Evening star., 1924-01-09
BONUS LOSING OUT
I BEFORE PUBLIC CRY
FOR TAX REDUCTION
Congress Seen Unwilling to
Pass Vet Bill Over Veto
of President.
LONGWORTH IN STAND
FOR MELLON PLAN FIRST
Conference Tomorrow Night to Test
Republican Sentiment Re-
garding Two Measures.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

Capitol Hill is just now the scene
or one of the most unprecedented sit
nations in recent legislative history
Tho pledges to pass a soldier bonus
bill are more than sufficient nu-
rnerically to carry the measure
through, hut the wave of public
Spinion which has swept the House
and Senate is so strong for tax re-
vision that the embarassments to in
fividual members are accommodating
daily.
If vote were taken today on how
Congress really feels about the
soldier bonus it, would not become
law. Not enough votes would be
polled to override the Presidential
veto. which is inevitable. The lines
of the bonus advocates have been
steadily weakening for several days.
Expressions from all parts of the
country have been so emphatic that
many members who are not yet will
ing publicly to say they have changed
are beginning to fall in line with the
Tactics OF Representative Long
worth, majority leader of the House,
who wants to give the tax bill right
of way and consider the bonus after
wards.
Strategy for Tax Cut.
II" knows perfectly we'll that once
tax bill is passed the chances of
reopening the revenue measure to
provide funds for the payment of
bonus will be slim indeed.
If anyone could devise a way to re-
feve members of Congress of pledges
given at time when tax reduction
was not thought of as a rival issue,
he would change the situation over
night Mr.. Longworth is endeavoring
to stall the bonus along SO that mem
bers will have the excuse that the
government cannot afford it and that
the passage of a bill without means
of providing payment is lot advis-
able.
The bonus men have not diminished
their campaign in any sense but they
realize the strength of the opposition
which has been created and they will
hold individual members to their
pledges. fighting them in their re-
spective constituencies if they do not
fulfill the pledges given.
Form Letters Discounted.
One of the most unfortunate phases
OF the situation is the existence of
well meant but poorly conducted at
tempt to influence Congress in favor
of tax revision and against the bonus.
Form letters by the thousands are
pouring into Washington, prepared
by banks and business houses with
the idea of making Congress aban-
don the bonus and take up tax re-
vision.
Senators and members OF the House
are rarely impressed by form letters.
They are much more interested in
letters personally written and sin
cerely composed. without influence
from any business institutions. AS a
matter of fact there is a good deal
of individual letter writing going on,
and it is having remarkable effect.
The present drift away from the
bonus and toward tax revision can
1st,sa BE- attributed %nie in large part to the
in all parts of the country to their
representatives in Congress.
,dtas IT isn't the lengthy letter that i'm
Brief expressions of opinion on whether
tax revision of a bonus should be given
the right of way tell as much as
long a9gumsnt ar rngt,1, What CGpngress
advocates of a bonus are numerical
1y greater than the advocates of tax
reduction.
Bonus Advocates Firm.
The struggle in the House is by no
means over, in fact, it has not yet
reached climax. The bonus men
will try to get consideration for their
measure ahead of the tax bill and
will do their best to stall the tax
bill and even may attempt to incor-
porate the bonus proposals as a part
of the tax measure so as to make
difficult a veto of the whole thing by
the Chief Executive.
Much depends on the ultimate atti-
tude of the democrats, who, however
are divided at present into all sorts
of groups and factions. morgan
lied opposition will not beat any
thing in Congress, and for the mo-
ment the group in favor of tax re-
duction is steadily gaining in
strength. With the further help of
public opinion, the next two weeks
viii see some conclusive tests of
whether the bonus can really be side
tracked in favor of tax reduction