Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-03-24
CONGRESS SLAMS
SOLDIER BOYS
Democrats and Republicans Kick On
All Bonus Legislation.
BOND ISSUE
MEANS A PANIC.
Soldier Relief Proposed Would Cost
Govt. $1,000, ,OOO, O,OOO-Boys
Will ''Get What They
Want"

! Want"
Washington, D. ca bond issue
to pay adjusted compensation to
former service men, Representative
Mondell of Wyoming, republican
floor leader told the house ways and
means committee, would engender a
panic" and send prices ballooning.
He opposed any relief legislation at
this time on the ground that heavy
additional taxes would be necessary
whatever plan of relief was adopted.
Il don't believe we can issue
bonds" Mr.. Mondell said, 'if they
were intended for investment; they
would threaten the specie basis of
currency. A popular issue would
have all the i'll effects of an invest
ment issue, besides Initiating cur
rency.
"Extention of financial relief Is
utterly impossible unless the people
are willing to stand heavy additional
taxes. A consumption tax, always
unpopular is the only tax which
could be collected from month 70
month. producing revenue continu-
ously."
! Representative Swope, republican,
Kentucky, urged adoption of a bill
granting an extra years pay to all
those in the service, except those who
served less than two months. He es-
timated such a plan would require
an outlay of $1,000, 100000.
The cash payment plan of the
American Legion for $50 for each
month Of service, was indorsed by
Mai. A. B. Crichfeld, infantry school.
formerly of Akron, o. Members of
the committee challenged his state
ment that former soldiers will get
what they want" Representative
Garner, democrat, Texas, commented
that former soldiers, if they contin-
ue to be as we'll. organized as at the
present, will get all their demands. -
Replying to question by Repre-
sentative Kitchin. democrat, North
Carolina, as to when representatives
of soldier organizations may be ex-
pected to make another request for
4, financial aid from congress, Major
| Critchfield replied
Nobody can tell ANY body of
men which thinks it can get some
thing out Of the rest of the American
people will try to get all they can"
Soldier relief also came up in the
senate, where opponents of such leg
islation outnumbered those advocat-
, ing it.
\ When Edward H. Hale, represent
ing the veterans of foreign wars told
(, the ways and means committee one
day last week that the statements
made by Franklin D'Olier command
er of the American Legion was err
{, roneous and should be contradicted
there was at once row in the COM
mittee and storm of protests fol-
lowed Hale urges passage of a bill
providing relief to discharged SER
/ vice men at the rate of $50 a month
i instead of $50 with an additional
grant of 800 to those who served
overseas. He also favored the pas
sage Of the Norgen bill, which would
give service men the option of select
ing homesteads. Representative
Kitchin, democrat from North Caro-.
lima. wanted to know how the gov
ernment with a public debt of $780,
! 900 ,000, 200, could raise the neces-
sary money to meet the obligation
incurred by the proposed bonus in
response to which Hale stated that
the plan Is to tax all incomes above
$4,000 at the rate of two per cent,
graduating that until seven per cent,
would be charged on incomes above
$1,000,000. This would provide
s20O,000,00O according to internal
revenue bureau"
Tax or no tax. it is believed that
evidently in favor of giving the boys
who sacrificed their time and proper
ty and offered their lives for their
country a reasonable compensation
at least for their time.