Evening star., 1932-03-30
HOUSE IS AROUSED
TO ECONOMY NEED
Reversal Already Under Way,
but Garner Address
Spurs Trend.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

Quite apart from Speaker Gamers
dramatic expression of determination to
balance the budget. there is clear evi-
dence Of changed mood and a trend
in the direction of economy and sound
Government finance on the part of the
House as a whole. 1t is likely that
Speaker Gamers action has increased
and crystallized 1t, but the changed dis
position Of the House was already under
way.
The change of mood is shown by the
Houses action on a bill appropriating
$100,000,000 for drainage districts,
chiefly in the West. The bill was in
the Committee on Rules, which kept
1t of the floor, presumably out of
reluctance to add so large an amount
to the appropriations being made. In
this condition, 213 members signed a
petition to the effect that the commit
tee should facilitate acticn on the bill.
Thereafter, however, when the question
came to roll call on the floor only 1872
voted for it. This was clearly reversal
Of position, taking the direction CT
economy on the part of large number
of members. The motion was defeated
by 203 to 1872.
Garner Stresses Taxation.
Speaker Gamers appeal was neces-
sarily in general terms of balancing
the budget" Almost at the very mo-
ment when Speaker Garner was ex-
pressing this intention for himself and
making his appeal to the House to sup
port him, President Hoover, mile away
in the White House, was saying, In so
many words, that If the budget is to be
balanced it will be necessary to drop
the notion of paying the two-billion-
dollar bonus to the veterans. Speaker
Garner was speaking mainly In terms
of taxation. President Hoover spoke Of
the other part of balancing the budget
which Is reducing expenditures. The
bonus is the principal concrete detail In
which the question Of balancing the
budget will come up.
Up to the time of Speaker Gamers
appeal and President Hoover's an
nouncement, the status Of the bonus
proposal in Congress was generally un-
derstood. 1t was to the effect that the
bonus appropriation would have ma
jority in both the House and the Sem
ate; that it would then go to the Pres
ident; that Mr.. Hoover would veto II
and that, in the final phase, there would
not be enough votes in Congress 10
make up the two-thirds necessary 10
pass the bonus over the president S
veto.
II this was the status of the bonus
before Tuesdays events, it is to be pre-
sumed that its status now is certainly
not any stronger. The net of the Sit
uation is that the bonus is fairly Ger
tain to be stopped either through fall
ure of a majority in one OF the houses
of Congress or else subsequent lack OF
the two-thirds necessary to overcome
the Presidents veto.
Bonus Seems Doomed.
In any event, the bonus seems likely
to be stopped With this many OF the
Representatives and Senators support
ing the bonus will be quite satisfied.
What an individual Congressman desires
when thinking in terms Of reelection
and the veterans vote Is primarily the
opportunity to go on record IN 1aVor OF
the bonus. If thereafter 1t fails through
veto BY the President or otherwise, the
satisfaction of many members support
ing the bonus is not materially reduced:
A third evidence of the change OF
mood In both House and Senate eX-
presses itself in an altered attitude
about reducing Government salaries and
wages There has been real reluctance
to do this, partly because Government
wages are not high and partly because
Government employees in many cases
are the principal workers in local pollt-
ical machines throughout the country
Two weeks ago it appeared that no cut
in Government wages would be made.
1t is not yet certain that one will be made.
1t is apparent, however that Congress
Is becoming aware of thoroughgoing
determination throughout the country
to reduce cost of Government at all
places from the township up to the
National Capital. 1t has been said that
any elective ofnceholder coming up for
reelection this Fall will have difficult
time If his opponent is able to say that
the officeholder has not yet acted to
cut his own salary. If in Difference to
this sentiment Congress cuts the salaries
of its own members, that action is like
" to give rise to momentum in which
thereafter they will make some kind OF
cut in Government wages generally.
(Copyright, 1922