Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-02-01
DISCUSSION OF BONUS
MEASURE IS RENEWED

washington, Jan, 81, I,-DtSCuSSiOn
'of long pending soldier bonus bill
was renewed today.
Before the house ways and means
committee, which, by agreement of
republican leaders in congress, re-
opened hearings, officers Of organi-
cations of former service men urged
immediate action on the bill, and in
reply 10 questions, said that the
problem of raising the necessary
funds was one for congress to
solve.
In the senate republican leaders
frustrated attempts by the demo-
Gratis to add the bonus bin to the
allied debt refunding measure.
After brief but heated debate, the
senate adopted, AZ to 2S, a motion
by Senator Watson, republican, In
diana, to lay on the table an amend
ment offered by Senator Simmons,
democrat, North Carolina, incor-
porating the "five-way" adjusted
compensation plan,
The amendment would have pro-
vided that the bonus be paid out of
the interest on the foreign debt and
that if this should prove insuffi-
cient. the secretary of the treasury
should issue certificates of indebt-
edness to be redeemed out of future
interest payments, or with the ap-
proval of the president, to sell so
much of the foreign bonds as might
be necessary.
Later the senate rejected AZ to 81,
an amendment by Senator Jones,
democrat, New Mexico. which car
ried the ve-way" plan but had
not provision for raising funds.
In offering his amendment, Sem
ator Simmons declared that when
he had proposed the bonus bill as
an amendment to the tax revision
measure. he had been told it was
the desire of the majority to act on
the bonus in connection with the
debt refunding bill, but now the
had decided that the
bonus measure should be acted up
on separately.
Opposing the amendment, Chria-
ran McCumber, of the finance COM
mittee, declared it had been decided
to have the bonus bill originate in
the house because 1t would be n
revenue raising measure and that
every one knew adjusted compen-
sation legisla tion soon would be
enacted. He deprecated what he
called the injection of party poll
tics into the question and said he
objected to adding the bonus to the
debt bill because the president had
declared his opposition to any
bonus measure that did not provide
finds for immediate payment to
the former service men.
Senator Watson, of Indiana, cut
the discussion short with a motion
to lay on the table, stating everyone
knew a bonus bill soon would be
passed. The motion brought pro-
tests from the depocratic side, Sem
ators Ashurst, of Arizona; Pittman
Of Nevada, and others declaring it
the spirit of the unani-
nous consent agreement, which
was designed, they said, only to
limit debate.
After considerable wrangling the
point of order against the motion
was overruled by Vice President
The senate then adopted
the Watson motion with three re-
publicans-Johnson, LaFollette and
Norris-voting against it, and two
democrats-King and Meyer-sup-
porting 1t.
In his statement before the ways
and means committee, Hanford
MacNider, national commander of
the American legion, attacked Sec
retary Mellon for opposing the
bonus legislation at this time. He
declared that "instead of opposing
this bill by pointing out the diff
culties of financing it, Mr.. Mellon
would do better to find and suggest
proper methods of raising the
money!
The vote was 80 to 25. Final
enactment of the measure must
await adjustment of differences
between the house and senate.
which is expected within a week or
ten days.
Three republicans, Borah, La
Toilette and Norris. Joined with
the solid democratic minority in
the bill.
Commission of@Eiye.
Under the bill commission OF
five, headed by the secretary of
the treasury, would have author-
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