The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-02-21
SALES TAxLOOSiIS
AGAIN FOR BONUS
Financing Problem Referred
Back to Subcommittee.
BLOC PREPARES To FIGHT
MacNidcr Pleads With Harding For
Speedy Passage of Bill, While
Others Request Delay.

Washington, Feb. 21.-Majority
| members of the house ways and means
! committee referred back to the special
| tax subcommittee the whole problem
III how the soldiers bonus is to be Il,
| lanced.
1t was announced the sub-cOmmit-
tee would meet today and would g"
into the question Of Il sales tax among
| other things.
Opponents of the sales tax began
10 lay their plans for Il fight. Repre-
sentative Dickinson, Republican, Iowa,
Il leader of the agricultural bloc, called
Il meeting of Republican opponents.
1t was said aside from referring The
finance question to the subcommittee
the majority members discussed the
Fordncy bill as originally introduced
and approved some slight changes. 1t
is indicated further ACTION y the ma
iority would await report from the
tax subcommittee.
Coincident with the meeting the
statement was made by a White House
official many lettel and kilograms had
reached President Harding opposing
enactment at this time of bonus legis-
Iation, while the legislative committee
Of the American Legion made public
telegram to the president from the l-e-
gions national commander, Hanford
MacNider, asking the legislation be II"
longer delayed.
The letters reaching the president
opposing enactment at this tine great
" Outnumbered those favOring imme-
diate legislation, it was said at the
White house. Some of the opposing
letters, it was added, showed IL simi-
lurity in form.
Commander MacNider in his tele-
gram declared 'the negligible minority
in opposition can be traced in nearly
every case to certain selfish Interests
intrenched in great financial cent9&
and who would profit the most by Vic
tory"
The commander said the American
Legion did not understand first cotl-
nitment and then retraction' on the
bonus question.
Suggestions cash payments be de-
fcrred for a year or longer apparently
have not been favorably received By
leading Republicans on the committee
and this was expected to come ~. The
chairman, Mr.. Fordney has said in his
Judgment the bill should provide for
beginning the cash payments next Oc
tuber l.
Mr. MacNider in his telegram de-
clared the Legion believes the issues
now being raised relative to the reve-
nue. features required by the president
to be included in the bill "are being
used solely for the purpose of mislead-
ing the general public" adding the Le
gion also believes it is expressing the
ointment of the people of the country
when it asks that "a committed admin
iStration allow the passage of what we
believe to be the most constructive
measure that can be devised
The commander further asserted
when ever the people of the United
States have been given an opportunity
to voice their feelings on the question
of the bonus their answer has always
been unmistakable.
Had capital and labor been drafted
when mems lives were drafted" the
telegram said, "the preset aggravated
situation would not exist. When ii
was question of reimbursing manu-
facturers for war contracts never full
filed, requiring some three billion dol
lars, no such hue and cry was raised
It was an obligation and it was paid.
Certainly the services of the manufac-
turers, railroad and shipping interests
were not so much more patriotic than
that of the men who offered their
ives"