The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-07-07
President Harding Takes Stand
Against Passage of Bill.
Passage by the Senate Seemed
Almost Certain.
"PORK BARREL" IS CHARGED
War Veterans Discouraged at
SIowness of Government.
Over 400 in New York Killed
Selves Last Year.


took a stand today against
the passage of the so-called soldier
bonus bill at this time.
The president went to the capitol
while the senate had bill under con-
sideration on the floor and in series
of informal conferences with Repu5-
lican senators in private room in the
senate office building, he urged that
action on the bill be postponed
Backs Up Secretary Mellon.
He informed the senators that he
agreed with the views expressed by
Secretary Mellon in letter to Senator
Frelinghuysen of New Jersey, in
which Mellon opposed the passage OF
bonus legislation on the ground that
debt and tax burden under which the
country now is staggering.
The president took the soldiers bo-
nus problem into his own hands at
time when Republican senators were
badly split over it. Senator Lodge
and other Republican leaders who
conferred with him indicated it would
be extremely difficult to pass the
bill after the Presidents expressed op-
position to the senate going on with It.
They conceded that if the president
had not backed up the secretary of
the treasury enough votes would have
been mustered in the senate to insure
its passage, altho its subsequent pas
sage by the house, in that event, was
problematical
Fordney Is Determined.
Despite Secretary MELONS state
ment opposing enactment of a bonus
bill. Chairman Fordney of the house
ways and means committee said he
intended to press for action on his
measure to compensate former serv-
ice men as soon as tariff and tax leg
islation was completed.
81 have no doubt Mr.. Fordney as
serted. that some such legislation
will be put thru at this session of
congress.
senate in WrangIe.
While the senate wrangled again
today over whethex the country can
afford to compensate financially its
World war veterans, bitter complaints
continued to pour in upon a special
senate committee from manned and
sick ex-service men regarding the ill
treatment they claim to have received
in hospitals, sanitariums and yoca-
tional education centers
The senate faced the stark, un-
pleasant testimony before its com
by ex-service men unable to procure
proper assistance or treatment is in
creasing at an alarming rate. The
testimony was given by DIR. Salmon,
member of the disqualification COM
mittee of the American Legion, who
was in charge of shell shocked SOL
diers of the A. E. F. He declared
there were 400 suicides by ex-service
men in New York state alone last
year.
"Pork BarreI' Charged.
Inquiry is being made by Judge
Robert S. Marx, of the Cincinnati,
Ohio, superior court, who is national
commander of the Disabled Veterans
of the World War, why only $4,000
600 of $1S,000,000 appropriated by
congress for new ex-service mems
hospitals has been thus far author
lied by the public health service.
1t is being charged that construction
of the proposed hospitals has been de-
layed by members of congress rolling
tions in efforts to have them estab-
lished on sites in which they or their
constituents are interested locally.
| AS the fight ragged in the senate
over the McCumber bill for adjusted
compensations'' for ex-service men
Democratic senators twitted the Re-
publican side with the suggestion o1
| Secretary of the Treasury Mellon IL
his letter to Senator Frelinghuysen
Republican OF New Jersey. that con
gress had better direct it's attention tC
aiding Immediately dependent and dis
abled rather than physically fit service
men.
Mellon Like Houston.
The bills supporters cited formel
Secretary of the Treasury Houston.
avowed opposition to it toward tht
Z IL - 4 zfcfv~ i'm =
| show that there is now nothing new
in Secretary Melons declaration tina
it could only be financed by addition
Of debt and taxes under which th'
| country is staggering"
They declared Melons position anC
that of his Democratic predecessor Il
be identical.