The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1920-05-20
Liberal Produce Co
PHONE 344

money is needed, but the crying ne
cessity is for increased hospital facil- |
tiles and the right kind of organiza-
ton. Increased facilities are needed
at once to take care of the $4,000
ex-soldiers from mental or nervous
disorders and the $4,000 who are
suffering from tuberculosis The
Legion is pressing Congress to pro-
vide places for these men immediate
ly.
1t has ben said that the average
soldier" will take the cash in prefer
ence to either of the three other
compensation features, and rush to
spend it. This presumes that the
average soldier" is a bigger mental
dud than the average worker who
of his war profits. Isn't it time to
lay away in moth balls these old con-
tentions that the soldier is some sort
of an irresponsible child? Anyone
should know that the average sol
der" of this war was the average
young man of the country-perhaps
a little above the average in mental
ity. These men are just as anxious
to save and get ahead as anyone else.
They surely want to benefit their
condition. The individual compen-
sation, as we have pointed out, will
not fully pay the man for his sacri-
fees but the amount would be enough
to give him start on a farm, home
or business of his own, or would en-
able him to pay the debts he could not
help, incuring while he was in the
service.
Some opponents declare it is fair
for civil service employers to get their
$40 a month bonus because it helps
them to meet the high cost Of living
by bringing their salaries up to a
decent figure. Did not the service
mans family face the same high liv-
ing costs while he was away, and did
he not face them when he came back?
We come again to our argument that
compensation is only just. No sys-
tenn was right that compelled the
wife of soldier to exc out an exist
ence at $40 a month while the wife
of laborer bought fur coats on her
husbands 500 a week. No system
could be just that sent the physically
fit go the battlefield to be killed and
left the less fit at home to amass for
tunes. A compensation program will
help right some of thees wrongs.
1t has been contended that men in
combat divisions do not want COM
pensation, that only the stay-at-
homes are now vocal, or tina THE de-
mand has ben fostered by politicians
and does not really come from the
this is is indicated by scent test
poll of several hundred American Lee
gion posts. This showed that 1896
men favor further cash compensation
from the Government and only 1882 |
oppose it. Any plan to help soldiers
get farms was favored by 10,746
voters, and only 1,450 were opposed. |
Every similar poll has shown con-
clusively that the great majority Of |
men of all classes and all sections Of |
the country believe further compen-
sation is just. 1t is not manufac-
tured sentiment. The voice of the
former service man has been insist
ent and unmistakable.
1t is not the part of the American
Legion, nor of the former service
man, to presume to tell Congress how
to raise money necessary for the
compensation project. But many ex-
cellent plans have been put forward.
The Ways and Means Committee of
the House of Representatives re-
Gently found that a sales tax of one
per cent on sales under $500 and of
five per cent on sales of more than
$500 would bring in four billion dol
lars a year, out of which sum COM
pensation could be paid and sufficient
surplus revenue be left over so that
the excess profits tax would be I'M
necessary and could be repealed.
So the money can be raised with
out putting burden on the country
and without subjecting the national