The labor world., 1920-07-17
THE SOLDIERS BONUS.

The trouble with the soldiers bonus
proposition from the congressional
point Of view is getting the revenue.
If the money could be raised by some
method of taxation that would make
the laborers and farmers pay the great
er part Of it the measure would go
through quickly enough. But since the
ordinary expenses Of government will
probably cause a deficit which our
statesmen feel should be met by levy
on labor, since railroad monopolists are
planning to get more Of labor's earn
ings through increased rates, since land
lords are figuring on a similar opera
tion by increasing rents, and since
trust magnates are still trying to see
how much higher it is possible to put
up prices, it is doubtful if there will
be enough left to pay a bonus to SOL
diers.
The alternative is to tax privilege,
to make land values, including the
franchise values of transportation mo-
| nopolies, bear the burden. That makes
Congress hesitate. That is Why there
is hemming and having, why the sol
diers are informed that bonus would
be an insult and why papers that have
no objection to subsidizing Of business
interests find subsidy to ex.service
men to be wrong in principle. Privi-
legged interests accept no excuses from
legislators who offered them. The ordi-
| nary voter is less severe. It is not
hard to guess which our statesmen will
decide to be the lesser of two evils.
Anyone who has been in touch with
| ex-service men knows that they want
the proposed bonus to be granted and
want it in hurry. They do not look
upon it as a gratuity, but as money
! justly due them. They feel as any one
| would about an overdue account of
which the debtor is trying to evade
settlement. They may feel before the
matter is ended as any one would feel
towards debtor who fatty refuses to
J pay just debt uncollectible by law
For all this there is a reason. The
greater part of the men, being average
American citizens, are in the financial
condition of the average American.
In other words, they are poverty
stricken. They want the bonus be-
cause they need it. They have returned
from the war to find that there has
been no change in the economic system,
that conditions remain which periodi-
cally produce depressions, panics, un-
employment and widespread distress to
the moneyless. They don't like the
prospect of being exposed to such con-
ditions without protection Of some
kind. The proposed bonus, while a
very poor protection, is better than
none, and is moreover the only kind
that the present Congress is capable
Of understanding. So they are asking
for the best that they believe they
can get.
But lot us assume that q Congress
should be elected composed Of true
statesmen, Of men-and women--whose
object in seeking election was to ad
vance the public welfare, who had con.
sequently studied with open minds eco
nomie laws and principles and the
proper functions of government and
twere prepared to apply this knowledge
in carrying on their legislative duties
What would such Congress doe I,
, would act on the bonus question in .
way undreamed of in the present Con
gross. It would abolish all the bon
uses that have for years been voted
! for without question. The tariff sys
tenn would be swept out Of existence
all subsidies to private business inter
:. ests would be done away with, tn,
privilege Of controlling public. high
lways would be taken from private cor
porations, and the grant 10 4landholder,
of the rental value of land would b,
- u e.3 ..5, Il s..$