Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1922-06-17
HARDING DEMANDS
SHIP BILL ACTION
Calls M0ndell To White House To
Press For Prompt Passage OF
Subsid. Measure.

Washington. ID. c.. June 1,.-After
a conference today with President
Harding Repre- sentative Mondell, the
Republican leader. hastily called to-
gether the Republican Steering Com
r1ittee of the House to discuss prob
able action on the ship subsidy bill and
Muscle Shoals, but the meeting. ii
was said. got nowhere"
The President Is understood to have
reiterated to Mondell and other Re
publicans who accompanied him to the
White House that he was extremely
desirous of having the ship bill pass
ed prior to adjournment for the sum
mer His views on the Muscle ShOal,
question. if expressed, were not dis
closed.
Man! Oppose ship Bill Action Now
With considerable part of the
membership insisting on early adop-
tion OF a three-day recess plan while
the Senate is tackling the tariff and
bonus legislation. some opposition, it
vas said by leaders, is still develop
ing TO action al this time on the sub
Sidy bill. Ii was indicated. however,
that the leaders promised the PreSi
dent To put forth their best efforts to
have the Merchant Marine Commit
tee report the bill speedily and then
prevail upon the Rules Committee to
give it right of way
Many members were Of the opinion
that the Muscle Shoals question would
20 over until December.
The Steering Committee will hold
further sessions for consideration of
legislative problems. but it was under
stood the recess question depends pri-
marily upon final enactment of the
Army and Navy bill.
Senators To Confer On Bonus Bill.
Senate procedure with the Soldiers
Bonus bill will be decided at a confer
ence of Republican Senators if plans
made today mature. Majority Sena
tors were understood to contemplate
a conference late this week to deter
mine when the bonus bill should be
taken up in the Senate, and particu-
larly whether the pending tariff bill
should be laid aside in its favor.
With Democratic Senators threat
ening to file motion for immediate
consideration of the bonus measure.
the Republican Senators urging the
party conference took steps to hold a
party council after Senator Lodge of
Massachusetts. Republican leader,
returns from Massachusetts Wednes-
day. The Republican side was said
to be in doubt as to whether the bonus
isS@c should be injected into the pend
ing tariff battle. many Senators, it
was said, believing that to lay aside
the tariff bill would mean abandon
ment of hope for its passage during
the present session. On the other
hand. there was said to be strong
movement for calling up the bonus
measure soon, on the assumption that
it would not seriously delay the tariff
bill.
See Party Conference Necessary.
That party conference was the
best medium for threshng out the
opposing views and reaching a judg-
ment was the opinion of several Sen
atorS. Senator McCumber. Republi-
can, North Dakota, in charge of the
tariff bill and also of the bonus meas
ure, was said to have agreed that the
question should be taken before the
conference.
The conference. if called, also would
decide on the cloture issue, that is,
whether an attempt should be made
during the tariff debate to invoke the
proposed new rule shutting off discus
sion by majority vote.