Evening star., 1921-12-11
SOLDIERS BONUS
MUST BE PASSED,
HACKERS DECLARE

MUST BE PASSED.,
|. HACKERS DECLARE
CONTINUED from First Page.l
for an increase In civil pensions. of
retirement allowance for superannu-
ated employees Of the government, and
to the measure for reciassification of
the work and pay Of government en-
ployes.
| "Not DenaAAiaE Grataity."
| I'VE are not demanding any gratu-
ity. but adjusted compensation" Rep
Fesentative Fitzgerald explained, IAN
appreciative mark Of the nations
feeling that there shall be an adjust
ment to level the marked discrimina-
ton in favor Of those defective in
mind. body and patriotism" He re-
sents any insinuation that the legis-
lation sought is in any sense q "gra-
tuity OF charity,s and says that "it
Is absolutely and positively a moral
obligation Of the government in fail
ing to hold the wages Of those who
took the soldiers peace time Jobs and
afterward became competitors of the
boys in service to an amount which
would balance that received by the
men In the trenches. It is due the
boys. in all honor. he says, because
| the government failed to curb the
enormous amounts paid in wages and
for materials to equip the Army and
collateral services.
The ex-service men in Congress-
have made their demand upon the
| ways and means committee and are
! reminding Chairman Fordney that he
gave them his word that as soon as
| the tariff and tax bills had been dis
posed Of by that committee the SOL
dier bill would receive prompt atten-
! tfon. They say that they have stanch
| support in their position from men
generally throughout Congress, from
every state in the Union, such men as
representative Frank Murphy Of
Ohio. Representatives Sproul. Illinois;
Lampert, Wisconsin. and Keller. Min
nesota. In fact. the delegation from
President Harding's home state is
practically unanimous in demanding
! action on the bonus measure.
Banking On Sales Tax.
Those who are supporting the in
sistant demand for soldier legislation
are banking considerably upon a
| sales tax to provide funds for the
proposed adjusted compensation.
1t is being predicted generally in
| the cloakrooms. Of Congress that, il
| there isn't satisfactory measure of
this sort passed. it will mean-"Good-
bye Republicans"
! Whatever Congress may door find
some excuse for not doing-for the
former service men in the way Of ad-
tusted compensation. one thing is GER
tain-the House appropriations COM
mittee win urge upon Congress the
appropriation Of all the money that is
| needed for caring for those injured
in the war and rehabilitating them.
All that can be used for the advan-
; tage Of the soldier will be readily ap-
propriateds but q halt is to be called
on the squadering of this money con-
tributed in taxes by the people freely
for the benefit of service men.
Expressing the unanimous opinion
of the House appropriations commit
tee, Representative Martin B. Madden
Of Illinois. the chairman says: For the
vocational training Of the former
service men we are ready to make
every provision necessary to give
them tho care they are entitled to.
The only thing that interests the ap-
propriations committee in it's business
administration is to see the overhead
expenses do not absorb the money
that should 60 to the men. Voca-
tional training is now costing for ad-
ministration or. overhead .$10.6S for
every $a9 paid to the men. That
must. be , reduced. High fees. ex-
orbitant charges and lax methods
! have to be eliminated. s.. :
while there, is q disposition on the
part OF the appropriations committee
| to- furnish every dollar that is needed
for proper care Of the men disabled
| ON account Of their services, there is
| an equally strong disposition to pre-
vent waste. of moneys set apart for
I soldier care To the extent that 1
can enforce economies and eliminate
waste in expenditures intend to. in
sist upon 1t.
Cost Of Soldier Care.
"The total cost for soldier care now
| is $4ss.0o0,600 per annum- This in
cludes disqualification. management,
vocational training. allotments. al
lowances, and everything connected
! with the care of the wounded men.
l+whils 100000 men have applied for
| vocational training and 2S5.0OO have
been passed upon as eligible, only
| 12S. 900 have thus far been put into
tt aiming and only 5000 have come
"rhere are only $4,000 in training
now-some 5000 have died and about
| 20 900 have: retired from training
! some because. they found they were
| not, adapted to the work. others from
! can furnish facilities for those who
| are eligible Tor such training as the
law, provides the requisite money will
"As regards hospitaliza tion-there
ara now, 10000 In, the hospitals. and
n Is e&timated that the peak Of the
| load viii be $1,000. There are now
7Sib vacant beds, so. that there are
beds to spare for about 5000 general
cases. For !, the :, tubercular and
! 1nauro-psychriatic cases there is still
n shorfSxe' df facilities. but .it Is
Soned and. believed that ont, of the
SIS. eoo, 600 appropriated IN: the special
! session Of Congress sufficient. facili-