The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1920-05-05
REPUBLICAN CACUS BLOWS
UP WHEN BILL is
PRESENTED FOR ITS
IT'S ENDORSEMENT.
DEMOCRATS OPPOSE
Bill Will Have To BE Redrafted
As Majority Party
Is HopelessIy
Divided.

The proposed Soldier Bonus bill
which has been so widely discussed in
its formation and so generally con-
demned was reported last week by the
committees forming it. The repub-
licans on the committee finally agree
ing upon its terms with the committee
democrats opposing it. The bill as
completed by the committee went be-
fore the republican caucus last Satur-
day and it found such opposition in
the ranks Of the dominating force Of
the house that it was practically
killed Seventy odd republicans reg
istered their opposition to it and said
they would not be bound by their
party's caucus. These combined with
the democrats insure enough votes to
kill it in the house and the opinion at
Washington is that the entire bill
would have to be redrafted before
there was even semblance Of
chance for ii to pass if then.
There is no opposition in Congress
to abundantly providing for the maim-
ed and wounded and those physically
unfit as a result Of war, but the idea
Of voting large cash bonus to those
who have been accorded the honors Of
victors in war; who have received the
plaudits and praise Of grateful
nation; who are now filling their posi-
tions in the economic needs Of our
termis carrying with it an enormous
increase Of our already burdensome
war tax program finds little favor
with the great majority Of our peo-
/ Pile.
The following are the provisions Of
the bill as agreed upon by the COM
mittce and as sponsored by the re-
lpublcans in their play for votes on
the eve of a presidential election;
Washington, April 49, Republican
members of the House Ways and
Means Committee virtually decided
today to include in the soldier relief
Legislation program a plan Of paid
up insurance, its value to increase
annually by compounded interest, and
on which loans could be obtained
/ from any Post Office.
| With this addition, ex-service men
might elect any one of the five fol-
lowing plans included in the Repub-
lcan program: A cash bonus of SIPS
day for each day of service; aid in
buying farmland, to be reclaimed by
the Government; aid in buying city
homes; aid in their education, or the
insurance. To popularize the last
four plans the Republicans propose to
allow $1.75 day for each day of SER
vice, instead Of the SIPS cash bonus,
as the basis for computing farm and
home aid, loans and the amount Of
financial aid each man might receive
in the form Of educational training.
The insurance plan, as such, was
said by committeeman to be a "mis-
nomer,' but they declared it was the
"most attractive" Of any of the five
plans. The average period Of service
for world war veterans was 400 days,
they said, explaining that under the
insurance plan the average veteran
could receive a paid-up insurance
policy Of $1.S57, payable to him in
cash at the end Of twenty years, or
Immediately to his heirs in event of
death.
The loan value Of the insurance de-
noted in the legislation as adjusted
service certificates would not accrue
until the end Of the third year the
plan had been in force, and at that
time an ex-service man, with record
Of 400 days service, would be entitled
to loan Of $55l. This would be
the cash value of his certificate at
that time at per cent. interest, COM
pounded annually.
Similarly, the veteran of 100 days
would be entitled to paid-up, twenty
year endowment insurance of S464,
with a cash surrender or loan value
of S1S7 IN three years; the 2OO-day
veteran to insurance Of Se2S with
loan value of $275, the 3OO-day vet
eran to insurance Of $iS92, with a
loan value Of S4lS, and the 5OO-day
veteran to insurance Of $2S2l, with
a loan value of $3.50.
This plan, if universally adopted,
fCnntinned from Second Pagel