The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1922-10-19
BONUS DEFICITS

} Troubles are accommodating in the
! path OF President Harding's pet pro-
ject--the sale OF the governments
merchant marine for tenth of its
original cost and the payment OF
$3.50, 100000 to the purchasers as bo-
muses. for operating the vessels.
One of the chief obstacles in the
way of the ship bonus measure is the
treasury deficit of ss50.ooo.o 900 which.
leaders Of the administration fear.
will rise to ss5o.Ooo,ooo.
President Harding made use of this
deficit as one of his strongest argu-
ments. against the granting of ad-
justed compensation to the former
service men. The opponents Of Mr..
Harding's scheme are now prepared
to urge this. same deficit as a reason
for postponing OF. defeating the, bo-
muses. proposed for the shipping trust
The effect that President Harding's
plan for an extra session of congress
for the passage of the ship bonus bill
has excited the fears of Republican
candidates for the senate and the
house of representatives. They have
let the White House know that the
presidents anxiety to pass the bill
has caused them great embarrass-
hot La
ment of his intention to recall con-
gress for that purpose would be fatal
to may of them. They want no furth-
er mention made of II.
For Republican candidates to ex-
plain why President Harding, the tit
ular head of their party, vetoed ad
ditional compensation for the soldiers
of the world war and next day press
ed for the passage of bill authoriz-
ing the, sale of $3,O00,000.0O0 worth
of the peoples ships for $4,000, ,000,-
900 below their cost, and on top of
that making private, corporations
present of $75O,O00,O00, is bigger
and more painful task than they care
to undertake. ,.
President Harding has been silent
for several days regarding his plans
for an extra session of congress. He
has declined to give correspondents
any information on that point. The |
Interpretation which is being put on
Mr.. Harding's sudden reticence about |
project concerning which he was
previously so exuberant and eloquent
is that he is thinking of the returns
on November s.
Control of the house of representa-
tives by the Democrats would put an
end to the ship bonus bill. 1t is gen.
orally believed that the Republican
party would not attempt, and would
not be able if they tried, to enact the
bill in the regular session of con-
gress beginning the first week of !
December. For one thing, there
would hardly be time in which to pass
it in the less than three months dur
ing which the appropriation bills
were under consideration, and for an
other thing, the Republicans who are
defeated in November will not be
quick to vote for a meausre that was
in part responsible for their retire
inent
Meantime. the propaganda and
pressure for the adoption of the bill
continue. The beneficiaries of the
bill are clamoring for action while
the Republicans are in full control of
both branches of congress. Foresee-
ing, as they do, Democratic recov-
cry in November, they are also en-
deavoring to keep the president to
his original intention of assembling
congress in extra session.
Two powerful influences are there
fore being exerted on Mr.. Harding.
The Republican candidates want him
and are beseeching him to remain ST.
lent respecting the bill and the extra
session. The expectant interests be-
hind the bill ars squirting him to
bring the congressman back to
Washington on November Is and rush
ii through.
President Harding's veto of the sol |
diers' compensation bill has turned
out TO be more damaging than Re
publicans at first deemed it. 1t has
served by way of contrast TO bring |
his activity for the ship bonus bill
into sharp relief