Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-02-20
SOLDIER BONUS
MAY Be MADE A
CHARGE AGAINST
j. 6. TREASURY
Financing Of Portion of In
itiaI Cost Through Appro-
priatiOn Bill Cuts Is Be-
ing Discussed.
REPUBLICAN, CHIEFS
VERY MUCH AT SEA
Sales Tax Opponents Are
Ready to Garry Their
Fight to the Floor of the
House If Necessary,
CBy The Associated PressA

Washington, Feb. 1g.-The SOL
diers' bonus situation continued to-
day to be 50 nebulous that republic
can house leaders still were unpre-
pared TO venture even a guess as
to what plan of financing ultimate
ly would be agreed upon. 1t was
understood to be their disposition
to let the question simmer a while
longer -in the hope that sentiment
would so shape itself as to facli-
tate the task of those who will
frame the measure.
1t developed today that beneath
the surface of the storm which has
ragged around President Hardings
suggestion that the bonus be fl
nanced by a sales tax there has
been lot of quiet talk in support
Of the proposal advanced by some
leaders last week that the legisla-
tion be made a general charge
against the treasury with expected
savings through cuts in regular ap-
preparation bills relied upon for
financing a portion of the initial
cost.
When first suggested by Repre-
resentative Mondell of wyoming
the majority house leader. this pro-
posal seemed to meet with consid-
erable favor among the rank and
file In the house, but the idea be-
came all but submerged by the
wave of talk that swept through
cloak rooms and corridors after
the presidents letter to Chairman
Fordney, of the ways and means
committee, had reached the capitol.
To Cut Supply Bills.
Irrespective of the bonus, thera
apparently was a determination in
the house to reduce sharply the
estimates for both the navy and
the army and that possibly $780,
100000 would be cut out of tho
supply bills for those departments
alone. Such q sum it was said.
would 60 a long way toward meet
ing the first years cost of the cash
payments to the former service
men.
Views of the majority members
OF the ways and means committee
on this plan have not yet been pub
licly developed. These members
will meet tomorrow to go into the
whole bonus question. but an inn
mediate decision as to how the
bonus will be financed is not eX
pected Proponents of a sales tax,
however, are understood to be pre-
pared to force their tight In the
committee, at the earliest oppor-
tunity.
Some opponents Of the sales
levy concede that there are suffi-
cicnt votes among the majority
members Of the committee to re-
port out such a tax, but declare
the question of expediency must
enter into the final decision. The
first consideration, they said. Is the
probable effect Of such a tax on
the minds of the people generally
and the second the known effect
that will be produced among re-
publican members of the house.
Ready to Renew Fight.
II such a tax is proposed to a
party conference, the opponents
fight which was Haged success
fully in a similar conference in
1920 when the first bonus bin was
presented with a sales tax attached.
Failing to win in the caucus. they
declare tnelr tlgnt WouId De car
ried to the floor of the house with
the expectation of almost solid
support of the democrats. It IS In
derstood to be the hope OF leaders
of the agricultural bloc that the
committee will report out the bill
without any specific provision for
raising the funds as the senate
finance committee did last year.
President Harding has said that he
could not look with favor on a
measure that did not carry ways of
financing it. but it was understood
to he the thought of some Of the
supporters of such bill that with
large sum made available
through reductions in appropria-
tions bills, this might remove
executive objection.