Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-02-17
Bonus Versus Jobs.

D DOhuo VCI6uS JOUSs
e To the Editor:-We gathe
s from press reports that Presiden
: Harding is jockeying with tn,
0 dangerous question of the bonus
by pretending to hesitate about
the best method of raising the re-
quired amount of money. The
soldiers bonus presents many
aspects, depending on the view
point from which it Is approached.
10 the average ex-soldier 1t is al
together desirable, representing
clear gain. To the politician it is
a more doubtful question, repre-
senting some votes gained Or lost
from ex-soldiers and other votes to
offset these gained or lost from
taxpayers. My viewpoint is that
OF an industrial worker, one of
the unemployed.
During the period of the war,
and for some time afterwards, II
worked in a large navy yard, and
was able to become acquainted
with very large number of work
ers. Some Of these had chosen to !
work rather than to fight, and
were commonly known as draft |
eVaders. This to me seemed to be
The demonstration of their person
al preference rather than a sign
OF weakness on their part, as GER
talnly an equal number of men
prefer to fight rather than work.
Regular armies are at all times :
composed of such men, and volun-
teers for fighting purposes may
also be classed so, in sense. And
t requires many types to make a
world.
Taking the bonus question from
he viewpoint of one Industrial
worker l would claim that every c
me is equally entitled to bonuses =
r othe recompenses for work done Ii
n behalf of the community. Dur II
ng the war the worker was II
trained to the utmost, overtime, II
undays. The talk about high II
ages is buncombe. The number II
dollars received rose as the
alue or purchasing power of the
oilar declined, but we were al
ays we'll behind the financiers II
t one time, previous to a liberty II
ond drive, the rumor of a 20 per II
mt raise to be effective the first Il
the following month was we'll II
rculated. AT once the cost of II
'erything in town was raised 80 II
II cent, but the raise in wages
lied to materialize. And we, the
did our best to produce
ore than the Germans. Also we
'ked our lives. Industry claimed
1re killed and wounded at all
nes than war. This is not meant
detract In the least from prop
appreciation Of the services of II
Q soldier, but merely to call at II
1tion to the fact that there are
hers.
Now the ex-soldier and the ex-jU
rker are equally suffering from
3 activities of the deflators. In L.
leral the ex-soldier has the best .4,s,
1t. For instance New York Il
mister was much impressed by y
fact that an ex-soldier came y
his door, cap in hand, and Il
thed in rags, humbly asking Il
n to buy packages of needles II
ring the ironic inscription Il
ade in Germany" No doubt Il
se needles are a small part of Il
reparations that the Germans Il
paying our financiers, but the Il
MT Is that an ex-worker would Il
have received the same SYM II
hy. 4
he nation needs work rather Il
n bonuses. In England thel II
'kers have forced the doctrine Il
the state or the system which 8
he state, Is bound to furnish Il
opportunity for everyone to Il
living, or falling to furnish
opportunity to earn 1t, must Il
for Its failure. The questions Il
o the causes Of the present de- Il
rate state of unemployment, or II
remedy, form a separate sub Il
What the nation wants, the +
older, the ex-worker, the ex- Il
ler included, is the opportun- +
to work and earn their living. +
has stolen this away from +
e have most of the money o, II
world Cat least few among 8
lave), We have so much food -
we burn corn as fuel while y
Ions in Russia starve to death -
are driven to cannibalism; we Il
stocked up with manufactured Il
s so that our factories are Il
ID, even If Germany Is flood =
our country with goods paid
'parattons to our millionaires. II
want work and pay, there is Il
bod and sufficient reason why e
hould not have it. We are &
starved for the profit of =
. Let us look into this rather q
worry over petty bonus, Il
at the best could only bene- 4
rev for short period. And y
Is NJ