Evening star., 1922-02-26
THESE BE HARD DAYS
UNDER THE BIG DOME
Bonus, Bonus, Who Got the Bonus or the
Cash to Pay It?-Only One of
Many Difficulties. .*.

| phrase is to "enact the legislation anI
| let it be charge on the Treasury
and at some pains it is pointed ou,
| that this is the usual way Of handling
such big questions.
President Harding has consistently
insisted that this is not the right way
In the pending proposition. and that
the same bill which suthorizes the
p, obligation must provide means for
meeting it.
X \ \
The logic of this insistence appeals
to the judgment of the legislators
but the facts Of the situation lead
them to an opposite course. To tell
the truth, they are unable to hit upon
/ any plan to provide the means OF
meeting it. in special terms. The
President has said he will not have q
bond issue. nor will he approve the
eight special sets Of taxes at one time
suggested. He has limited at a. sales
tax
But the congressman say that there
! IS such opposition to a sales tax that
! it would be next to political suicide
that is, they fear it would be-to i'm.
! pose II. The formidable agricultural
community of interests has placed OF
| file with Congress collectively and
congressman individually emphatic
] protest against it. A number of labor
J organizations have done likewise
Self-constituted spokesmen for "the
plain people" outside of the farm and
labor classes have uttered and re.
corded vigorous protests.
This bloc. the farmers. the union
labor men and the presumed section
of plain people outside of those
! classes, constitutes a powerful sec.
ton of voters, whose views must be
considered.
Secretary Of the Treasury Mellon
says, however. officially, that it Is
useless to make the bonus bill
charge against the Treasury because
there will be no funds in the Treas
ury. There amt goin' to be no core.
he allows. A certain deficit stares the
Treasury in the face, as things are
running now. without further charges
against the Treasury.
In this dilemma the congressme en-
are placed in they are hunting high
and low for means to meet the bonus
and are now proposing to so over the
budget again. cut down more appro-
priations. save a dollar here and
! there. to help meet the first payments
and to utilize the expected proceeds
from the funding of the foreign debt
The sum and substance. 1t Is as
serted on Capitol Hill. Of the presen,
the future. rather indefinite and un-
certain future in the viewpoint OF d
banker who was scrutining proffered
collateral. take care of the charge or
the Treasury.
X X +
Thereupon there is raised this doubt
in the minds of some of the legisla-
tors: Suppose the beneficiaries of the
bonus legislation should not con-
slider this device satisfactory and sup
pose that the people who are resisting
any bonus legislation at all should
consider that the Congress had flout-
ed them in passing the legislation
what would avail all the travail and
in what quarter would they get credit
for the legislation?
Is it surprising that there is trouble
and tribulation on many a mind on
Capitol Hill?
Indications at the beginning Of the
week would seem to point to q COM
promise between the President and
most of the senatorial objectors on
the question OF reservations to the
four-power Pacific treaty. One group
Of senators may be expected to hold
out to the end In their resistance to
the compromise. but the fact must be
considered that the treaty must in the
end be passed upon by the Senate in
full body assembled and that commit
tee sentiment Is not represented pro-
portionately to sentiment In the Sen
ate. The form Of the reservations
which may be adopted in committee
can be reversed or modified in the
Senate.
The prevailing judgment In the Sem
ate continues to be that the four
power pact will finally be ratified
probably with reservations. but In
such form as to be acceptable to the
President and warrant him In ex-
changing ratifcations with the sig
natory powers and putting tho treaty
into force.
i + y Il
Was something said at the outset
Of this screed about the tariff and the
subsidy for the merchant marine?
Well, next Sunday is another Sunday.