The Washington times., 1922-07-16
CASH bONUsFOR.
/ WAR VETERANS
| IS HIS SLOGAN
Bursum, Senator From New
Mexico, Outlines New
Plan.
By J. BART CAMPBELL,
international News Service.


provide without further quibbling
and delay, but would prove far
more economical than any other
bonus scheme yet proposed.
fl. Would Pay In Cash.
This is the opinion Of Senator
Holm o. Bursum Rep.) of New
Mexico. chairman Of the Senate
Pensions Committee.
PAY those of our ex-service men
who want it--spot cash. is che
forcible way Senator Bursum ex-
pressed II. .. .... @
Bursum has offered a substitute
for the McCumber insurance bonus
bill. which would not. only provide
cash payments, but which, he esti-
mated, would not cost the Govern
ment more than s1.500. .000, 900.
Senator McCumber Rep) Of North
Dakota, chairman of the Senate
Finance Committee, has figured the
minimum cost Of the bonus under
his insurance plan would be sS,S45''
656S. .4S1.
80 1t would be far less costly for
US to give the world war veterans
square deal-far cheaper to give
him what he wants, honorably and
cheerfully, than to force upon him
long-term insurance scheme ike
Senator McCumber has proposed,
"i estimate IL all Of those who
served under the American flag In
the world war should elect to take
cash on this basis that the total cost
would approximate not more than
81, SOC, 100000.
From Refunded Debt.
The provision for settlement would
be divided into two installments OF
so per cent each, except with respect
To those entitled to $50 or less, VINO
would be paid in full at once. the
first installment would be as OF
or,ober, 1922; the second payment
would be made five years later Plus
'I propose, that provision Tor
meeting the obligation imposed py
my plan shall be made-h IN tne
| Judgment of the Secretary OF tne
Treasury the best interests OF tne
country are thereby served-ny the
sale of whatever securities are oD
tanned by the refunding OF tne ,os
| eign debt to the United STATES.
smch n nlan would avoid additionai
taxation.
4 Interest f8I6 HouoS
THE interest rate Of Great Britain
| has been reduced from to per
cent The credit OF Great Britain
may be expected to reacn n0rn nna
within a very few months. WhiIe
the date of payment Of the first IN.
stallment Of the interest que us
from Great Britain 10 fixed 1or Oc
tober, 1922, II must be borne In NINA ae
that It will probably be OCTOBER, isSo'
before the muster rolls, service rec-
ords and bonus applications Oh our
ex-service men are checked up cotn,
pletely, and the bonus actually maoe
Yavailable for distribution. A iot oi
machinery must be set up ano Io'
of work performed before the Govern
ment can commence bonus payments.
But there Ia one thing we ougnt
to keep before us always. we either
owe the veterans something or We
do not owe them anything. That ,s
all there is to II. I am one OF those
who believe we owe them something
and Il we owe them a debt we
should pay II without further quiD.
bling or delay-a hundred cents on
the dollar--no more, no less,
| And IL we owe them money, or
IL they want money, certainly we
do not owe them insurance, or their
families an inheritance. and we
should not attempt to settle with
them in that way.
"I certainly object most vigorously
to the veteran being regarded as ~,
object Of charity--as the beneficiary
of q gratuity-as one In a condition
of want and distress whom we should
provide, reluctantly and apologetic'
ally, some sort of compensation
any kind of compensation which
may suit our convenience.
"I believe, II we concede we owe
the veteran q bonus we should give
him the kind he wants, not the kind
we may think he should have. As
I see the veteran, he stands upon
his rights, merely demanding equality
of treatment with those who played
their part In the world war-in civil
ian attire. t
Convinced as I am that the coun'
try does owe the veteran something
that the Government Is indebted 10
him, think we should pay him with
out haggling. Why is the Govern
ment in his debt? First, we deducted
or withheld from his pay the cost OF
the insurance he took out after he
entered the service, which was con
trary to the common practice in Ill
hazardous employment In civil life
The usual rule Indeed, II is the law
Of nearly every State In the Union
Is that where an employe Is engaged
in a hazardous occupation the EN-
ployer Is required to assume the risk
at his own expense. Why should
the Government have adopted a diff
ferent policy?
And where allotments were made
to dependents 50 per cent was deduct
ed from the veterans pay. The vet
eran was also urged-virtually com
manded-by his superiors to sub
scribe to Liberty bonds at par. Tn,
veteran did subscribe--liberally. TIL,
par value of the Liberty bonds h,
bought was taken from his pay, and
how many were the instances oI
where the veteran, after he was die
charged from the service, was com
PEELED by his circumstances to sell
! s1E rA n ~T