The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-01-17
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
The Bonus Measure Will Not Be
Passed and Taxes Are to
be Materially Reduced

Washington, D. c., Jan. 15-In the
first real clash between the advocates
and the opponents Of the Soldiers
Bonus, the latter won out. The Re-
publican members of the House, by a
caucus vote of practically 100 to 81,
instructed the Ways and Means Com
mittee temporarily to lay aside con-
sideration of the bonus bill and to re-
port the Mellon tax measure by Feb
ruary II. This was the direct result
of the pressure exerted by President
Coolidge. Of course the plan is to re-
duce taxes (and revenues) to a point
where it will be impossible to pay
bonus, in other words to cut down the
cloth so that it will be too small to
make a coat Many of the leaders
predict that the bonus bill will not be
passed this session and that there will
only b einetfective discussion of its
merits. There has been a complete
reversal of the views of the Republi-
can leaders since Congress met. At
that time the passage of bonus legis-
lation was confidently predicted on all
sides. Now it is gravely doubted. If
it should come squarely to vote it
probably would pass both houses. The
President would veto it and the lead
ers insist there would be too few
votes to pass it over the veto, at least
in the Senate. But they aim to pre-
vent its coming to a vote.
Tax reduction is assured. The pub
lie has made itself felt so strongly on
this subject that every presidential
candidate and every member of both
that the man with a moderat income
will benefit from the reduction. There
will also be some reduction of the sur
taxes. The leaders predict COM
promise between the 25 per cent rec
commended by Secretary Mellon and
the far higher rates advocated by the
progressives and the Democrats and
seem to think 35 per cent will be the
figure. Elaborate programs for tax
reduction have been submitted by
both the progressives and the Demo-
Gratis. The plan of the latter is obvi-
ously merely bid for votes and an
effort to embarrass the Republicans,
framed without and conception Ct the
amount of revenue it would produce.
The progressive plan is more care
fully worked out and doubtless will
accomplish the modification Of the
Mellon plan.
Apparently the Box peace plan has
proved a fivver. The winner of the
$4,000 prize merely proposes a
slightly modified league of nations,
which the American people will not
consider. There is strong suspicion
in Washington that some clever news
paperman made a careful investiga-
ton of the individual views Of each
member of the jury which was to make
the award and then submitted plan
in accordance with those views, so
that he was certain of practically
unanimous vote. Now there is an
other $4,000 to be awarded the pro-
poser if the plan meets with popular
approval. AS those who favor the
league of nations are pretty certain
to vote for it, and as those who OPP
pose the league are equally certain
not to bother to vote, it is confidently
expected that of the votes received
the majority will be overwhelmingly
for the league and thus the clever
contestant will be able to bank the
remainder of Mr.. Bok's big purse. But
those who labored to suggest some
thing original, and such as expected
something really practical and bene-