The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1919-03-18
A War Bonus for Everyone.
From the Marietta Journal.

What a pity we can not all live in Wash
ingtOn! 1t is a beautiful city-said to be the
most beautiful in the world, and we believe
it is.
trees and elegant parks. The buildings are
the finest that money can build-models of
elegance and convenience.
Its car service is the cleanest, the cheap
est and most perfect in this country, or any
other for that matter. It's educational adj
vantages are not equaed anywhere 1t has
all of the peoples Of the earth represented
within its bounds.
1t has model laws and has half it's taxes
paid by congress. 1t is the home of the pres
ldent of the United States, and is the seat
OF government of the greatest country on
the face of the earth
1t has churches, and hospitals, and every
other institution necessary to the making of
a perfect city.
We know of our own knowledge that ev-
cry word of this is true, and not overdrawn
in the least
We honestly believe that year properly
spent in Washington is worth as much to
any young man or woman as an equal time
spent IN any college or UNIVERSITY
But 1t seems to have other advantages of
which we did not know until now, and which
are SO unusual that the rest of the country
never dreamed of them.
Most of the citizens of Washington are in
the employ of the government Not less
than one hundred thousand people in ordi-
nary times have their names on the pay roll
of the government. Since the beginning of
the war the number has no doubt been in
creased fifty per cent
Most of these are under civil service,
which protects them in their positions, so
long as they put up even a show of sitting
at a desk eight hours a day, and in some
loss Tho solo ri 81 ~,
tions range from 500 to 5000 per month.
But to get down to the latest benefit, con-
gress has Just voted a 'war bonus" of $240
to each civil employee in Washington!
When the rest of the country is called
upon to raise war funds it has cheerfully
responded, but few had any idea that the
heroes who held down chairs in Washington
funds.
OF course, ratiOns are high in Washington,
and clothes are high, but they are also high
in Memphis, Tennessee, and Marietta, Geor-
gla, and in every other town and hamlet in
the country.
We are under the impression that the civil
employees went there for the pay attached to
the office, and for other reasons which they
considered beneficial. We do not believe that
patriotic reasons induced any of them to 90
there or stay there. We never heard of the
draft being employed to get any of them to
take the jobs or to keep them
We therefore see no reason or justice in
singing out these highly favored citizens
for war bonus" Of course It is not very
big thing A mere trifle $24O must seem in
the eyes of our well-tO-do members of con-
gress. Many of them could spend that much
every day and not miss it, and some of them
do spend that much, on OCCASIONS Why. if
only ten thousand of these desk heroes
draw bonus it will only amount to two mil
lion four hundred thousand dollars, and con-
gress is 50 accustomed to big figures now.
Say as many as hundred thousand of
them draw the bonus-why that will only
come to twenty-four million dollars! What
of it? Didn't they work for the government
during the war?