The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-03-28
SENATE FIGHT
OVER BONUS
WILL BE HOT
Smoot Expected to Make De-
termined Battle for Sales
Tax Feature in Measure
Harding Firm.
CANDIDATES WORRIED
BY MARK SULLIVAN

ny 81 AN
WASHINGTON, March 28-One pre-
diction about the soldiers bonus freely
made in the past, namely, that it
would be put to sleep in the senate,
now seems unlikely to come true.
So far as the members of the lower
house are concerned, they are on rec
ord and will not care much what the
next development may be-
Most of the members of the house
have been chiefly concerned about
their personal campaigns in the pri-
maries, which begin in South Dakota
today and will be coming up in vari-
Gus states from time to time until
September.
Three hundred and thirty out of the
435 members of the lower house have
answered roll call with votes favor
able to the bonus, and their records
are thus taken care of. Most of them
would not worry much if the senate
should put the bill to sleep.
Candidates Worried
! But 32 senators also are coming up
| for reelection in these same primar-
| les, and as to most of them the bonus
is matter of concern. OF these 80,
only negligibly small number is op-
| posed to the bonus on principle.
In the senate the bill is in the hands
of the finance committee and the
chairman of that committee, McCum-
| ber of North Dakota, has a record to
justly as an energetic bonus advocate.
1t was Senator McCumber who last
July was largely responsible for initi-
ating the former bonus bill and press
ing it to a point where it had so much
momentum that it could only be stop
ped by the formal appearance of
President Harding on the floor of the
senate with public request that it be
put over until the treasury should be
in a better position to stand the
strain.
There was evidence that this out
come was unacceptable to Mr.. Nc
Cumber Of the remaining members
of the finance committee a consider
able majority favor the bonus or at
least would be unwilling to take a
position designed to smother 1t.
Smoot For Sales Tax.
One member of the finance commit
tee, Smoot of Utah is an ardent be
lever in the sales tax and it may be
expected with confidence that in the
course of the bonus through the sen
ate determined effort will be made
in good faith to attach the sales tax
to the bonus.
There are thoughtful men in Wash
ington who predict that the sales ia,
will come into being within the mex
two years, as confidently as they pre-
dict the seasons. They say it viii
come because the country must have
it. Their argument is that we have
| 41I ~
going to be made on the treasury, anC
overestimated the country's income
They say the falling off in the return!
from the income tax is going to bt
; serious; and that the state of bushes!
will be such that any attempt to in
: crease the income taxes in one form
or another would be unsuccessful.
Sure to Come, Belief
In this state of facts, they assert
the country will be compelled to turl
the sales tax. They say the sales ia,
, , is bound to come, regardless of tn,
l bonus. If the senate did couple tn,
sales tax to the bonus and pass tn
bonus in that form, President Hardin,
would favor it, and nearly everybod,
would be happy except those who ar
as hostile to the sales tax as the,
? are favorable to the bonus.
The most dependable judgment i
that President Harding has not chang
ed his position on the bonus bill in it
present form, and will veto this O
s any other bonus measure that fails t
e make specific provision for raising th
S money to pay it.
e Friends of the bonus declare the
have the two-thirds necessary to pas
it over the presidents veto. AS to tn
house, this probabl is true, but as t
the senate, it is doubtful. One cel
tain and wholesome prospect is tina
whatever the outcome may turn out t
{ be- we shall have in the senate a ree
debate on the merits on the bonu
principle.
Strongest Members Oppose
Those senators who are against an
:. form of bonus include some of tn
;. strongest members, and they may b
:, able to raise the question above il
present status to question of pril
!, ciple and make such demonstrate
as may materially change public sci
timent. Those senators who oppos
the bonus On principle are few in nun
ber. There are not over 90 of thel
who SO far have been willing to max
e an unequivocal declaration against I'll
principle of the bonus, but what the
ID lack in numbers they make up in il
n dividual strength. h.-(Copyright, 1872
ID by the New York Evening POST.