Evening star., 1924-12-17
POSTAL PAY VETO
DEFEAT PROBABLE
BY SMALL MARGIN
Administration Count of
Votes Shows Lack of Two
to Sustain President.
C00LiDGE'S POSITION
OUTLINED By LEADERS
Opposes Increased Pay Only Until
Provision Can Be Made for
Payment.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BT DAVID LA w RENSE.
Had the administration been able TO
command enough votes to sustain the
veto message on the postal pay bill,
there would have been a vote on the
measure before this.
Two votes are lacking, so the ad-
ministration leaders in the Senate by
parliamentary maneuvers have been
able TO prevent a vote from being
taken, though In the next 4S hours
they may be compelled to permit the
vote and transfer their efforts TO the
House OF Representatives.
The administration has a strong
enough argument to appeal ordina-
riiy to it's party in Congress and il
the bill is passed over the Presidents
veto 1t will be a sign that the last
election has taught very little about
the value OF party leadership.
Conditions Following Election.
Many a member OF the Senate and
House was willing enough to lean
on the Coolidge pillar of political
strength to win his own election and
now the President Is trying to hold
his party in line by virtue of that
strength Ehich he has with public
opinion and which he may have two
years hence in the congressional cleo
tions.
Mr.. Coolidge makes it clear in his
talks with the men on Capitol Hill that
he favors the increase in postal pay, but
that he wants to make sure the funds
are forthcoming before there is an
euthoriza ton to spend. But the PROPOSE
ton Is not even as simple as that, for
one would say o1hand the postal service
ought to be self-supporting. The rub
comes when the Post once Department
tries to increase the postal rates in
order to meet the pay increases.
Nearly every interest which could
possibly be affected by the suggested in
crease in rates has come down to Wash
ington with a loud clamor lest it's busi
ness be affected. The farmer doesn't
want the increase tackled on the parcel
post
Newspapers and periodicals are in
sistent that second class matter, al
ready overburdened with expensive
rates, shall not be tampered with. lest
the cost of distributing Information
and intelligence be SO prohfbitive as
TO diminish the educational develop
ment of the country by newspapers
and periodicals. The business men of
the country do not want to see the
first class mail rates increased, and SO
on down the line.
President'S Position Made Clear.
Where. then. is the ssS, ,eoo, 900 com
Ing from to pay the increases which
most everybody admits are due the
postal carriers and mail employees?
The President has let 1t be known
nnoficially that IL the veto on the
last pay bill 10 not considered for
the present, at least until there Is
an agreement by the SenRte End
House on how the money shall be
objection to the overriding of his
own veto. In fact, he will recon-
mend the passage of an increased
pay bill very much along the lines
of the one now proposed by Post
master General New.
In all the budget of nearly three
and half billions, isn't there $685.
600, 900 which can be better spent for
postal employees wages than for
which the budget officers of the
Government have been struggling
with, but when the budget was sent
to Congress the question was not
answered, whereupon the friends in
Congress Of the postal employees went
ahead with their plan to get a vote
TO override the veto. The Executive
may yet have to find the money by
cutting down on some building ex-
penditure elsewhere. but the chances
are that some Increases in postal
rats will. be put through as means
OF paying at least part of the new ex-
pense.
Strategy OF the Promoters.
The strategy of the friends of the
postal bill is to get the measure
passed and make Congress and the
Executive find ways of meeting the
expense later, very much as the
soldier bonus advocates did. For IL
the controversy is left to drag till
way is found to pay the money the
present session of Congress- which is
short, would probably lose the whole
matter in the shuff1e. BY passing a
law requiring the appropriation, Con-
gress will commit itself to the financ-
ing Of the pay increase. and 1t seems
inevitable, IL the bill passes, that
large part of the revenue win be
raised by increased postal rates