The New York herald., 1922-03-18

ings.
The figures set forth in the report
made by the Ways and Means Com
mittee yesterday are pronounced by
officials of the Treasury TO be purely
speculative" In the Fordney report
the ultimate cost OF the certificate
loan plan Is given as $4,09S. Tbs, $50 on
their maturity. Treasury officials de-
clare they cannot figure out just what
the cost win be. They point out, how
joker" in the certificate loan bill is
carried out it will cost approximately
SIS, 1000, ,O00, 900.
The statement in the F'ordney re-
port that mo taxation nor special pro-
vision is necessary" for financing the
raid within the next year Is also de-
clared by Treasury officials to be "un-
warranted and misleading" Secre-
tary Mellon has repeatedly said that
the only way he could suggest for
raising the bonus money would be
through the imposition of further tax
alton, and that the country Is not in
position to stand for the adoption of
that method.
Partial returns from income tax re-
ceipts was another new element in the
situation which increased doubt in the
minds of members regarding the wis
dom of putting through the bonus bill.
These reports indicate big slump in
collections Of income taxes, which are
certain to create further deficit in
the Treasury, which is already esti-
mated as $300,000,O0O during the next
year.
Demand for Roll Call.
the vast majority of members who are
in favor of advancing any kind of
a bonus bill to roll call persisted in
their demands that all objections be
turned aside. This was also the atti-
tude of officials Of the American Le-
gion and all other bonus propagan-
dists.
From statements made by these Off
Gals and volunteer spokesmen to-day
1t is apparent that they have become
reconciled to the dropping of the cash
bonus feature, which called for $780,
100000 in three years and which was
shaded down to s16,O0o.O00 by the
Ways and Means Committee. Officials
of the Legion and Of the Veterans Of
Foreign Wars continued to assert that
'the pending bonus bill will be passed
by the House and the Senate and ap-
proved by the President" But none Of
them would bet on it.
The chief vocal contribution to the
bonus fight in the House to-day came
from Representative ,~Frear (Rep.,
Wis.,, a member Of the Ways and
Means Committee, which framed the
certificate loan bill. In speech to
his associates Mr.. Frear, who has fire.
quently scoffed at the Treasury facts
and figures showing the probable ef-
feet Of bonus legislation on the busi-
ness Of the country, asserted the total
cost of it would be $4,506, $50, 900. Con-
tending that the cash drain from the
Treasury will be comparatively small
until the Government loan period of
three years is reached. Mr.. Frear criti-
cized the officials of the Treasury who
have declared otherwise.
Frear's Slam mt Crissinger.
",
and monthly" he said, Just what the
Secretary Of the Treasury and Comp
troller Crissinger and other officials of
the Administration think of Congress
and of the soldiers bonus bill. It Is
a novel proposition when Crissinger
first page, first column, local papers,
says that he will not permit national
banks of the country to loan to the
soldiers on their certificates IL the bill
Is passed by Congress.
Thousands of other banks will do
so If our advices are right; but on
what meat does Crissinger feed and
for whom does he speak? Is Crissin-
ger or Congress to determine what the
bill contains? Crissinger claims that
when the soldiers ask for loans they
will find they have frozen credits
THE freezing process that con-
fronts the soldiers and Congress to-
day is that which comes from Off
cials of the Treasury Department,
who have handed out many icicles to
Congress and to the soldiers recently.
Frequent threats are reported that
campaign contributions will not be
forthcoming unless a sales tax is
passed as a substitute for the present
personal income tax. Again it is said
the price of a soldiers bonus bill must
be a general consumption tax to re-
lieve large taxpayers.
"As an evidence Of frigidity, why
did the Treasury Department first de-
mand that obnoxious taxes be placed
In the bonus bill. which we were later
informed would have invited its veto? :?
Why did the Treasury Department
next refuse Congress a soldiers bonus
bill unless 1t provided it's own means
of payment
why did the department object to
paying any soldiers bonus from
Treasury certificates, when IL had pre-
viously paid billions of dollars in can
celled war contracts? Why did the
department reject any proposal to pay
the soldiers bonus bill by $11 ,000, ,000,-
600 in foreign debts?
Sales Tax Irrftates Him.
why Is the sales tax constantly
linked up with the soldiers bonus bill
when no general sales tax could pass
Congress unless fastened onto some
worthy object? Why are the soldiers
asked to help pay their own bonus
through a sales tax, and what special
reason has Wall Street and big busi-
ness generally for demanding a gen.
eral sales taxi"
Mr. Erear attacked tho sales tay