The daily times., 1922-02-10
congress WONDERS
ABOUT SOURCE FOR
THE BONUS MONEY
CONFLICTING OPINIONS
There Are Those Who Think
Failure to Reduce Take.
Will be a Mistake, While
Congressional Mail is
Crowded With Letters Con-
demning Any Reluctance.

{By David Lawrence.)
Copyright 1922 by The Daily
Times.)
Washington, Feb. 9.-The soldier
bonus has become the biggest poll
tical and economic issue before the
United States government.
President Harding's firm refusal to
permit the money expected to be re-
ceived from the Allied war debt to be
used as basis for payment in bonds
or borrowing has led Congress to ex-
lplore all the various means of direct
Taxation that can be depended upon
as sources of revenue.
AS Congress looks around for
things to be taxed and sees political
dangers arising from the non-soldier
multitudes, the task of voting the
bonus becomes increasingly distaste-
full. The Secretary of the Treasury
has told Congress that the money for
! a bonus can be raised by taxing to-
1
well as each automobile depending
upon the horsepower, by taxing docu-
ments in real estate and legal tram
lsactions and by requiring everybody
who cashes a check to afix a stamp
thereto on presenting it for payment.
BESIDES this an increase from two
tcent- to three cent postage is being
seriously considered.
| Some of the government experts
figure it out that the effect of a
bonus raised in that way will be to
make the soldier himself and the
members of his family pay out of one
er. Already. the Congress fears the
political wrath of the country for
failing to reduce taxes appreciably
this year and now to add instead of
subtracting taxes is something which
Republicans as we'll as Democrats
admit may bring political disadvan-
tages far greater than the advantages
of favoring the soldiers.
The real trouble about the soldier
sentiment as it is waited here is that
while many soldiers do not need a
bonus or want it they are ready to
Jump on anybody who says they do
mot deserve it, Some of the letters
looming into the Capitol from all parts
lof the country reflect a bitterness
lsuch as congressional mail has rarely
witnessed. The fact that there is
leven a reluctance to grant bonus
lis in itself condemned and the idea
THAT the money isn't available car
lries little conviction with the soldier
folks who are all the more iritated
because Congress provided for every
thing else before even considering a
bonus. To those who fought to pre-
lserve the government, the thought OF
Ipaying out money. for, new govern
ment activities Of any kind is a
contradiction Of patriotism.
Those who have been studying the
political effects of granting the bonus
wonder whether the soldiers will
take up the cudgels for the Republi-
leans who voted it and Offset the crit
icism of the others who are compell-
led to pay the bonus. If the Republi-
cans could depend upon such group
!of active workers they would not
need to worry. But the fear is that
the soldiers will feel toward the
Iparty in power very much as debtor
; does who has waited many months
Ifor bill to be paid which he knows
lis due but which the creditor takes
thine to pay while he pays other debt
lors perhaps not so deserving.
The feeling of the returned soldier
: THAT he has been neglected by Con-
| Igress ever since he came back from
: tn war is coming to the surface in the
, demand for bonus. Those who had
no way of showing their dissatfsfac-
tion before with governmental in
difference now are demanding the
: bonus simply because Congress is
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