The Washington times., 1924-01-03
BACK
At HOPELESS
PICKERING
Leaders in Despair As They
Face Failure to Secure Any
Legislation.
By GEORGE r. HOLMES,
International News Service.

- 81
Congress came back to Washing
ton today fresh from contact with
the home fires to face a continue
ton of the pickering and fighting
that has thus for prevented the
of any legislation.
The guage Of battle was picked
up today exactly where it was laid
down two weeks ago-in the Senate
the row over the election of a
chairman Of the Interstate Com
merce Commission was resumed,
and in the House the taxation-bonus
issue again occupied the attention
Of members.
No progress was made during the
recess toward the adjustment of
any Of the score of fights that
were started in the opening days
of the session. and the leaders con-
fesSed today their inability to make
any definite predictions as to the
probable accomplishments of the
Sfxty-eighth Congress.
What Will BE Done.
In general, however, they agreed
that If the session is able to put
through the twelve major appropria-
ton bills, tax revision measure and
q soldiers bonus bill it will then
have accomplished about everything
that is possible before politics AMI
the two national conventions emerge
from the wings and take possession
OF the center Of the stage. Only
about sixteen working weeks remain
before the conventions, and the an
preparation bills alone will require
half Of this time.
A tax revision bill will be passed
by the Sixty-eighth Congress. On
that all factions are agreed. The
stacks OF letters and kilograms
piled high on the desks of returning
Congressman bore eloquent testi-
mony today to the countrywide de.
mand for relief. But neither Re-
publicans, Democrats or the so.
called insurgents were brave enough
today to predict what kind of
bill finally will be adopted or how
much actual cash will be Topped off
the taxpayers annual budget, The
situation IL that complicated.
Opposition to the Mellon plan, as
written, with it's reduction of sur.
taxes on huge incomes to % per
cent. was solidified during the
peared over this question, and both
Republicans and Democrats found
themselves laundering around to-
day in d quagmire of disagreement
and dissension over the matter The
insurgents, holding the whip-hand,
are smiling behind their hands and
saying but little.
1t appeared virtually certain to.
day that the bonus is soon to sup
plant tax legislation in the House
Ways and Means Committee. which
now has the Mellon bill before it.
Returning members today found
a lengthy petition from the bonus
advocates in the House, calling for
"a Republican conference on the
bonus for January 10. 1t was
signed by far more than the re-
quired number Of fifty members.
This conference will meet one week
from today and will instruct the
Ways and Means Committee to
report the bonus bill to the House
within ten daysS thereafter.
Must Decide on Bonus.
The committee cannot possibly
conclude its consideration of even
the administrative features of the
tax bill before that time, and 1t
consequently will be confronted
with either obeying the mandate of
the majority and bringing out the
bonus bill forthwith, or flying in
the face of the matority's will by
refusing to do so.
The committee, it appeared TO.
day, will bring out the bonus bill
as quickly as possible, certainly
within two weeks, If for no other
reason than the fate Of the bonus
must be decided before the con-.
mittee can get down to the business
Of figuring tax reductions. No re-
liable estimate Of revenue needs can
he made until it ID ascertained how
great the expenditures will he.
Meanwhile. the Democratic minor.
ity has started a series of partisan
conferences to try to adjust conflict
ing views on tax reduction and per-
NIT the Democrats to put up solid
front when the bill finally energies
from committee. The task of recon-
CLING views appeared almost hope
less today, for there are insurgents
in the Democratic ranks as well as
among the Republicans.
Congressman Garner Dem.) of
Texas, one of the Democratic lead.
ers, plans to bring out his own
tax bill, differing radically from the
Mellon measure, which he feels
confident will command the sup
port OF a majority of Democrats.
MISSING COLLEGE YOUTH