The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1920-04-16

serve in these industries. The soldier
was the only man in the whole nation
whose pay remained the same
throughout the entire period of the
war. His pay was the same on Ar
mistice day as it was on the day that
war was declared, while the pay of
every other worker in the nation had
been doubled and tripled. 1t has been
customary in previous wars to COM
pensate the soldiers sufficiently, up
on discharge, to get them re-estab-
lished in their civil vocation. When
the First Tennessee Infantry return
ed from the Philippines, after the
PHILIPPINE instruction, the regiment
was mustered out at San Francisco
and the men were given an allowance
of twenty-five cents per mile to their
homes. This amounted to about $500
per man. 1t was not called bonus or
Adjusted compensation. 1t was, call
ed milage, but was the same thing
ed mileage, but was the same thing
purpose. Many bonuses have been
paid during this war. The railway
employees have received several boz
muses. in form of increased wages, the
farmers have received their bonuses
in the form Of 1925 wheat and %
cent hogs. The government clerks
have received their bonuses in form
of gratuity of $240 per year, all la
borers of the government contracts
have received their bonuses in the
form of wages as high as $1,000 per
day, and merchants and manufactur-
ers have received their bonuses in the
form of profiteering with the skies
the limit.
The soldier, upon his return home
finds that there has been orgy Of
spending and the first man to greet
him is the tax collector and tells him
to go to work and pay off the Nation
al debt-profiteering and all. These
are the grounds on which the ex-sol-
der bases his request for an adjust
ment. 1t is believed that there is not
member of the Ways and Means
Committee of the House who does not
conceive the justice of the claim, and
this committee is prepared to make a
public acknowledgment Of the obliga-
ton that is due the ex-soldier.
2nd.-Having disposed Of the JUS
tice Of the claim, which had been de-
cided in favor of the ex-service men,
it now remains to determine the prop
err amount of the adjustment. What
should be the amount of the compen-
sation of the ex-soldier? This is a
matter that can be determined in
scientific way, but it can not be de-
termined by citing extreme cases, for
example, the twenty-three thousand
new millionaires that the war pro-
duced. However, the Legion made
careful survey Of the half million
savings accounts of workers of the
average age and capacity as the aver
age soldier and it was found that in
addition to the fact that these men
and their families lived exceedingly
well, they were able, also, to put
away in the savings bank about $50
per month. This figure was present
ed to Congress as the proper figure
on which to base adjusted Compensa-
ton, and this figure stands in the
record to-day unchallenged.
3rd.--How and when can funds be
raised to liquidate this obligation?
On this question the Legion took the !
position that it could not advise the
Ways and Means Committee. The
Legion reasserted that it wanted on
ly justice for the ex-soldier, nothing
more or less, and that it did not want |
to do anything that would work to
the injury of the general public. Ger
tain members of the Ways and Means
Committee thought that the imme-
date settlement of this obligation
would be inconsistent with the pub
lie welfare.
After a full consideration of all |
the facts in the case the Legion
recommended to the Ways and Means
Committee, Adjustant Compensation
at the rate of $3.50 per day for each |
day of service, to be paid as soon as
funds are available and within one
year. There has been much misun-
derstanding Of this matter, both on
the part of ex-service men and the
part of many other citizens. The le-
gion is of the opinion that 95 per
cent of the ex-service men want the
Compensation and actively support
it. OF the other 5 per cent, some do
not want the adjustment for senti-
mental reasons, and others are men
of means and do not need it. To illus
trafa tha laek ~ ;nforv, at;o, IN tha