New Britain herald., 1922-10-24

charge allowance of sixty dollars. do not believe any soldier, sailor or marine. who accepted this allowance, can be charged with commercializing his patriotism. When England dis charged her soldiers she provided zach with full equipment of civilian clothing. The United States adopted the policy of giving sixty dollars when. as we all know, this small sum of money would not have purchased an oyercoat at the prices then pre- vail. lat alone a suit of clothes. shirts, stockings, shoes and other personal apparel required by the soldier in returning to civilian life. So that the men discharged had to do one of three things-either use for his civilian equipment money that he pre- viously had saved; rely upon rela- tives or others to outfit him; or bor- TOW the money. We all recall the familiar sight of the ex-soldler with a civilian suit of clothes and army shoes and army overcont indicating that in returning to civilian life the soldier was unable. in any of the
 
 properly.
 Charges for Insurance.
 While he was in the service, charges were deducted from his pay of s30 a month If he were a private on this side of the Atlantic. or S33 dollars If on the other side of the Atlantic, 50 that, in many cases. all man re- ceived was from two to five dollars month. To have the United States pay back the. former soldier the amount taken from him and to pay back the amount he was required to expend for clothing to outfit him properly for his return to civilian life, would seem debt the United States owes the soldier and not bonus or adjusted compensation, and certainly not commercialization of patriotism.
 Congress passed the Dent act, which provided for a settlement of claims had contracts with the United States which were cancelled because the war ended. This act was necessary O allow the war and navy departments to settle the moral obligations of the government, there being no legal ob- legations. The government in most instances settles these moral obiga- tions. I am of the belief that the government should equally settle the moral obligations 1t owes 'the sol diers In so doing, do not think we commercialize the soldiers patriotism any more than we did the contract or's. But to settle this moral obliga- ton, it will be necessary to do one of three things; Increase taxation, so decrease expenditures that the amount saved may be used, or provide a new means of revenue.
 The people of the United States are already suffering an intolerable bur den of taxation with no relief in sight. Every department of the government costs more to run today than it did in 19l9--millions more. We have passed tariff bill which will add three to four billion dollars a year to our cost of living The president is about to call an extra session of bill, which, if enacted into law, will cost millions more. l am conscien: tiously opposed to increasing the bur den of the taxpayers of the United States. Business will be stifed if we do, aud we all will be the sufferers. In view of the conduct of the pres- cnt administration, l do not believe the expenditures will be decreased; on the contrary, they will be increased.
 
 Now, while I am whole heartedly in favor of what am pleased to call the correction of the inequalities suf- fered by soldiers. sailors and marines rather than bonus or adjusted com pensation, holding the views l do, would not promise to vote for any measure that did not provide the means of raising the revenue. This revenue would have to be raised by some means which would not in