The Coconino sun., 1919-06-13

As requested, l have made an ex- animation into your books of account as between those who went to camp or trench and those who remained at home; and l have to report, sir, that I find your books out of balance.
 You have exacted or accepted ap. proximately forty million months of time from the young manhood of the country for which you have failed to pay in anything like the true com. mercial value. l have investigated into all of the different departments and bureaus of your government at home, and in no case do l find that you have placed less valuation than $10O per month upon the services oi your employees in such various de- partments. That figure, in fact, is the minimum rate encountered in any case involving the employment of fit and sound men between the ages of 21 and 30.
 Your books show that nearly four million young men between the ages referred to, literally dragged them selves by the roots out of the com mercial, social, and industrial life of America and went forth to serve you and to do your work and bidding. IL matters not that many of these young men from a high sense of patriotism volunteered their services, and that of those drafted all but very few ac- cepted your commission without com plaint. Their services and their time were required by you. And yet in fix, ing their compensation you allowed them less than one.third of the true value of their time. Further, l find that out of the small wage fixed, S3I month, you have made deductions of from six to nine dollars per month as insurance premium payments. This insurance was to protect these young men against the hazards of the battle field. But it is obvious that they faced those hazards there not for personal gain for themselves but in the inter- ests of their country and hence their country should have paid these insur- ance premiums.
 have therefore to advise, sir, that in addition to crediting these young men at an equitable figure for the forty million months of time they have given you, that you also credit back approximately S250, 100000 of in- surance premiums wrongfully col lected from them, and that you debit yourself and the country at large with the amount of these premiums. These deductions have reduced their net compensation to an average of $23, with which amount, sir, you are cred hal d,,n aanh al dier and sailor of approximately S77 for each month served.
 I am aware, sir, of the argument so frequently advanced that these young men, during the time of their service, have been supplied free with food, clothing and equipment, and it is sometimes argued that these items really raise the figure of compensa- ton to commercial basis. ..
 It has been the custom, sir, in every department of your government, as well as in the commercial and indus trial life of the country, always to provide an employee with his neces- sary expenses when sent into other parts and away from his home upon the business of his employer, and in addition to such necessary expenses to pay the full salary without deduc- tion. Where special equipment is re. quired to be possessed or carried by the employee, it is the custom always for the employer to provide such full equipment. The clothing and uni. forms provided the men in your serv. ice were of special design, calculated to meet the needs of your service primarily; each young man inductec or enlisted possessed an outfit of civ ilian clothes at the time of his en. trance into your service; these he wa obliged to discard at the time. It j, therefore obviously unfair and unjust to charge against him the value of tho special clothing thus provided.
 And in the matter of board, here too, in the commercial and industria life of the country, as well as under the custom of all of your departments the agent or employee who is sent away from his home on business o1 the government or private employer is unfailingly allowed in addition tc his salary the amount of his living expenses. This is so, because most men have a home or at least a place where they can live more economically and comfortably than at any othel place, and whenever the business o! an employer requires that they shal leave such home or fireside, it be comes incumbent upon the employer to assume all expenses incurred.
 know that it is argued, too, that the American soldier is the best paic soldier in the world. Some have alst pointed to the few pennies day paie the Russian and Austrian soldiers un' der the old imperial regimes. But il should be remembered that in the strictest sense of the term, America has no soldiers; she has no con scripts. The low pay prevailing among the conscripts of European armies is the heritage of a former day; when all soldiers were looked upon as ruffians without morals ano without honor. That day is not so fai back in the pages of European his tory. Then the conscript was permit ted to loot the towns and villages