Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-03-18
CRISSlNGER AND
MELLON RAPED
FOR OPPOSITION
Continued from rage one)

tlaL COIUplIOllSI ~ AoolllbSl Nlu ny
know what the bill contained when
he announced to the press that he
would advise national banks not
to loan money on the adjusted
service certificates.
Congress" said Mr.. Frear, sis
warned daily, weekly and monthly
of lust what the secretary of the
treasury and Comptroller Crissin-
ger and other officials Of the adj
ministration think of congress and
of the soldiers bonus bill. 1t is
rovel proposition when Crissinger
SAYS that he will not permit ma
tional banks OF the country to loan
to the soldiers on their certificates
if the bill is passed by congress"
"Frozen Credits"
Thousands Of other banks will
do so if our advices are right but
on what meat does Crisslnger feed
and for whom does he speak? Is
Crissinger or congress to determine
what the bill contains? Crissinger
claims that when the soldiers ask
for loans they will find they have
frozen credits
Ii
fronts the soldiers and congress to-
day is that which comes from Off
Gals of the treasury department
who have handed out many icicles
to congress and to the soldiers re-
Gently. Frequent threats are re-
ported that campaign contribu-
tons will not be forthcoming UNI
less a sales tax is passed as a sub
stitute for the present personal in
come tax. Again. ii is said the
price of a general soldiers bonus
bill must be a general consumption
tax to relieve large taxpayers.
GAS an evidence of frigidity why
did the treasury department first
demand that obnoxious taxes be
placed in the bonus bill, which We
were later informed would have
invited its veto? Why did the
treasury department next refuse
congress a soldiers bonus bill un-
less it provided it's own means OF
payment?
Cancelled War Contracts.
"Why did the department objec;
to paving any soldiers bonus from
treasury certificates when it had
previously paid billions Of dollars
in cancelled war contracts? Why
did the department reject any pro-
posal to pay the soldiers bonus
bill by s11,0O0,000,000 in foreign
debts?
"Why is the sales tax constantly
linked no with the soldiers bonus
bill when no general sales tax
could pass congress unless fastened
onto some worthy object? Why
are the soldiers asked to help pay
their own bonus through a sales
tax and what special reason has
Wall street and big business gen
orally for demanding sales
taxi"
Mr.. Frear declared that table
which he read, showing the income
and sur taxes paid by the wealthy
individuals, explains why every
man who pays a large income tax
desires a sales tax that will relieve
him from his income taxes" He
added that any sales tax adopted
would not be repealed but would
be constantly enlarged in its scope.
"by interests that never sleep"
Secretary Melons letter to Mr..
Frear was in reply to the one writ
/ ten him last Monday by the Wis
| consin representative. Declaring
1 that his position had been fully
stated in letters sent the ways and
means committee on January "a
and March Il, Mr.. Mellon said he
had not attempted in them to ar
que the merits Of the soldiers
bonus.
Taxation to Meet the Bonus.
whether or not there is to be
a soldiers bonus" Mr.. Mellon
wrote, lis a question for which, as
you say, congress will assume re-
sponsibility. For the treasury, |
have attempted to point out thu
necessity of meeting by taxation
the cost of whatever bonus may be
adopted and the dangers OF at
tempting to provide for n bonus
by borrowing or makeshift meas
ures. AS / think was made clear
to the committee and the country,
[ have not recommended any pa"-
ticular taxes. though ! have, at the
request OF the committee, suggest
ed several possible sources of adj
ditlonal revenue that would be
available If congress should decide
to grant a soldiers bonus
"I gather from your letter that
you are under some misapprehen-
sion also as to the treasury's po-
sition with respect to sales tax
AS n matter of fact, I am not in
favor of a general sales tax If it
is to be imposed in addition to all
existing taxes, unless made neces-
sary by an emergency in the revc-
nues, such as would arise through
adoption of a bonus measure.
War Contracts.
Neither the payments which
the government has made in order
to settle cancelled war contracts,
nor the so-called railroad funding
bill to which you refer present
situations in any way analogous to
the soldiers bonus. In the first
place, the government did not pay,
as you suggest, three billion dol
lars of cancelled war contracts
but on the contrary, settled war
contracts amounting to over
$3,7O0, 100000 at a total cost of
about $500. 100000.
1.-THE socalled railroad funding
bill sas never become a law, and
in any event would not have ap-
propriated any money out of the
treasury"