Evening journal., 1920-05-10

what do you think about the plan
for paying bonuses TO our soldiers
who fought in the Great War;" asked
Jimmy.
For one thing" replied Uncle
Harry. Il know that there has been
a great deal Of talk about this prop
ositon. and know too. that there
is a very decided difference Of opinion
on the subject. not only among the
people al large. but among the sol
diers themselves
"But all the soldiers want this
money that the bonus would provide,
don't they?" added Joe.
mo, there is a very decided differ
ence among the soldiers explained
Uncle Harry. 81 will say, however,
that ! think the soldiers are very
generally agreed-as are many other
people-that they should have been
paid more while they were in the
service. You know, the private sol
der received only $50 a month unless
he was married and had one child,
and then he received an extra allow
ance Of SO a month, making his total
pay $50 a month But now that the
war is over and The men are out OF
the service and most Of them back
at work in various lines, many of
them say that they don't want the
government TO pay them any extra
money. on the other hand, there are
many OF the former service men who
say that they all made more or less
money sacrifices when they went into
the army. and they think that lhe
least that the government can do is
to pay them a certain definite sum
as provided in the bonus plan
How Will the Money BE Raised?
"Bul has the government the money
TO pay these bonuses2N asked Helen
NO, the government hasn't the
ready money and that is probably
the most serious question that has
arisen in connection with the plan,
| explained TO you in one or two other
talks. our government while better
OF financially, probably, than any OF
the other nations that took part n
the wan is heavily burdened with
debts and expenditures. Our nationa
| Congress is having a most difficult
time trying TO raise The necessar,
money TO pay the interest on wal
debts and the Increased cost or con
ducting the government. Now it Ii
estimated by Congressman that II th'
plan for paying soldiers bonuses D.
approved, il will require betweeI
s2OO0OOOOO0 and S3OO0OOOUO0 more
A number Of methods of raising thh
money have been suggested, but thes'
methods. of course. mean more lakes
and additional taxes these days arr
not popular with the people and th'
people of course, include the soldler
who will have TO pay taxes just I'M
same as other folks
Let me make this point clear, how
ever; the bonus plan has nothing a
all TO do with pensions Tor soldier
who were wounded and crippled Il
the war. or with pensions for par
ents and wives who lost sons an
husbands in the war. Aud 1t ha
nothing TO do with the training q
crippled soldiers so that they can d
useful work and earn their Twins
Everyone is agreed that money mus
be provided for these expenses, an
that il is the duty OF the governmen
and the duty OF the people-to pro
vide the money through lakes, !
care for and train for useful occu
pations, all soldiers who are cripple
j. or injured in any way, and also I
provide pensions for families Whos
: sons. fathers, or husbands were kllE
n i'm the Great War. There is goo
II deal of public sentiment in favor
II the bonus plan, and there is a goo
II deal Of public sentiment against ]
II Congress will have TO settle the que'
tion.'