New-York tribune., 1921-02-05

Joint Session of Steering
Committees Fails to Find
Means for Passage of
Needed Appropriations
Tells
Wishes OF Leader
Many Members Unwilling
to Vote ON Tariff, Pack
ers' and Calder Measures
By Carter Field


the whip and spur of their President
elect, whose power through patronage
is still undilated by appointments and
whose prestige sas the result Of his
tremendous victory in November is
still fresh, the Republican leaders of
the House and Senate to-day were un-
able to agree on the program he has
demanded.
The legislative jam remained un-
broken tonight after the joint meet
ing Of the steering committees of the
Senate and House. No plan has been
worked out whereby the appropriation
bills may be permitted to pass at the
regular session, thus clearing the
decks for the new Congress.
This was all that Mr.. Harding in
sisted on when he was here in Decem-
ber. At that time he was assured his
wishes would be observed. But yes
terday and to-day Harrv M Daugherty,
his personal representative and the
probable Attorney General in mis- Cabi-
net, worked in vain to get some agree
ment whereby this would be done.
This, the first impasse between Mr..
Harding and the Congress, is due to a
very peculiar situation. This situation
is simply and solely n repetition in
multiplied form of the condition which
confronted Congress during the fight
for the prohibition amendment. At
that time scores of Senators and mem
bers of the House secretly opposed
prohibition, but did not dare vote
against it because they believed the
voters of their communities would re-
tire them to private life it they were
wet.
Senators Bow to Public Opinion
The same Ia true to-day Of the So
called emergency tariff bill, and also
of thesfbill creating q commission to
regulate the packers. On the tariff
bill some of the big Republican lead
ers have been obliged by what they
believed to be political expediency to
advocate the measure, while down in
their hearts they want it to be defeat
ed. On the packers bill not less than
twenty Senator'S who voted for it in
vately that it will not have the effect
of obtaining cheaper meats for the
public or high prices for the live stock
raisers, but that the chief effect, if
the bill becomes law, will be to set up
another permanent government COM
mission with lot of fat jobs.
But these Senator'S feared that if
they voted against the packer legisla-
tion they would be branded as reac-
tionary back in their states during the
next campaign by opponents who them
selves had not been required to take
the responsibility of saddling further
Useless salaries on strained Federal
Treasury.
The same situation, members of both
houses realize, will apply to the Calder
coal commission bill, and half a dozen
ether pieces of legislation to which
large number of Senators and Repre-
sentatives are opposed, but against
which they fear to go on public record.
There is one remedy, as they see it,,
for the whole situation. This is a
legislative jam. The result is that
the jam has already grown to such
proportions that Mr.. Harding, perhaps
not having been informed as to the
actuating motives of those bringing it
about, has grown alarmed and sent
messengers with the hope of break
ing it.
House steering committee members
expressed anxiety to have the reappor-
tionment bill and the railroad debt bill
passed this session. They failed to get
any assurance that either would pass.
Strong opposition exists to the reap
portionment bill and it's passage this
session is doubtful. The railroad debt
bill, whereby the government would pay
the sums it owes the railroads in partial
payments, has strong Senate support,
but if it comes up it is likely to be made
the vehicle for general discussion of
the railroad wage controversy and all
that is involved therein.
After the meeting Of the steering
committees Senator Lodge talked things
over with Mr.. Daugherty, but the Sen
ator was unable to give any assurance
the appropriations could be passed by
March 4.
The Democrats. who have been fight
ing the tariff bill, have indicated q
willingness to have a vote about the
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