Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-04-21

mcnt.
The nation is under obligations to
these men. and there is no doubt that
it should make some effort to meet those
obligations. Congress is trying to dis
cover the best way.
1t would b" "a mistake to adopt tho
pension system under which the SOL
dicrs Of tho Civil War were cared for.
Il is fifty five years since the last shot
was fired. but We are still paying pen
sious. And the sum appropriated for
the fiscal year of 1919 was tn" largest
in the history Of tho country. amounting
to moro than 500 .OOO. 900. In 1900 it
took S132. 600. 900 to pay the pensions.
In 1850 the appropriation was only
Sj6 900. 900. Years ago Congress au-
thorized tho payment Of pension to
every man who fought in tn" Civil War.
whether he was injured or not, and il
provided for payment to his widow a.
long as she lived. There arc now nj
most as many widows aS old soldiers on
the pension roll. and the average sum
paid is about $500 q y"ar
The men who wcr" disabled. whether
by the loss of limb or bv the loss Of
one or both eyes or by tho destruction
of hearing or by tho contraction Of in
durable disease. must be- takcn care Of
as Il matter Of justice. There are few
Of these and the nation i rich enough
TO treat them generously. But the great
mass Of the mon are in better physical
condition today than when they donncd
/ the uniform. and with frw exceptions
they have now b"cn absorbed in the in p
duStrial life of the country from which
they were taken.
Whatever is done for them should bc
done aS n single act without placing
upon tho taxpayers tho burden Of q
, long continuing payment and the cost
Of maintaining a complicated bureau in
Washington filled with clerks. 4 lumr
sum in adjustment of tho pay is what
commPnds itself to the Judgment of
those who are favoring further finan
cial assistance. An alternative plan.
subject to the choice of the men, is
proposed which arrangcs for putting
I tho soldiers on tho land under favorable
conditions.
How to raise the money is what i,
troubling Congress just now. 4 bono
issue Is ont Of the question. 1t is csti.
mated that between 81 .OO0. 900. 600 anC
$1,000. 900. 600 will be- needed. No sucl
sum could be borrowed in the Opcr
market To sell the bonds to the citizens
a. the war loan bonds were sold. woulc
require large and complicated organi
zati"n which it would be difficult t.
create. And it is doubted whether ever
such an organization could persuade tn,
people to buy. especially as many o
them who bought the war bonds ar
still paying for their purchases. Th
undigcSt"d mass "f government sccuri
ties is complicating all large tihancia
transactions and will complcatc then
until the bonds have all been paid fo
out Of the savings If the purchasers.
1t has been suggested that the gov
crnmcnt give tho bonds 10 the men bu
this Is only another way of attpmptin
to float n loan. and it would be payin
4 debt with an interest bearing prom
is" instead OF in hard cash And who
the men who received the bonds trip
to sell them they would discover tina
their market value was much less tina
the sum named on the face of the docu
mcnt
There remains taxation. The Trcas
ury Department is already facing
deficit and thc taxation experts in Con
grcss are puzzlng their brains in a
effort to discover how to raise the none
to meet current bills. II we are TO ad
, 81 900, 600, 900 TO the sum to be raise
in order that the men who fought ma
receive some financial recognition f.
, their sacrifices, the task Of''the tax eX
pCrts becomes almost insurmountable.
Two plans, however. are propose,
One is to raise the money by cor
sumption tax Of per cent, and Il
other is to increase tho taxes on WI
profits and on fortunes made out ,
the war.
II i estimated that s., OOO. 600, O(
was made by men having war contrac
or proiiting by the business growing ol
Of the war. Congressman Raincy hi
suggested that the government take on,
half Of this amount, II il can be foun
: and turn it over to the men who wore
: uniform. And his plan receives favo
: especially among the congressman wi
o think that it is popular to tax the riC
man and who think that when the rio
i man is forced to make the original cor
tribution of the tax the money com
. out Of the pocket Of the man who ge
the tax receipt. But as matter
fact the rich man adds the tax to Il
h cost of doing business and passes it
v to the ultimate consumer, adding enouI
:. to it to pay him for his trouble in ac
. ing as a tax collector for the govern
y ment. 1t is morally certain th
. 81, 800, 900. 900 collected from the vel
: rich would become $1,000, 900, 900 b,
fore the consumer had discharged h
debt