Evening star., 1920-03-03
HEARING ON BILLS
FOR WAR VETERANS
BRINGS WRANGLE
Storm of Protest Greets Wit
ness Comment on Legion
Commanders Statements.

Another row occurred today at
hearings before the House ways and
means committee on soldier relief
measures. 1t came when Edward H.
Hale. representing Veterans of For
eign Wars. told the committee that
statements made yesterday by Frank
lin D'Olier. commander of the Amer
lean Legion, were erroneous and
should be contradicted.''
A storm of protest resulted, but
Chairman Fordney restored quiet by
warnings that unless order could be
maintained I'VE will quit these hear
ings.''
Representative Treadway. republi-
can. Massachusetts, said the COM
mtttee should not permit criticism of
"evident rivalry exists between va
rious associations"
Criticisms must be permitted il we
get anywhere" interjected Repre-
sentative Garner, democrat. Texas
AFTER nve minutes of wrang-
several started to leave. Chairman
Fordney ruled that witnesses should
not criticise other organizations.
Ursey Relief Measure.
Representative Hale urged passage
of a bill authorizing relief to dis
charged service men at the rate of
$50 a month instead of $50, with an
additional grant of 500 to those who
passage of the Morgan bill. which
would give service men the option
of selecting homesteads.
How could the money be raised for
this bonus?" asked Representative
kitchin. democrat. North Carolina
100000 now"
Our plan," said Mr.. Hale. would
be to tax all incomes above $4,000
at the rate of per cent, graduating
until per cent would be charged
on incomes above S1,OOO,OOO. This
to the internal revenue bureau"
Some of the alleged economies prac-
ticed by this Congress are a crime"
the witness said. whereupon Mr..
kitchin remarked that 1.-The economies
of this republican Congress surely is
a crime
MIR. Hale said Zip appreciation and
nothing more" had been extended to
discharged soldiers.
'"These men, he declared. have been
turned back to civilian life with sixty
pieces of silver. and they have been
brought face to face with the ingrati-
tude of the republic. The only wonder
Is that they have stood SO long the
apathetic attitude of Congress-"
. Members of Congress received back
pay when they We're discharged from
the Army and returned to the House,
he said. adding that others were equal
ly as deserving as eN-soldicr congress-
men.
Representative Green Replies.
Assertion by the witness that many
former service men were without work
brought from Representative Green.
republican. Iowa. the statement that
many farms in the middle west could
not be cultivated because of the short
age of labor.
Mr.. Hale replied that the most unem-
ployment would be found in cities.
explaining that after Army life men
did not want to return to farms. The
Veterans Association plan, he added
would provide both financial relief
and privilege of taking komesteads.
Representative Hull, democrat. Ten
nessee said granting bonus would
impose severe burdens on the average
taxpayer of the country and would
increase living costs.
Increased taxes Of 100000, 900 must
be raised to meet present war ex-
without granting a cent
to the service men. Representative
Henry 7. Rainey. democrat, Illinois.
declared, supporting Representative
Hull.
establish the most oppressive system
of taxation in the world" he said.
The bonus itself would be more than
the total of the pre-war expendi-
lures
1t was brought out during the eX-
of Thomas w. Miller. chair
man of the legion's legislative COM
mittee, that the legion wanted assist
ance for everybody in the service, the
witness suggesting that relief might
be handled "like the $50 bonus. which
went automatically to. all enlisted
men," and to officers requesting it
Chairman Fordney. referring to
Miller's statement that the legion did
not want soldier relief administered
'.as the war risk insurance bureau ad-
ministered it," denounced the action
of an inspector of that bureau, who
refused aid in the case Of a lawyer
soldier, both Of whose legs were
broken and who was otherwise in
iured. Finding that the applicant was
a lawyer, the inspector, according to
presented to the chair
man, declared he did not deserve help
or sympathy, as a man in his condi-
ton going before a jury could win
every cause he pleaded"
II think we ought to get that in
spector and send him where Emma
Goldman is." Mr.. Fordney said.