New-York tribune., 1922-02-15


drink. and other taNcs repealed since
his Administers came into power.
Congressional Leaders in Air
President HaGdiugs views On the
bonus. as stated officially a; the mite
House thlS afternoon. threw the House
and Senate leaders who have been try
my TO work o0t the honus plan COM
plctcly into tho air.
The icipt sub-cowM5stcc on bonus
o. the Mays and Menps and F,nane"
committees held another meeting this
afternoon. but failed 80 get auyw here
After the subcommittee Rad Ncundere0
;,hout fo' = time. Il adjourned and
'oft the Finance Committee Ecpubli
cans t. talk tariff
President Hardinr's formal state
wcnt to the committees was not de
lvercd TO-DAY and is expected to-mor-
row. n the absence of this. suh-com-
rrittrc wrmAcrs tried = vain to call
the President and ascertain his views:
Privately. the opinion was expressed
hy mem bsrs Of the Finance and Ways
ard Means committees that the attitude
of the President made enactment OF
honus measure at this time extremely
difficult ana probably impossible
1T looks as # wc had hard road
ahead" said one Senator
The opinion was volced by some Of
.hc Finance Committee that about the
only way out seemed to be q sales tax,
and that sales tax would meet bitter
opposition in both houses. with the
farm bloc lighting 1t hard The Presi-
dent = is said. feels that if tax has
20 be imposed for bonus purposes a
sales tax is preferable TO other plans
mus far proposed
NfcC,,,h.r St;u On4i,,;e4;n
senator McCumber, chairman of the
nance Committee. who has all along
chamQioued the bonus bill, admitted
the outlook vas disicult, but insisted
way would yet be found 70 pat through
q bonus fill.
There was no ATTEMPT made to-day
}y any ons in the House to find an an
swer = the bonus tanglc Even the
membership Of the Ways and Means
Committee. with the exception of the
subcommittee Of three which has been
confcrrinE with the Senators on the
Finance Committee. made no organized
eFort toward Strengthening out The
problem. Including the subcommittee
of Representatives, Iongworth, Bacha-
rach and Coplcv. the feeling at the
House end Of the Capitol is that they
can do nothing until President Harding
sends directly to Congress the expected
statement Of MS views
The reaction on the upsctting Of the
House scheme for providing the bonus
funds is 3 confusion Of sentiment The
stand taken by the President toward
the two most popular money-raising
plans. the tax problem and the pro-
posed bond issue, is interpreted by
many members Of the House as spell
'ng another poStponement of the en-
tire bonus question.
One prominent member Of the Ways
and Means Committee remarked: THE
whole thing IS now certainty going
down HILL
Others interpret the Presidents atti-
tude as merely that ne : not satisfied
with any of the revenue proposals
and is demanding that Congress find
d new source OF funds These mem
Ders appeared to-day confident that this
VIII be made clear in his communica-
'ion expected tomorrow. Still others
see IN 1t almost innumerabie motives
Bill Will Pass, Says Fcrdney
Chairman fordney OF the Ways and
Means Committee was not inclined to
assume the lole Of Interpreter day.
He contented himself with saying:
"'rhe committee viii report bill
maybe in ten days maybe there will
ne delay. II Will be passed by both
Houses. III my Judgment. The time
has come when We must say yes or
no to the soldier boys"
Asked If he thought the bill would
rave in 1t provisions for raising the
money. Mr.. Fordney replied that "the
whole thing is up IN the air. He
again voiced his belief that the cash
feature Of the bonus plan has no diff
cultlcs, saying that he has received
letters from former service men from
All parts OF the country indicating that
hey want only d small proportion OF
cash
This idea that few soldiers VIII take
cash finds httle support outside the
Senate and House Most observers
who have talked with large numbers of
soldiers agree that not less than 90 per
cent OF them viii insist on cash if they
arc permitted choice
Spcecnos bearing on the bonus cues
zion were made in the Senate this at
-ernoon By senator hins. OF Utah.
Democrat. and Senator Watson, of
Georgia. Democrat. senator King as
sailed the Republican Senators for
their "houndering. vacillating course"
on the bonus and for their action in
turning to the President for guidance
and direction in this matter Senator
Watson spoke for the bonus He re-
phed TO Senator Borah'~ speech Of yes
terday.
Hing Assaiis Republicans
1t recall" said Senator King that
t was not very long ago that our Re
publican friends were denouncing the
Democratic party for is subserviency
to Pre- sident Wilson. It was charged
that We were rubber stamps when the
President submitted the Versailles
Treaty with the recommendation that
1t be ratified by the Senate We we're
rubber stamps because we insisted chat
the Presidents prero0atives be re
spFcted
"Wherc Isl Tee boasted independencc
ri the Republican leaders and the Re
publican party Where is their com
NeteNcy to deal with pubic questions
J; was only Il little while ago that the
President came into the Senate az we
were about 10 pass q nonus bill and hv
rs word Interrupted the progress Of
mat bill 10 q successful issue. Now
'his brave and courageous Republican
majority Is afraid 10 act II does not
dare act in the daylight and it is afrai id
% act ~ the dark. and il is devolvinC
Hpon the Executive the entire response
eliltN OF formulating bonus legislation.
They are afraid Of the farmer vote
II tneN impose a certain line Of taxes.
They arc arald Of the business mans
vote If they lay taxes upon certain
ccmn1otltlcs or rncn certain lines OF
business. They are afraid OF the sol
dlers vote II they do not respond to
the aODarQ.1l donna fis Of a ~co ,,,,,,,