The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-09-11
BONUS FOR SOLDIERS

Adjutant General w. A. Morris, gave
out the following statement today In
respect to the matter of a bonus tC
h~onorably discharged service mer
from South Dakota.
my attention has been called to
newspaper articles appearing in the
state papers~ recently relative to a pro
posed state bonus to honorably dis.
charged service men from South Da.
kota. Numerous letters received by
ice men are getting the impression
that a bonus has already been pro-
vided by this state. This is not cor
rect. No bonus has been provided by
the state Legislature, and no bonus can
be provided until the state legislature
meets, which will not be until the win.
ter of 1920-21, unless a special session
should be called for some purpose in
the interim.
1T is true that many states are TAX
ing this means Of r%ewarding their
service men. North Dakota, / under
stand, Is planning to give her service
$25 per month for each month of
service. Minnesota is consid-
ering the proposition of a bonus Of
$40 per month for each month of serv-
ice. Other states aer already giving
or drafting legislation to provide, a
bonus of from $50 to 800. South Da.
koota gave her boys on the Mexicon
border a SIS bonus, but what she will
do in respect to her World War sol
iiers is a matter which nuts be taken
up by the next legislature.
"The Soldiers Enuemration Record
blanks sent out to the assessors last
were originally attended in
connection with a state history of the
boys who served in the wal against
he Central Empire, but those records,
properly returned to this office.
viii be most valuable to the service
men themselves as it will be then DOCS
'ible for this office to see each SOL
Tier, sailor OF marine 81 accorded the
benefit of all favorable legislation al
'eady on our statute books or any
'uture laws passed giving bonus or
'ther special consideration to those
who served in the war.
South Dakota has already provided
la WHEREBY returned soldiers may
purchase their own farms, improve
md stock same through the South Da-
Iota Land Settlement commission of
which Colonel Boyd Wales is land
commissioner. A moratorium act has
'een pasesed exempting soldiers from
axes during the time they were in
and exempting them from
egal process to collect debts and stay-
ng judgments, liens, etc, for the pc
iod of their service and one year after
discharge. Acts have also been passed
living free tuition in state institutions
o honorably discharged soldiers, and
lso giving preference in public en-
'loyment to service men.
South Dakota has already given her
oldiers the above recognition for their
ervices. and it is not likely that she
ill be behind her sister states in any
good move, but in order that
service men may avail themselves
I these laws passed, this office should
ave some record of them, and to this
urge every soldier, sailor or ma
ne, each Y. M. c.. A, Y. w. c. A.,
). of c., Red Cross, Salvation Army
canteen worker who has been in |
he service during the war to make
pplication to their county auditor for
Soldiers Record Enuemration blank,
same out and return to such aud
or. In case the auditors have no
on hand, this Office will furnish /
lem on request. This is important :
II the benefit of the service men and /
omen of this state, and in case they !
not returned to the state. some B
should attend to this for !
i