The spectator., 1921-12-09

are out of the way.
 There are thousands of veterans of the war who are opposed to bonus legislation, but the majority strongly Is in favor of it, and the American Legion is working through it's officials for a quick passage of the measure. Possibly one has no right to indulge in prophecy, but It seems clear to most Washington observers today that the bonus act eventually will be passed. and that it will be signed by the President.
 Every man in the senate and in the lower house watched the proceedings of the convention of legion men in Kansas City. The legion has speci- fcally declared against political man. itestations of its strength. but Wash ington realizes nevertheless that the 1 legion today in one sense is one of the strongest political bodies in the Uni ted States
 Tariff Measure Moves Slowly. Hearings on the tarif are in progress in d committee room of the senate The tariff was to have been disposed of long time ago, but the road to the passage of the bill has | been found clogged with the stones of opposition and roughened by the thank -you-ma ans" of criticism.
 Asked for an honest opinion as to | the date of the passage of the tariff l bill a supposed expert In prophecy said the other day that the bill would "hlow through" when the spring hepatcas began to peep above the earth. This means April. It was thought and even promised last spring that the tariff and taxation would be out of the way by Labor day, but every day on the two propositions seems to have been Labor day, and the end for one of the bills, at any rate is as yet afar off.
 This k not entirely the fault of the members of the majority party in con gress The Republicans seemingly wanted to put through tariff as fast as possible, but they found out that the customs viewpoint of today, even among many members of their own party, Is an entirely different viewpoint from that of the time of the Fayne-Aldrlch bill
 It is hard for side line observer to tell on which side of the contro- verSy lies the truth of what Is called the American valuation controversy. The house bill provides for tariff on imported goods on the basis of yalua- l ,f, ;,. ,It Af tho basis of the value abroad.
 Some of the great importing con- cernS of the United States, most of which also are retailers of goods, are bitterly opposed to American valua- tion. They have started what virtu- ally amounts to crusade against this elause in the tarin bill.
 ( importers Called Selfish K Some of the framers of the measure kn congress have retorted that the Ereat importers are selfish and that 'they are looking out for number one, .with no regard for the good of the .treasury of the United States, nor for that of the consumers of the coun- try. This Is to d considerable extent what might he called a teehn. cal mat ter. and perhaps nothing but a trial of the American valuation plan will show whether it will work for the good or the evil of the main body Of the peo- pie.
 Recently certain organizations of women have joined forces with the importers and have gone into the pub lie prints with statements to the ef- feet that American valuations will hurt the bargain hunters and also the buyer of goods outside of the bargain basemeuts. Of course the charge s made that the women have been de ceived. but no one knows definitely whether they have been wrongly led or not.
 The Democrats naturally have taken advantage of the delay in euaetiug the Legislation into law, and have charged the Republicans with not knowing what to do, and with doing things that they ought not 10 Go. The Republic ans for their part seem to have made up their minds that even if the prom ise of early enactment was made the country will understand the reasons for the delay and will not he inclined to hold the dominant party blame worthy.
 Found the Job Difficult
 At the very outset certain promi- nent Republicans in congress told their party men who were charged with the framing Of the bill that haste in the legislation would be uuwise. It seemed to be the thought however. of the actual framerS of the measure that tariff legislation would he as easy thing this year, as it was in other years They soon gave this thought over because they came face to face with the fact that with eco homie conditions in Europe as they were, and still are, it was going to be