The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-08-23
FERRIS CR|T|C|zES
REPUBLICANS FOR NOT
AIDING EX-SOLD|ERS


Washington. Aug. 22.-Failure of the
republican congress to enact any lesis'
lation providing substantial aid for dis
charged soldiers was the subject of crit
iclsm by Representatives Scott Ferris
OF Oklahoma. chairman of the democrat
ic congressional committee and ranking
democratic member of the house com
mittee on public lands. In n statement
made today.
Mr.. Ferris was particularly critical
of the so.called Mondell bill because,
as II Is now drawn. in his opinion, 1t
will provide aid for only comparatively
small number OF service men, only those
willing TO enter into the colonization
scheme the Mondell measure is intended
TO foster. and thus makes no provision
for soldiers in states where such coloni'
Zation Is not feasible to acquire home
or farm.
An alternative plan should be includ-
cd in the bill. in the opinion of minority
members of the committee, so that every
soldier who needs or desires govern
mental aid in acquiring home may
obtain II.
"The American people at the Novem-
ber election entrusted the republican
party with full control of both branches
OF congress. They have been in ses
sion for three months. They have sig
nally failed to pass any legislation bene
fetal to the four million discharged sol
diers," said Mr.. Ferris. who was chair
man of the public lands committee in
| the last house.
"The house public lands committee
has had hearings on the Mondell bill
| and has reported it to the house. The
bill in its present form is not sufficient
| ly wide in scope to benefit the major
portion of the soldiers desiring and de
| serving relief.
"The bin should contain n provision
that all money appropriated for homes
for soldiers should be equitably appor
TONED among the states according to
the number of soldiers making appli
cation and deslrous of availing them
selves of a home under it. The bill n
it now stands does not do this
"'The Mondell Nil IS It now stands il
Il soldiers colonization bill. My con
tention is that in states that are wei
settled, with roads, school houses
churches, towns, rural routes and al
modern facilities. the proposed plan i:
not at all feasible. and will be dsap
pointing to the administrative Officers
as well as those who are to profit un
der II.
"An alternative plan should certainly
be added to the bill, authorizing th'
secreterior of the interior, when thu
soldier plan is not feasible in any givei
state, or in given section of the
country, to make loans direct to indi
vidual former service men who desire
to purchase homes in communities
where they may wish to locate. This
of course, would add to the difficultle!
of administration; 1t would widen th'
scope of the bill, but it would make
it at all times perfectly certain tina
there was some relief to be offered th
soldier who was unwilling to go on
to the sparsely settled states of the ives
or the cut-over lands of the south tina
he might have within reach some re
lief in the requirement of home"
Democratic members of the commit
tee contend that without this alterna
tive, disappointment will result. Rep
resentative Ferris pointed out that il
sections of the country where lan'
ranges in price from $50 to $3.50 pc
acre, plus the charges of administration
which the soldier will have to pay, tn
colonization plan will not be a success
at is not feasible" said Mr.. Ferris
land the soldier will grow heartsicl
over the fact that relief is being grant
ed to a few and denied to the many
| am not leaning on my own judgmen
in making these suggested amendments
They are already firmly entrenched il
the minds of leaders in the house o
representatives and in the minds of tn
soldiers as well.
Secretary Lane has worked in seasol
and out to get some legislation tina
would enable the country to do for tn
soldiers of this country what other cour
tries are doing for theirs, and as
converse with soldiers on the subjec
and study the plan more and more,
, feel perfectly sure the Mondell bill viii
first. not be acceptable to the soldier
will not as it stands be acceptable I
: the house, and will, if enacted benefi
but few and leave the very great ma
jority without any relief. without an
, help or recognition of their services.
"Yet / am hopeful that the goo
: things in this bill may be preserve
= where susceptible of operation, but a
; the same time l am doubly anxious tina
, proper amendments be added to max
it acceptable and of sufficient scope I
assure some who served their countr
during the time of greatest stress.
"I want to make it perfectly clea
that the Mondell bill is not without vii
tue, and doubtless will be of grea
value to the soldiers in certain section
, of the country. But my fear is tina
, it will not take care of a sufficient
; large number of soldiers to really max
J it a soldiers bill at all, and also it
not sufficiently wide in scope to do jus
tice to all the soldiers in all the states.