The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1920-04-02
GUIDES
SOLDIER BONUS
Is Drafting Measure to Aid Veterans
of World War

. washington, Marcn ZJ.-WlCn Cne
closing of sessions of the American
Legion and hearings before the Ways
and Means committee of the House
of Representatives on the one subject
of bonus legislation, interest is center
ing on the secret sessions of the Ways
and Means committee, which is busily
engaged in redrafting bill to present
to the whole House next week.
Chairman Fordney, representative
from the Eighth Michigan district,
will direct the drafting of the bill.
The bill will be known as the "Ford-
ney Bill and will contain provisions
which are to be found in 81 other SOL
dier relief bills now pending before
the Ways and Means committee. The
decks will be cleared of the entire 81
bills and one bill to include general
soldier relief legislation will be franz
ed in their places.
Chairman Fordney will lead what
looks like spirited fight inside the
Ways and Means committee to put
into the bill all three gratuities which
the American Legion has asked for.
Under the tentative bill which Ford
ney will present to secret sessions Of
the powerful Ways and Means COM
mittee, an ex-service man will have
the option to take advantage of one
of the four propositions. Following
are the four options:
1. Payment of $1.5O for every day
of service in either bonds or cash. If
the man wants bonds he can get them
instead of cash.
2. Farm settlement. The govern
ment will loan an ex-service man
$1,000 with which to buy and stock
up farm. An allowance of So day
for every day in the service will be
accepted as first payment on the debt.
The loan will be made to men who
are known to be thrifty, capable and
honest. The Farm Loan Bureau will
supervise such loans after each ap-
plicant has been examined by it for
fitness. The man must pay 5 per cent
interest on the loan.
3. Home buying. The government
will loan to any ex-service man who
has title to lot in a city $4,000
with which to build home. Two dol
lars a day for each day in service will
be credited as first payment on the
loan. This also carries interest at the
rate of five per cent.
In each of the last two items the
man will not be required to borrow the
entire amount, but he may borrow up
to the state amount.
Men who wish to get married and
either settle in the country or the
cities are given larger allowances, as
an inducement to become landowning
citizens. Also it is pointed out that
the money won't all fall into the
hands of gamblers and profiteers.
Congressman Gilbert A. Currie of the
Tenth Michigan district has been in a
position to do much in securing the
last two provision of the tentative
bill. He believes that the greatest
antidote of radicalism is to create a
vast number of landowning young
citizens. Chairman Fordney also fav-
ors these two options.
Then, too, efforts are being made to
incorporate a provision to provide a
fourth option-that of giving men
who do not care to invest in land or
homes an opportunity to take up some
definite line of vocational training.
1t is suggested that Uncle Sam credit
the student with So day for each
days service, in addition to furnish
ing tuition, books, etc.
Congressman Fordney, who is de-
termined that the bill shall pass the
House, after conferring with Con-
gresham Gilbert A. Currie, stated
today that il the Ways and Means
committee did not report the bill on.