Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1922-01-17
TUESDAY, JANUARY II, 1922.
THE SOLDIER B0NCS


dispatches that President Harding
IS favorable TO the enactment OF
the Soldiers Adjusted Compen-
sation Bill. generally known as
the bonus" and that it has been
included in the legislative pro-
gram for the present session OF
Congress, drawn up by the Presi-
dent and Senate leaders. will be
received with qualification by the
veterans of the late war and their
friends.
Ever since the cessation OF hos
tilities the various organizations
of ex-service men have patiently
and earnestly labored to convince
Congress that the principles in
volved in granting this financial
aid to the veteran was right and
just and did not constitute mere
raid on the Treasury" by the
organized soldier vote. During
the war, while the men in active
service, either at the front or in
training, received only the meager
remu1 kration of the soldier. the
civil liquidation rcaped the ben
ehts wartime prosperity and
inf1atiHn and, in the great major
ity OIL cases, incomes increased
considerably. Under these condi-
tons the civilian was in the posi-
ton to lay aside an emergency
fund for the future. a procedure
which was entirely out OF the
question in the case of the service
man. Or to quote one I. 5. SEN
ator, The civil population at
home accumulated gold nest eggs.
while the soldier in France &C
cumulhted gold service stripes.
Due h this fact. when. after the
armisf fee, the period of postwar
defat bn and financial depression
set I'M the average civilian could
draw on his savings account to-
tide him over his difficulties, while
the discharged soldier had to wea-
ther the storm as best he might.
This accounts for the thousands
of ex-service men who were, and
still are, practically destitute in
our large cities. Unable to Sc
cure employment, without any
financial reserve there is nothing
left but suffering or charity,
Thus the veteran has not only had
10 bear the brunt and dangers OF
battles but in addition the trials
and vicissitudes that arose out of
the adjustments of our economic
life fell heaviest upon him. 1t was
to remedy this unjust condition OF
affairs that the Adjusted Compen-
Sation Bill was advocated and in
PRODUCED into Congress.
Now that the Bill has been fav-
orably accepted, and the princi-
pies it involves indicated, the
question of financing it will have
to be considered. 1t has been es-
timateP that it will require APP
proximately $3,OOO.OOO.OOO scat
tered over a period of twenty
years, adjusted so shat in no one
year burden greater than $780,
100000 can be thrown upon the
Treasury. will be needed to meet
its provisions. Many ways have
been suggested by which this
amount may be raised such as a
sales tax, a bond issue. a tax on
beer and light wines, a gasoline
tax. or by funding the British
debt. This latter plan seems by
far to be the most favorable and
il has received the endorsement
of the powerful agriculture
Bloc" in the Senate. 1t contem-
plates the open sale of $4,000 |
100000 worth of British securi- |
ties, guaranteed by the United j
States, Britain to be credited with |
this amount. In this manner two
questions will be settled at once,
the refunding of the English war
debt and the expense of the
Bonus. 1t would also tend TO
stabilize conditions both at home
and abroad.
The only objection to the plan