The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-11-06
DEMOCRATS PROPOSE NEW
SOLDIER PLANS.
Cash PAYMENTS and Loans Urged as
Most advantageous to fighters.

| Determined efforts to obtain fol
! the returned soldiers more SUB
| stanlial reward Than mat glVeI
| lnem IN the bonus OF $50 IS soon u
ne made IN EonSress. oenLlmen'
| rapidly Is coming 70 support the sug
seSClOn of larger reward.
1t Is the general opinion or the
Democratic leauerS III the house
that the reward should take three
tOrmS-tirst, and most important.
that a generous cash bonus should
oe provided; second, that a land Dlil
should be passed TO PROVIDE Op-
portunity for soldiers to acquire
that the penang land bill should be
amended to permit the soldiers to
purchase homes in cities II they pre-
Ter.
In the cash bonus the Democratic
leaders are very much Interested. 1t
is conceded the $50 bonus was only
a temporary measure, passed in the
closing hours OF the last session
when any effort to obtain a greater
reward tor the men would have re-
suited in delaying, if not defeating
it. The bonus provided immediate
relief for the men but accordingly to
Democratic leaders afforded only a
sum sufficient to enable them to
buy civilian clothes.
Inc SuSSCSllOu OllC1c Gu Wy L11cSc
leaders and the one seeming to gain
the greatest support is that the men
should receive a reward OF $50 a
month for every month OF service,
either in this country or overseas. IL
is conceded such grant would
mean a heavy drain on the Treasury,
but in as much as the other rewards
proposed contemplate only loan OF
money by the Government, the cash
oil ic favored
1t has been urged also that the
bonus Of $50 should be. subtracted
from the total sum which would
come under the new award of
money, but it is not receiving much
favor. The Democratic leaders con-
tend the original bonus was more in
the nature OF payment of a debt
soldiers were forced to discard civil
ian garb on entering the army and
invaribly upon their return found
themselves unable to make use OF
the clothing they abandoned. There
is the possibility however, that
where a man served only a month or
two months before being honorably
$50 bonus amply compensates him.
The plan to give the soldiers an
opportunity to purchase city. homes
if they so desire has been fostered
by the Representative Scott Ferris,
Democratic ranking member on the
committee considering the land bill.
Soldiers have been contending they
did not have an interest in the pro-
posal to acquire farm lands and they
would not sacrifice their positions
in the city to enter upon the doubt
full enterprise of farming. For such
as these. Ferris is proposing the city
home idea.
The city home plan will offer
greater opportunity than is present
ed in any building and loan scheme
or other building organization now
in existance. just as the Democratic
leaders contend the farm land bill
should make it very easy for the
soldiers to go to the land. The
money viii be lent on long time
notes, undoubtedly, and at rates Of
interest so low as to be merely
nominal. The soldiers who have re-
turned and married as many of them
have done, thus could begin to own
their homes and thus also the con-
gestion in cities throughout the
country would be relieved.