The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-02-21
House COP. Members in
, Drive After Conference,
Polling 100 Adherents.
AIM TO PROVE
BILL is HOPELESS
Senator Warren Says Any
Effort to Pay Through
Economies Futile. +

tax as a means of raising funds for
a soldiers bonus were put In cir
cuIation among Republican MEM
bers of the House yesterday.
The petitions were prepared at a
conference of a group OF Repub-
licans, led by Representative Dick
inson. of Iowa, leader OF the House
farm bloc, and Representative
Frear. of Wisconsin, a member Of
the Ways and Means Commrrre-.
Leaders of this group declare thai
more than 100 Republicans in the
House will oppose the sales tax
If the Democrats stand solidly
against the sales tax. as expected.
100 Republicans would be sufficient
to defeat the sales tax.
1t Is planned to present the petit
tion to the Ways and Means Conn
mtttee to demonstrate the futiuty'
of attempting to report sales tax
bill to the House.
Opposed to Sales Tax.
The text of the petition in op-
position to a sales tax follows:
we, the undersigned, here de-
clare:
Il. We favor adjusted compensa-
ton
''2. We are opposed to financing
the same by a sales or manurac-
turers' tax.
"3. We will oppose any rule for
the adjusted compensation that
does permit a separate vote on any
sales or manufacturers tax prOvi-
sion therein"
Among these circulating the petit
tions are Representatives Cramp-
ton. OF Michigan; John NJ. Nelson.
Of wisconsin; Rhodes. of Missouri; !;
kopp, of Iowa; Keller. OF Mime
sofa: Evans. of Nebraska: Kelly, Of
. Pennsylvsnia,-an and Brooks. of IT,
llnois-
\ subcommittee of the Repub-
iican members OF the Ways and
Means Committee will take up the
sales tax tomorrow. Sales tax ad-
voCates will seek to have the sub
committee their method of
raising bonus revenue.
Democrats on Committee.
The committee is composed 4
seventeen Republicans and eight
Democrats. The eight Democrats
are expected to vote solldly against
the sales tax II they receive the
support of five Republicans, a ma
jority of the full committee will be
opposed to sales tax. The loss CT
more than four Republicans. there
fore, would be fatal to the sales
tax movement. At least three or
four Republicans are expected to
oppose a sales tax and two or three
others are Classed as doubtful.
The Republican members of the
Ways and Means Committee at a
meeting yesterday definitely ap-
proved the five-fOId bonus plan, with
a few material notifications, as
recommended by the subcommittee
on the form of the bill. This means
a committee will not give further
consideration to the suggestion in
President Harding's letter that cash
bonuses be postponed at least until
spcn time as the amounts could be
raid in lump sum.
n Warren Doubts Feasibility.
Any effort to pay the soldier
bonus through economies would he
futile. in the opinion of Senator
Warren. of Wyoming. chairman of
, the powerful Senate Appropriations
Committee.
But Senator Warren pointed out
that huge deficits already are in
prospect for the ensuing fiscal year
He agreed, further, with the state
ment of Secretary of the Treasury
Mellon that sources Of taxation are
drying up.
1T is ridiculous to assume that
enough money can be saved out of
the legitimate sources of internal
revenue and customs to take care of
the soldier bonus" said Senator
Warren. Talk of that sort IL
tommyrot."
The bonus problem in the House
Is back where II was. The taxa
tion subcommittee of the Ways and
Means Committee is to meet today,
again to seek an answer to the
question of where funds are to be
obtained.
Best information indicates that a
limited manufacturers sales tax will
ve applied to raise the greater por-
tion of $500. 200, 900 or $4OO. .OOO. .00r
required for the first years bonus
pay yments. Economies would be
counted on to supply a portion o.
the funds not raised by taxation.
Senator Caraway. Democrat, of
Arkansas, attacked the majority for
their failure to. enact the bonus bill
In a speech from the floor.