The Colorado statesman., 1922-08-19
SENATE FORCED To
COMPLETE TARIFF.
PRESIDENT WILL NOT SUGGEST
ADJOURNMENT BEFORE THE
BIG JOB is FINISHED.
REST OF PROGRAM DROPPED
Administrations Ship Subsidy Measure
Evidently Hasn't a Chance of Get
ting Through During the Present
Session of Congress.
BY JAMES p. HoRNApAY


been struggling along with the wool
schedule of the tariff bill-not most
desirable hOt-weather topic-would
not make much of protest If Presl-
dent Harding should suggest that the
tariff bill be abandoned and this ses-
sion of the congress brought to an
end. But the President does not in
tend to make any such suggestion. He
feels that the Republican majority in
congress, having undertaken revision
of the tariff, should complete the job.
Whether he will sign any kind of an
old bill which is presented to him is
Il question which will not be answered
until congress completes revision.
The senate could, of course, recommit
the tariff bill to the committee on
finance any day if it desired to do it
and that would pigeonhole the subject
for this session, but the Republican
leadership in the senate, such as there
is, much as it would like to be rid of
the tariff bugaboo, has not the cour-
age to advocate pigeonholing the bill.
AS for the rest of the Legislative
program, it has gone by the board,
apparently. The real problem before
the Republicans in the two branches
of the legislative body now is to get
the tariff bill through before the heat
of the congressional campaign comes
on. No one any longer prophesies as
to when the senate will finish with
the bill in its present form. The con-
troversial nature of the proposed leg
islation makes it certain that the bill
will be in conference a good while.
Then after an agreement in confer
ence-the conferees may almost com
pletely rewrite the bill If they decide
that is the thing to do-each legisla-
tive branch will take plenty of time
to decide whether it favors the con-
ference report.
October Set as the Limit.
Ninety-iige per cent of the members
of the house OF representatives will in
sist on an adjournment of this ses-
sion not later than October in order
that they may give proper attention
to their campaigns for reelection and
one-third of the senators will be in
the same frame of mind. So 1t is gen
orally agreed that the tariff legisa-
tion must be in the hands of the Presl-
dent by the last week in September.
Most of the Republican leaders are
setting their heads very determinedly
against attempting any other important
legislation in the meantime.
1t is now about as certain as any
thing can be, short of the actual devel-
opment, that there will be no ship sub
sidy legislation at this session. Pres
ident Harding, according to persons
who are competent to speak, has prac-
tically abandoned hope of getting the
administration subsidy bill started dur
ing this session. The nationwide cam
paign in the interest of the measure,
much talked about six weeks ago, will
not be undertaken. The members of
the house of representatives, Re-
publican members in particular-who
were to have set this campaign going
during the recess of the house, have
not done thing. There is no at
tempt to conceal the administrators
keen disappointment over the failure
of the Republican representatives to
take the time during their stay at
home to tell the people about the fine
points of the proposed subsidy legisla-
ton. So far as the administration is
advised, not single speech in favor
of ship subsidy has been made by
n member of the house since the re-
cess came on.
Not a Chance for Subsidy Now.
The outlook now is that the powers
that-be in the house of representatives
will decide soon after August 10, the
date on which the house is to recon-
vene, that subsidy legislation must go
over. President Harding said public
ly some time ago that he would re-
call the congress If 1t should adjourn
without giving the administrations
subsidy bill due consideration, but a
good many things have happened since
the President made that observation
AS a matter of fact the administration
is not interested at all just now In
legislative matters. The President and
his advisers are too much concerned
with the Industrial situation to give
any special thought to anything else.
Even If the house should under pres
sure from the White House pass the
subsidy bill, the legislation will be
pigeonholed in the senate.
President Harding during the last few
days has made 1t little clearer pet-
haps than ever before that If bonus
legislation should be passed without
any provision for getting the money
with which to pay the service men.
he would veto the bill. The Republi-
ran leaders in the Senata nou, ,,r,or
stand perfectly well how the President
feels about this legislation and the
chances that an effort will be made
to put bonus bill through following
the passage of the tariff bill are daily
becoming more remote.
Country Safe From Invasion.