The New York herald., 1922-02-18
Garner Assails Secret Meet
ings of House Committee
With Legion Man.
GRANGE FIGHTS IMPOST
FOrdney Announces That He
VIII Have Measure Ready
in Ten Days.
ny LOUIS sEIBOLD.


Special Dispatch 10 THE New YORK HER.Ln
i New York Herald Bureau.
Washington. ID. C.. Feb. n.
The promoters of the bonus raid on
the Government finances and Dusi-
ness of the country are making des-
perate efforts to stem the tide OF
popular disapproval Realizing the
strength of public resentment against
additional taxes or bond issues, the
professional bonus propagandists and
the members of Congress with whom
they have made political deals ap.
pear to be bewildered They have
turned their wrath against Presi
dent Harding because of his refusal
to sanction the many fantastic
schemes proposed by them for
financing the gratuities proposed for
ablebodied men who served in the
world war
The reaction from the Presidents
letter OF yesterday suggesting a sales
tax as the most feasible plan for
raising the bonus money or the post.
ponement Of the legislation demanded
by the organized propagandists has
reflected universal Endorsement OF
his position by opponents of the
bonus.
Wanted More Decisive stand.
The sole criticism directed toward
the Presi ont Is caused by his fail
ure to limit his response to the Con
gressional appeal for help to a recon-
mendation that the bonus scheme be
dropped. The President. however,
is understood to have felt that he
could not take this course without
repudiating the promises made By
him in the Presidential campaign Ia
favor q bonus for world war veteran
Il conditions were propitious afte-
his election. His declaration 10
Chairman Fordney of the House
Ways and Means Committee that "a
sales tax on production" was, in his
judgment, the only feasible method
for raising the billions OF dollars
needed to finance the bonus is viewed
by his friends in the light of a vindi.
cation of his campaign promise. The
effect OF IT on Congress could not b.
described as favorable by the widest
stretch of the imagination. It's pro.
posal may have provided the Presi
dent with a technical avenue Of es.
cape from most embarrassing situ.
alton. But the storm OF protests
aroused by ii among the Congres
sional adherents of various agrlcul
tural "blocs" and white collar toll
ers' has been almost as heavy as
that against the bonus raid itself.
, Against Sales Tax.
The hsrassed Senators and Repre-.
sentatives who committed themselves
to the support of the bonus scheme
have discarded the sales tax project
even before It has been reduced to con
crete legislative form. The attitude
of the great majority OF Western and
Southern Senators and Representa-
tives is aggressivley antagonistic
q Their sulphuric comments to-day
made it unmistakably clear that they
would have none Of the sales tax.
Their objection to 1t has been greatly
intensified by the statement made a.
the white House this afternoon that
the President thinks sales tax OF
production rather than on retail trans
actions would be most acceptable for
the reason that il would obviatc tho
complications that would result from
the imposition OF a retail tax
This statement. which may be ac.
cepted as an official expression from
the White House has wrought fine
state Of frenzy among the agriculture
groups, who have set their faces
against sales tax in any form Even
the Presidents assurance that he will
not indicate his treatment OF any
bonus measure that may be sent him
has not convinced the sadly perplexe0
members Of the two houses that his
mind is still open on the bonus Issue
, They believe his mind Is closed an3
that he will veto any bill that pro.
poses an issue of bonds or the i'm
position OF new taxes except the W.
he suggested in his response to klo