The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-16

that "the boys" could get back home and into the campaign for reelection.
 April 1 has come and gone, how ever, and most of the important ap- propriation bills remain to be passed. All thought of an early June ad- journment has been abandoned. There still is some talk of Congress getting away by July 1 but most of the real hopes are pinned to August l. Un- less the wheels begin to move q little faster the date may even be moved up to September 1.
 Congress has at least two months of steady work on hand. even If everything were plain sailing in legislative way. But unfortunately serious controversy threatens every important bill which remains to be considered.
 tariff bill always brings toll and trouble to the Congress and Is such slow moving object in the Senate that its progress can scarcely be noted from day to day. Weeks upon weeks have been consumed upon tar If bills in the past when the only difference between Senate and House was in rates susceptible of compar- atively easy adjustment.
 lrrecOnciInbIe Differences
 But this year there is a fundamental difference between the two branches of Congress and judging from the statements given out just after the presentation of the bill in the Sem ate this week. these differences would appear to be irreconcilable. The House has passed a tariff bill based upon the American valuation of im- ported products. The Senate has en- tirely rewritten the House bill and provided for continuance of the old plan of valuing imports at the cost abroad. Chairman Fordney. of the House ways and means committee, Is AJaxing the Senate on this issue and If the Fordney bite is anything like the Fordney bark, many a summer sun will come and go before the Fordney- McCumber tariff bills be- come the law of the land.
 Already there is talk of President Harding being asked to intervene in this as we'll as in alf dozen other disputes brewing in Congress.
 The Presidents troubles appear to be largely with the House of Repre- sentatives, a branch of the national legislature which ordinarily would be expected to work in close harmony with the titular head of the party ir
 
 mittee members seem particularly de- liant of the Pres' ent.
 The ways and means committee re- fused to give heed to his warning that any soldier bonus bill reported must provide its own means of raising the money to pay the bonus.
 The committee on naval affairs re- fused to listen to his advice as to the size of the navy under the treaty agreements entered into at the Washington conference There is every indication that the committee on naval affairs will refuse to pro- vide an army personnel considered adequate by the administration.
 Hope Lies With Senate
 Hope for the army an navy seems 10 lie entirely with the Senate. But If the upper branch departs widel, from the House bills, the conferences on each measure are likely to be stub bornly fought out affairs. House Leader Mondell is in thorough sym. pathy with the small army and small navy bills. particularly the latter. He goes on the assumption that the peo- pie of the United States want to visualize the results of the Wash ington conference, and the only way they can see the benefits of that gathering is in greatly reduced ap. propriations for the two armed serv. ices Of tie government.
 In addition to the tariff. the bonus snd the army and navy squabbles. there remains the legislation for