The New York herald., 1922-02-04
President Impressed by In
creasing Flood of Protests
Against Levy.
FORDNEY IS OPTIMISTIC
Despite Changing Sentiment
He Predicts Early Passage
of Measure.
BY LOUIS sEIBOLD.
Special Dispatch TO THE NEW YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau
Washington. ID. c., Feb. g.

Special Dispatch to The NEW YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington. ID. c., Feb. g.
President Harding has invited the
Congressional promoters of the bonus
plan to show him where the Govern
ment is to raise a minimum of 81 ,600,-
100000 to pay the bill.
Members of the Senate's Finance
Committee and the Houses Ways and
Means Committee will attempt to do
so at the White House on Monday or
Tuesday night. This fact developed
this afternoon following an interview
between the President and Chairman
F'ordney of the revenue committee of
the lower house.
The President is understood to have
informed the Ways and Means chair
listing and prospective financial re-
sources had failed to reveal any method
of raising the money for carrying out
the most moderate Of the bonus plans
without recourse to direct heavy tax
alton. He is represented as having
said that the executive (meaning him.
self has not been able to find any way
and that the Secretary of the Treasury
did not know of any
Protests Impress Harding.
The President has been profoundly
impressed by the growing opposition
TO the bonus plan as reflected by the
flood of protests from all parts of the
country which have been steadily
pouring in on the White House and
Congress for the last week or ten days
The visit OF Chairman Fordney to-
day was prompted by anxiety on the
part of members of the two houses.
who fear the political reprisals threat
ened by the professional promoters of
the bonus plan among ex-service men.
The Ways and Means chairman sug
gested previous methods by which the
billions needed to carry out the bonus
scheme might he raised.
1t is understood that the only COM
ment made by the President to any
of them was TO call Mr.. Fordney's at
tentlon to the clear and explicit state
country made by Mr.. Mellon. The
President is said also to have told Mr..
F'ordney he did not know of any
methods other than those enumerated
by Mr.. Mellon. and all involving heavy
increase in taxes.
Mr.. Fordney then suggested that
conference Of the President and the
members of the Senate Finance and
House Ways and Means committees
might develop an acceptable plan Of
financing which would provoke as
little popular resentment as possible.
President Gives Assent.
The President agreed to this sug-
gcstion and said he would receive the
representatives of the two houses
either on Monday or Tuesday next.
Despite the pessimistic atmosphere
prevailing in executive circles regard
ing the bonus plan, Mr.. Fordney de-
clared on leaving the White House
that a bonus bill would pass his
branch of Congress within two weeks.
You can put II down as n GER
tainty,'' said he, "that when a bonus
bill is passed by tho House II will
carry the necessary provisions for
raising the money that may be
needed"
AT the same time Mr.. Fordney ex-
pressed opposition TO n tax of cents
n gallon on gasoline. which Secretary
Mellon estimates would bring in $50
900. 900. or one thirty-second of the
amount needed to finance the mini
mum bonus plan.
Opposition to other tax suggestions
made by the Treasury Secretary has
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