Evening star., 1928-05-27
FOUR MAJOR BILLS
FACING PRESIDENT
Shoals Veto Held Uncertain.
Approval Seen on Tax, Pay
ard Funds Measures.

AS Congress enters upon what is ex-
President Coolidge is confronted with
four bills of really major Importance
Only one Of these-~the one creating a
Government corporation to operate the
Muscle Shoals nitrogen plant--stands
any likelihood of veto.
The other three are the Welch- -Smoot
bill providing a $4,000, 900 increase in
Government employees pay. the S222,-
495 900 tax reduction bill and the sec
ond deficiency bill. carrying $l40.000.-
600. of which about $1l,000.000 will be
spent by the Federal and District Gov
crnmentS on improvements in the Cap
ital
Popular interest necessarily is centered
in the pay bill and the tax measure. but
the greatest speculation is Centcrcd
upon the outcome of the Muscle Shoals
bill because there is ample reason To
expect the President may not approve
this measure.
May Not Veto.
While 1t is generally believed on
Capitol Hill, particularly by those VINO
conducted the 24-hour filibustar against
Mr.. Coolidge will veto it. several of the
Presidents close friends who have dis
cussed this legislation with him since its
passage are under the impression that
there is no surety that he will reject 1t,
1t is realized that the President has
maintained the Government should re-
linuuish the Muscle Shoals plant to
private concerns and it is known that
that provision of the bill which puts
the Government in the business OF
selling fertilizer is especially objection
able to him. Regardless of this, the
President has given more than one per-
son the impression that he might put
aside his personal feelings and either
sign the bill or let it become a law
without his signature. One Of the
Presidents callers yesterday afternoon,
after discussing the bill with him, said
he drew the conclusion that Mr.. Cool
ldge personally would be glad to ap-
prove this legislation. thereby dispos-
ing of a great Government problem
that has been hanging fire for so long
a time and which has called for so
much congressional debate.
If the President does sign the bill
he must first succeed in putting aside
his personal feelings and his honest be-
lief that the Government should not
embark in the fertilizer business.
Urge Rejection.
Among those with whom he discussed
the bill yesterday we're Representatives
Fronthingham of Massachusetts, Rams
ley of Pennsylvania and Glynn of Con-
necticut, members Of the military af-
fairs committee Of the House. who
strongly urged him to veto the bill
HI.sY Af
Tennessee also endeavored to impress
upon him the Importance of rejecting
the measure. Representative NORM
chairman of the House military COM
mittee, urged him to sign ii. Senator
Norris, who engineered the bill through
the Senate. was TO have accompanied
Mr. NORM. but did not
Accordingly there is little concern
over the outcome of the tax reduction
bill. Although the reduction is nearly
S25,000,000 above the amount set by
the administration as what the Trca-
sury could stand. the feeling is pretty
general that Mr.. Coolidge will not re-
fuse 10 sign this important bill Con-
siderable OF this assurance Is based
upon the fact that publicity of income
returns was finally eliminated.
There Is no doubt about his signing
the employees pay increase bill His
signing of the second deficiency bill Is
matter of course. There Is con-
siderable interest in this city in these
two measures One increases the pay
of more than $4,000 workers living here
and the other provides with other
things S7,000.000 for the purchase of
land in the Avenue triangle. S2500,o 900
for the beginning OF work on the con-
struction of the memorial highway be-
tween Mount Vernon and this city
$5l6,00o for the District government
for miscellaneous deficiencies and $500 :
600 for new buildings a; Walter Reed
Hospital