Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-04
NEW BONUS PLAN
| LIKELY To PASS,
LEADERS DECLARE

WASHINGTON, March S.-Bonus
leaders in the house predicted today
that the non-cash gratuity plan will
go through congress with compare
lively little trouble.
The subcommittee engaged in re-
drafting legislation to eliminate all
cash bonuses, except for men whose
compensation is $50 or less, estimatE
ed that within two weeks the bill
will be ready. Members declared
they could see no reason for I'M
due delay thereafter, though expe-
rience has shown that there is many
a Slip between prediction and en-
actment.
Since the insurance certificate
proposal involves no wrench1ng OF
the treasury within the next three
years, there will be no particular
objection to it among the majority
of representatives and senator's.
President Harding is agreeable to
the proposal.
That the plan will involve taxa
ton Of one kind or another does
not perturb it's hackers, since that
taxation will be spread in homeo-
pathic doses over a period of twenty
years. Thus far, it is impossible to
estimate the total cost of this new
measure, though it is assured that
it will run under 5,000,00o,000 in
the complete period.
Protection from Sharks
The bonus group was meeting
again today, shaping up its meas.
ure further. Considerable detail
work must be done For instance,
rates of interest on loans made to
soldiers upon their certificates must
be fixed, and provisions must be
written as to rediscounting the pa
per.
EspeciaL care will be taken to
shield soldiers from loan sharks, and
only reputable banking establish
ments will be permitted to engage in
loaning on the certificates-then
only under well-defined conditions.
Under the present plan a cash bonus
may be paid to men serving 1IO
day would be $50, becs ise the sou
grant given all men upon discharge
is to be deducted.
Here's how the new bonus plan
would work:
All ex-service men would be en-
titled toI$1 a day for domestic serV'
ice and $125 day for foreign serV-
| ice, nnder the combined cash and
certificate plan, provided the total
CONDENSATION exceeds the $50 pre-
viously allowed by congress. This
amount is to be deducted from all
gratuities under the plan.
Then if the amount the veteran
| is entitled to does not exceed $50, he
may take it in cash. If it does ex'
| coed $50, he must take certificate
on which he can borrow half the
face value until 1925. For instance
| it is estimated that the average pay
ment will be about $3.50. On this
the veteran could borrow $165, or
get the entire amount in 1925.
If the veteran chooses to take the
optional plans of insurance, home or
farm aid, vocational training and
land settlement aid, this wouldebe ar
ranged promptly. Present plans call
for giving the veteran about 40 per
cent more compensation, if he ac'
| cepts any plan other than the cash
and loan certificate proposal.
"BIacI1 Hand Letter
A "blackhand" letter, evidently
from some one in Philadelphia, OPP
posing his stand on the soldier
bontls, reached Senator Pepper
Pennsylvania, today.
Senator Pepper, who has opposed
| granting a bonus to ex-service men,
has been the center of bitter at.
tacks from persons in Philadelphia
The letter he received today bore
a huge black hand across the sheet
and in sthe corner was written tbs
words Bonus
Senator Pepper was inclined to
think it was the work of a crank,
and did not Immediately call it to
the attention OF authorities.
The letter bore the postmark Phil
adelphia and reached him in the