The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1922-02-03
Debt BILL kept
FREE OF BONUS
Democrats Move To Link
2 Measures Beaten
In House

Washington, Jan. 31.-Dlscussion
of the long-pending soldier bonus bill
was renewed today at both ends of
the Capitol. Before the House Ways
and Means Committee, which. by
agreement Of Republican leaders in
Congress, reopened hearings on the
measure, officers of organizations of
former service men urged immediate
action on the bill, and in reply to
questions said the problem of raising
the necessary funds was one for Con-
gress to solve.
In the Senate Republican leaders
frustrated attempts by the Democrats
to add the bonus bill to the allied
debt refunding measure. After a
brief but heated debate the Senate
adopted AZ to 2S, a motion by SEN
ator Watson, Republican, Indiana, to
lay on the table an amendment Of
fered by Senator Simmons, Democrat,
North Carolina, Incorporating 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 insufficient
the secretary of the Treasury should
issue certificates Of Indebtedness to
issue certificates of Indebtedness to be
redeemed out of future interest pay
ments. or with the approval of the
President to sell so much of the for
eign bonds as might be necessary.
Later the Senate rejected AZ to 81,
an amendment by Senator Jones,
Democrat, New Mexico, which carried
I the "five-way" plan, but had no
provision for raising funds.
Favors Separate Action.
In offering his amendment, Sena-
tor Simmons declared that when he
had. proposed the bonus bill as an
amendment to the tax revision meas
ure he had been told that it was the
desire of the majority to act on the
bonus in connection with the debt
refpnding bill, but now that the Re-
publicans had decided in party con-
ference that the bonus measure
should be acted upon separately.
The North Carolina senator went
on to say that the administration
had now decided that 1t would not
be feasible to use the interest on the
foreign debt for this purpose, and 1t
was the plan instead to levy new
and special taxes. Asserting that
Chairman Forney, of the Ways and
Means Committee, had proposed tax
on gasoline, Senator Simmons said
this would place the whole burden of
the bonus on the users of that COM
modify and would be class legislation
in its worst form.
Opposing the amendment, Chair
man McCumber, of the Finance
Committee, declared il had been de-
cided to have the bonus bill originate
in the House, because it would be a
revenue-raising measure and that ev-
eryone knew that adjusted compensa-
ton legislation soon would be enact
ed. He deprecated what he called
the injection of party politics into the
question and said he objected to
adding the bonus to the debt bill be-
cause the President had declared his
opposition to any bonus measure that
did not provide funds for immediate
payment to the former service men.
Watson Motion Carries.
Senator Watson, of Indiana, cut
the discussion short with motion to
lay on the table, stating that every
one knew a bonus bill soon would be
passed. The motion brought protests
from the Democratic side, Senators
Ashurst, of Arizona; Pittman, of Ne f,
vada. and Others declaring that it vio-
lated the spirit of the unanimous con-
sent agreement, which was designed, !
they said, to limit debate and not
prohibit it, Republicans contested |
this view and, after considerable !
wrangling, the point of order against f,
the motion was overruled by Vice
President Coolidge. The senate then
adopted the Watson motion, with
three Republicans-Johnson, La Fol-
lette and Norris-voting against it, !
and two .Democrats-King and Myers /
supporting it,
In his statement before the Ways
and Means Committee, Hanford Mac
nider, national commander of the
American Legion. attacked Secretary
Mellon for opposing the bonus legis-
lation at his time. He declared that