Great Falls tribune., 1922-03-14

InaDll1ty, however. TO ascertain
whether Speaker Gillett. who is i,
Florida with President Harding. woult
Ientertain a motion to suspend the rules
which would require a thirds vot.
for passage Of the bill and would auto
| matically bar all amendments, coupled
with reports that he might decline tt
do SO. threw the whole question Of
procedure into the air
Republican members of the ways anc
means committee, who at morning
meeting decided to proceed with theil
plans for report of the measure al
the meeting of the full committee
scheduled for Tuesday. despite objec.
| tions to its provisions voiced by Secre-
| tary Mellon and Comptroller Of the
] Currency Crissinger, held conference
later in the day with members of the
republican steering committee and sew
eral others, including Representative
Walsh. Massachusetts, acting speaker
Towner. Iowa.
! Wait on Speaker
| 1t was agreed at this meeting not to
make a final decision as to procedure
until the views of the speaker could be
learned. In case he opposed the sus-
pension of rules program. it was said
that the bill probably would be brought
up early next week under rule which,
although it would require only a major
| ity vote on final passage. and could
be drafted to prevent amendments from
| the floor. would permit the offering of
a motion to recommit Leaders said
such motion might be designed to
saddle the bill with some drastic amend
ment which would be distasteful to
the proponents of the measure as it
now stands.
Other developments of the day in the
bonus situation were ~e issuance of
statements by two members of the
house-Representative Treadway of
Massachusetts,, erpublican member of
tie ways and means committee, and
Representative Halves, democrat, Mis-
souri-both of whom expressed opposi-
ton to the bonus bill, and the an
nouncement by Representative Frear
of Wisconsin. republican member of
the ways ands means committee. that
he had written Secretary Mellon. ''re
plying to the letter of the treasury
head to Mr.. Fordney, in which Mr.
Mellon declared the bill. if enacted.
would involve dangerous abuse of
government credit"
Wants Sales Tax
Mt. ITehuNdS QetldIeu II was dp-
parent that an effort to pass a bonus
by sales tax"
The people. he contended. want less.
rather than more taxation.
ut was hoped that some satisfactory
plan could be found for properly financ
ing payment of soldiers bonues with
out embarrassment to the federal treas
ury, Mr.. Treadways statement be-
gan. The communication received
from Secretary Mellon shows that the
new suggestion is as unsatisfactory as
previous ones. No one can contradict
the sound logic of his argument.
The Massachusetts, member held that
the new scheme having been proven
unsound financially. the strong advo-
Gates of the bonus of whom Chairman
Fordney is the leader. ought to be sat.
isfied, although unsuccessful, and cease
their efforts
The president position is sound"
the statement continued Either the
proposition must be postponed or a
sales tax adopted. / favor the former
plan
Frear Predicts Passage
Mr.. Frear made public his letter to
Secretary Mellon. In it he predicted
that the revised bill will pass the
house, five to one" and subsequently
would be approved by the senate.
Adoption of sales tax he contended,
would eventually shis~.>ne billion dol
lars or more in income taxes now paid
by the wealthy of the country over to
the shoulders of the consumers of the
land"
You have objected before the com
mittee." Mr.. Frear told the secretary.
ITO any inheritance or gift taxes or
the re-enactment of the excess profits
tax You have suggested taxes to
which We finally tentatively agreed,
only to be informed that the presiden,
whom you frequently see. would veto
n bill if accompanied by such taxes.
You objected before the committee
to paying the bonus by treasury certifi- |
cates as authorized"by law. and as they
did when paying $4,000, coo. 600 of can
celled war contracts---to which we were
advised you never objected. The re- |
cent bill to stabilize railway securities. |
$5O0.O0OOOO, passed BY |
the house. was with the approval Of I
your department
icicles OF Sympathy
You have objected before the COM ,
mittee to paying any soldiers honus
out of foreign debts which the soldiers |
helped to save for us.
''In fact. may icicles of sympathy |
and much freezing advice was handed
out that are in harmony with the last
protest against frozen credits These /