The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1922-03-17
HOUSE WILL
The Prediction Comes That the
Bonus Bill Will Be Set Aside
Until the Finances of the
Country are in Better Shape,
Come Up Again in Presiden-
tial Campaign.
(By David Lawrence.)
Copyright 1922 by The Daily

| 1C6H W AAO AWAY
Times.)
Washington, March 15.-Th'
House will pass bonus bill and thu
Senate will shelve it for this session
at least.
That's the outlook now that thu
House Ways and Means Committee
has received and ignored the advice
of the Secretary of the Treasury, The
Comptroller of the Currency and the
Governor of the Federal Reseve
Board to the effect that the bonus
bill would be a bad thing for the
economic condition of the country.
1t doesn't often happen that COM
mittee so important as the Ways and
Means summons Secretary of the
Treasury of its own pdNtical affilia-
tion and after listening to his exposi-
tion of the Treasury's condition goes
ahead in exactly the opposite direc-
tion. 1t doesn't often happen that a
reputation of the Secretary of the
Treasury is voiced by whole body in
Congress but that's what is coming
now. In a parliamen entary form of gov
ernment it would mean the resigna-
tion of Mr.. Mellon but the House of
Representatives has passed many a
bill that died in the Senjate and re-
signations are never in order here un-
less the President himself fails to
stand by a Cabinet officer. In this in
stance, the President is squarely be-
hind Mr.. Mellon and if the Senate
should follow the House veto is
certain for the bonus bill.
But the Senate will not ignore Mr..
Melons advice. Over in the cloak
room of the House the word :bonus"
is rarely spoken. 1t hangs oysr the
Senate like impending doom. Just
how the senior body will handle the
question is not yet determined but a
tacit understanding seems to prevail
that by one parliamentary maneuver
or another something will delay pas
sage Of the bonus. It was the Senate
which last Summer blocked the bonus
bill and probably upon more words
Of warning from the White House
the measure will be set aside until
the finances of the government are
in better condition. As for the issue
itself, it is expected to bob up again
in 1924 when the next presidential
primaries are under way. BY that
time, however, some Republican lead
ers hope to revise the entire revenue
program and to make special provi-
sion for fund to pay the bonus.
This revision will be attempted by
means of sales tax which Mr.. Hard
ing now openly favors for the SOL
der bonus. This commitment to the
principle Of the sales tax comes at a
time when revenue laws are not being
revised but just the same it has
brought deep satisfaction to the pro-
ponents of such a tax who would
have been greatly assisted few
months ago when they tried to get a
presidential declaration on the sub
ject to help them substitute a sales
Tax for all the other kinds Of taxes
which finally found their way into
the 1921 revenue law.
The1e's significant bit Of infor-
nation incidentally in the statement
of Representative Fordney, chairman
of the House Ways and Means Com
mittee that he didn't expect Speaker
Gillette who is now in Florida with
The Chief Executive to bring back an
Informal message to the House On
The bonus question. Mr.. Fordney
knows the President's views and
would prstar ~ NAaye thsm III
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