The Owosso times., 1922-02-17
THE BONUS AND TAXATION.

fOr the men VINO served this
nation in it's time of need, the
American people entertain feelings
of deepest appreciation and graft
tude. The republican party, as the
present authorized spokesman of
the American people, has endeav-
ored to give expression to that ma
tion-wide spirit. 1t is true that for
- ears or more after the armis-
here was a manifest failure
to auequately care for those who
were injured or were disabled
through disease, but this was not
due to lack of sympathy or recog-
milton of the obligation that rests
upon the nation. The administra-
tion then in power was delinquent
in preparation for peace as it had
been in preparation for war and
the returning soldiers found no
proper provisions for their care.
Immediately upon taking charge of
the administration OF the govern
ment in 1921, the republicans be-
gan reorganization of soldier relief
and rehabilitation agencies and
made larger provision for hospitals
and vocational training. The need
of all this should have been readily
apparent long before the war was
brought to a close and adequate
hospital space should have been
ready in advance of return of the
crippled and disabled.
with few exceptions. the re-
turned soldiers fully understand the
actual situation and know that
delay in caring for the injured was
not an evidence of lack of appre-
citation on the part of the people.
They know the record or the dem
Ocratic administration for misman-
agement from beginning to end.
and they do not hold the nation
in general responsible.
''In it's endeavor to manifest its
gratitude toward the veterans, the
republican administration does not
believe in the policy expressed by
the well-known advertising slogan,
Say 1t with flowers So far as
money can voice their acknowledge
ments. the American people are
willing to Say it with dollars. No
one assumes, however, that the
measure of our gratitude can be
expressed in dollars, or that the
veterans will SO accept 1t. Such
an assumption would be an insult
not only to the Veterans but to all
the people. So-called bonus legis-
lation, or adjusted compensation
is not an attempt to pay the veter-
ans for their services-it is an ef-
fort to render additional help to
those who need help in getting
back to normal.
when the nation has done all
that 1t can do, it will have fallen
far short of what il would like to
do. In an undertaking of such large
proportions, there are limits deter
mined by economic laws beyond
which the nation cannot go without
a reaction which would do the SOL
diers more harm than good. To
pay adjusted compensation neces-
states raising enormous sums OF
money. and the only way to raise
money is through taxation. Taxa
tion must eventually fall upon pro-
ducers and when taxation passes
certain limits, it becomes repres-
sive of production and Injuries the
whole nation. the soldiers among
the rest. 1t would little profit a re-
turned soldier to be paid a bonus
If the taxation measure destroyed
the profits of the industry in which
he had been employed and event.
ually cut Off more from his salary
than he received in bonus. This is
a feature of the problem to which
thoushtless and irresponsible peo-
pie would give no heed, but which
national legislators must keep con-
Htantly in mind.
Posing Il bonus law means
passing tax law. Every man who
. Vi PORTS a bonus must, if he is hon.
, ~, also support a tax. The ques-
iiC4l Defore congress today, there
Jlc, is not one OF patriotism or of
l, ,-,utude. but the intensely prac-
! al task OF devising a tax that will
i oduce revenue for bonus with
60. dong much more harm than