The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1922-06-28
TARIFF BILL MAY
Be SPEEDED UP
SENATE DEMOCRATS LETTING UP
IN DEBATE AND MEASURE
MAY PASS IN JULY.
CONFERENCE WILL BE LONG
President Harding Still Urging Ship
Subsidy Legislation, Which Many
Republican Leaders Think It Would
Be Good Policy to Enact.
BY EDWARD B. CLARK

Washington.-The senate is still Ia
boring with the tariff bill. Within a
few days the Republican leaders SEEM
ingly have found some cheer in the
situation which has been gloomy, for
they are predicting that the bill will
become a law in July.
1t is true that the Democrats of the
senate are showing some inclination
to let up a little in debate, thus giving
the opposition party the feeling that
the Fordney-McCumher bill may be-
come a law earlier thar a week or two
ago 1t was thought possible.
There are obstacles, however. in the
way of even a fairly quick passage of
the customs measure, obstacles which
have nothing to do with Democratic
opposition to the schedules as they are
written. 1t may be an old story now,
but again let 1t be said that the ma
jority in the senate has proposed more
than 1000 amendments to the tariff
bill as the majority in the house gave
1t its sanction.
Even with the possibility of cloture
proceedings, which will limit debate In
the senate, there necessarily will be
some difficulty in Strengthening out
the differences of opinion between the
two houses of congress. When the
bill passes the senate a conference
committee to meet a like committee
of the house will be appointed. The
deliberations of this joint committee
are likely to be long drawn out.
President Urges Ship Subsidy.
President Harding desires that GER
tain legislation other than the tariff
shall be enacted by the present con-
gress. He has been urging the leaders
Of his party to press the so-called
ship subsidy bill to passage. 1t de-
finitely is known that a good many OF
the administration leaders think that
subsidy legislation is as important to
party success as tariff legislation. They
say something must be done for the
ships or nothing can be done with the
ships"
President Harding seemingly Is
heart-bound to subsidy legislation. His
interest in the subject through the
years has been set forth In the press
from time to time. Seemingly the
President saw an opportunity in the
present merchant marine circum-
stances to strike for something in
which he has believed. Therefore he
urged congress and still is urging 1t
to care for the merchant marine
through legislation, and there is a
feeling that the Republican leaders
may conclude to put the bill through
the house this summer and to promise
that the senate will care for it next
winter.
If the subsidy bill is to be given
consideration by the house of repre-
~sentatives 1t will not mean necessarily
that congress will have to sit long
after the tariff is passed, unless of
course the senate determines also to
give consideration to the merchant
marine measure. The house soon will
adjourn for three days at a time.
waiting on senate action on the tariff
bill. OF course, If the house is so in
clined 1t need not take these three
day adjournments, but can, under the
ulTtCtlOn VI tIC IuuJolily1 81 w "
at ship subsidy.
Why Democrats Are Cheerful.
The Democrats are cheerful today
over the November prospect. They
say that the country seems to like
President Harding, but that the oun
try Ices not like the Republican con-
gress. 1t is true, apparently. if n
may judge by what both Democrats
and Republicans here say, that the
President stands better with the coun-
try than his party's majority in con-
gress stands. Therefore, 1t may be
that the Republican majority in con-
gress, recognizing the fact, may yield
to the Presidents desire that !egisla-
ton other than the tariff shall be en-
acted at the present session, at least
by the house of representatives.
Bonus legislation still is in allegiance.
The country knows, of course, that
the President has desired one thing
and that the party leaders in house and
senate have desired another thing.
Recently there have been indications
that there may be In the senate a
combination of Democrats and Repub-
licans to put through bonus legislation
of a kind to which a large body of the
Republican senators are opposed. What
the President will do with this legisla-
ton when it reaches him for signature
depends largely, OF course, upon the
form which it takes.
Some of the Democrats are as anx-
ious for an early adjournment as are
the Republicans. For the main part,
however, the Democrats who wish to
get away are those whose seats are
conceded to be in danger next Novem-
Der. 1t would appear as IL the majority
of the Democrats would like to keep
congress In session as long as pos
sible, because a long session vii! add
to the appearance of laggardness on
the part of the Republican majority.
lcebergs and Derelicts Abound.
Reports come to Washington of the
appearance of icebergs in the northern
seas, and with these reports are others
concerning %derelicts, ships which have