Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1922-10-20
WHY?

IN recent eullOIldl unuef the
caption: High Tide for the Bonus
Has Passed" the editor of the Spo-
kane Spokesman-Review said:
"Hanford MacNider, national com
mander of the American Legion, de
clares that another national bonus
bill will be passed within the next
three months; il will be house bill
Just begun Braggadocio won't pass
bonus bill The national finances
will be in no better condition three
months from now than today, and
the reasons given by President Har-
ding for his veto will be as cogent
and more convincing to congress
after the November elections.
1t is true that "braggadocio" will
not pass a bonus bill, neither will
'braggadocio" defeat one. Why is
there any more braggadocio in Com
mander MacNider's declaration that
bonus bill will be passed than there
is in the prediction of the editor of
the Spokesman-Review that it will
be defeated? Since when and by
what authority has it become "brag
gadacio' to make an assertion at
variance with the editorial policy of
the Spokesman-Review?
Commander MacNider has ample
grounds on which to Justify his as
sertion. The results in the states
where soldiers bonus bills have been
submitted to the people bear out
that assertion The result of the
poll on the bonus question conduct
ed by the Literary Digest bears out
that assertion. The vote in both
branches of congress on the vetoed
bonus bill bears out that assertion.
Even the attitude of President Har-
ding as favorable to the idea of a
bonus, but as hostile to any measure
which does not provide a method of
raising the revenue from which to
pay it, bears out that assertion.
The editor of the Spokane paper
was correct in asserting that the
national finances will be in no bet
ter condition three months from now
than today" They will be in much
worse condition if the ship subsidy
bill is passed at the special session
of congress which. it is reported.
President Harding is considering
calling for that purpose. The ship
subsidy plan includes the sale of
vessels which cost the government
three billion dollars for a tenth of
their cost, or 100000; appro-
priations of $75,000,O00 a year for
a period of ten years to be given the
buyers as a bonus for operating
them; the exemption of taxes on the
ships and loan of $125,0OO,000 of
government funds at two per cent
per annum interest to the ship own
ers. This means a bonus of over
two billion dollars in the price of
the ships, a bonus of $75O,OO0.O0O
N appropriations during the next ten
years, besides the loan of S125.OOO,-
600 at nominal rate of interest.
total of nearly three-fourths of the
amount which would have been re-
CURED to pay the adjusted compen-
sation to the eX-seryice men.
Why is the editor of the Spokes-
man-Review so reticent about de-
nouncing the ship subsidy and so
vehement in opposing the bonus?
Why does he dwell so much ON the
injustice of imposing soldiers
bonus upon a tax ridden people. but
maintain such a profound silence re-
garding the far heavier burden i'm
posed upon the same tax ridden peo-
pie by the new tariff law? Is il be-
cause the bonus would be dfstribut-
ed among the millions of young men
who sacrificed so much. endured so
much and risked so much in defense
OF their country, while the bulk of
the taxes imposed by the tariff will
go not into the treasury of the
United States but into the pockets
OF a few thousands of manufacturers
who remained in safety at home.
making money out of the war?
Why is the editor of the Spokes-
man-Review so autagonistic to an act
Of simple justice to our ex-private
soldiers, but so complacent toward
legislation for the benefit OF our
captains of industry? Echo answers
"Why?.'
VIM. GOODYEAR.