The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-06-20


iGuor Selling Is Puzzle
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Despatch to The Reformer.)
Copyright 1922.
WASHINGTON, June 20-President
Harding's readiness to agree to a post
ponement of action by the house of rep
resentatives ON the ship subsidy bill is
an affirmative step induced by considera-
tons of strategy which he believes will
insure the passage of the bill ut this ses-
sion of congress.
Mr.. Harding viii communicate his
views to the house leaders within a day
or two. In brief Mr.. Harding is not
trying to dictate the exact day and hour
when the subsidy bill should be passed
of house leaders on this point so long
as he gets the legislation through before
the present session of congress adj0urns.
Having made the threat that he will
call congress into extra session if an adj
iournment is taken without passing the
subsidy bill, Mr.. Harding found himself
confronted with the alternative OF fore
ing the measure through now while the
heuse is i'm a disappointed mood over
hAt lAAN raBINA NbuiDtllSA " stay AtAt
against its will. or waiting till members
have had little vacation and gotten
an opportunity to mend their political
fences back home
VIII Get Better Bill
The President could have forced ac-
ton this week but it would have been
at the expense of an emasculated bill.
3Ir. Harding is showing shrewd signs of
generalship in catering to the wishes OF
H0nGn ar 60
when the members get back in six or
seven weeks they will have no excuse for
further delay.
The truth is that Mr.. Harding was
persuaded TO yield to the plan of post
ponement largely because of the argu-
ment made to him by members of the
rules committee that they hadn't had
sufficient time to study the subject. Mr..
Harding learned, for instance, that the
record of the hearings before the mer-
chant marine committee had not been
assembled and bound so that the mat
ter could be thoroughly digested. Sew
eral leaders said they thought members
would feel better about it after they had
had a chance to canvass public Senti-
ment in their communities.
As matters stand now Mr.. Harding
will lose nothing by keeping on friendly
terms with the house membership. He
viii get u better bill passed six weeks
from now than he could get this week.
Even if the subsidy bill were To be
passed by the house within the next few
days as Mr.. Harding originally thought
would be the ease the measure would
have to lie over for another month or
two until the senate finished work on
the tariff bill.
The New Plan
Under the new plan to which Mr..
Harding has agreed the house viii recess
three days at q time under gentleman's
agreement between the leaders of both
parties to the effect that no party mat
tiers will come up for consideration
while the members take vacation.
Then when the tariff bill * ready the
house will be called back and the meas
ure sent to conference in a few days.
While the tariff bill is in conference
the house will act on the ship subsidy
bill and the senate will take up the
bonus. The senate may. of course. be
discussing the subsidy measure while the
house is doing the same thing but the
President is of the opinion that con-
gress ought TO and viii place ship
subsidy law ON the books before the au-
tumn elections. Instead Of imagining in
the bin an unpopular move, many of the
Presidents supporters believe it will add
10 Republican prestige at the polls as II
win be presented as the outstanding
achievement of constructive character
of the first two years of the Harding
administration.
Want Time ON Liquor Clause
Other advantages in waiting till later