and home development plans were placed at q, ,8So 000,O0O each, while the secretary said the fifth provision, a plan for land settlement, held so many uncertainties that it was impossible 70 estimate the possible expenditure.
 COMMITTEE IMPRESSED
 Submission of the estimated total cost made an apparent impression upon mem bers of the committee, which is consider ing the bonus bill as passed by the House at the last session. Members declined to forecast the decision of the committee on the question of reporting out the measure, but 1t was recalled that Sena- tor McCumber, republican, North Da- kota, stated at the opening of hearings on the bill that it's passage would de- pend largely on the state of government finances and that MT. Houston had testi- fled that with normal expenditures the treasury would have a deficit of z. H.l00,- OOO,00O for the year ending next June D. and a deficit of q, 800, ooo.ooo for the fol- lowing F months.
 During Mir. Houston's testimony it be- came increasingly evident that the pres ent treasury administration does not de- sire either to advise or recommend with respect to legislation providing for great CT governmental expenditures. The sec retary made plain to the committee iia thought in submitting list of possible sources of new taxes in his annual re- port, saying they were for the informa- ton of Congress and were in no serfa more than suggestions
 SOURCES DECLINING
 Reiterating his opposition to revival Of the war finance corporation, MT. Hous- ton declared the present sources Of reve- nue were fast declining and added that he knew not where the money was 10 come from to meet the bonus payments  avoided discussing the additional taxes carried in the bill and designed to meet its needs, referring the committee firs' to the survey of the taxation problem in his annual report and explaining ne was unable even to prescribe ways oI raising revenue for the current needs without readjusting and revising present tax laws to produce more money.
 Dr. T. S. Adams, treasury economist and tax expert. at the suggestion of Mir Houston, gave the committee a complete statement of revenue obtainable from the various taxes suggested to Congress in MT. Houston's annual report. He pointed to many new courses which might be utilized, but explained that much of the question of raising tax levy centered first in the determination of a revenue policy which only Congress could provide.
 Dr. Adams also suggested to the com mittee that one of the greatest needs was, simplification of the revenue laws, statement concurred in by Senator Shoot, republican. Utah, who said there was an evident need for enactment or tax laws which the average man can