The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1919-03-07
LAMPING BILL VOTED
DOWN IN THE SENATE
Measure to Give Soldiers and Sailors
SO Month for Each Month In
Service is Beaten

Ihe Lamplng bill which was to give
every soldier and sailor SO a month
for every month in service was killed
in the state senate at Olympia Mon
day and out of the appropriations
committee Tuesday came the substi-
tute bill for the Lamping bill provid-
ing S5,000,000 for the payments of re-
wards for returned soldiers, the money
to be disbursed by the veterans well
fare commission. This money is to be
raised by poll tax of $40 on every
male person between the ages of 81
and 40. The limit for each soldier is
to be 500.
This bill, it is believed, will pass.
Senator Magnus G. Thomle, of Sno-
homish county had been promised that
this substitute bill would be brought
out of committee and passed before
he voted mo" on the Lamping bill and
defeated the measure by vote of q
to 81, as it lacked a constitutional
majority.
The Lamping bill has been the sub
ject of hot debates in the legislature
the past week and has attracted state
wide interest.
"The bill is wrong in principle, be-
cause it throws money out indiscrimi-
nately," said Senator Loomis of Gray's
Harbor. 1t throws money to soldiers
whether they need it or not. 1t would
be an absolute harm to the soldiers
who do not need the money, and the
awards are not enough to help the
boys who do need help. | am willing
to have the state lend or give from
$500 to $1,000 or a greater sum to
returned soldier who actually needs it.
am unwilling to give money to those
who do not, for such a policy would
breed idleness and harm the men we
want to help. 1 am heartily in favor
of helping the veterans to the extent
that they need help, and am in favor
of honoring them, but this is not the
way to do it.
Senator Rockwell of King asserted
he believed debate useless because
''the minds of the senators are made
up" Turning toward Senator Conan
of Spokane, who had read from letters
of fathers of veterans declaring their
boys do not want the Lamping bill,
Rockwell asserted all of the letters
were written by rich men. If every
man in the state had to dig down into
his pockets for s120, it would not be
one-tenth of what we are entitled to
give to the men who fought for us" he
said.
Senator Cox of Walla Walla made
an impassioned speech against the bill,
declaring it nothing short of an insult
to the motherhood of the state. He
believed Senator Lamping to be hon
est, but charged him with backing
statewide propaganda. You said the
only person who made sacrifice was
the man in uniform" he asserted. 81
know that is not true. / know of
women who earned their living by
taking in washing who have bought
Liberty bonds at 50 month. Many
thousands of poor people have made
real sacrifices during the war. 1t
wouldn't help bit to give the boys
a few paltry dollars, for it would teach
them extravaganza and our American
boys are too extravagant now. | say
give the boys jobs and any man who
refuses is not an American. l would
be ashamed to vote for this measure
to give a few dollars to the mother
whose son is sleeping on Flanders
field. 1t is an insult to the mother
hood of the state. This legislature
is absolutely unjust But, if it is nee
essary, will vote for ten millions for
the soldiers relief This would pay
the rich farmers son when he doesn't
need it. l tell you it is wrong in
principle"
Ready Cash Needed
Senator Metcalf of Pierce delivered
the most polished address of the ses-
sion when he arose to defend the bill.
He started by declaring that the lar
gest taxpayer in Tacoma favored Civ
ing the state away to the soldiers if
necessary. The legislature had pro
vided public works so that the soldiers
might have jobs, and had given half
a million for temporary relief, but that
something ought to be done to provide
the soldier with the ready cash to help
him get back into civilian life, to take
a short vacation after the rigors of
military service. He recounted the ex-
periences of the war, told of America
writing notes and coming phrases
while France and Britain gave their
blood, and pictured America reaching
the battle line just in time to save the
world. "Then, what shall we do for
the soldiers ?" he asked "Any tax