Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-03-22
The Bonus" or Adjusted
Compensation Bill
A Digest Of It's Predictions and Its
History

| Il Dl8cSt OF us EToVistoi.S uHu ltS
History
The adjusted compensation bill that
has been before Congress since Mare,
1920, offers five choices to the veteran
OF the world war:
| /. Adjusted pay, at the rate Of 81
Tor e,cry day of home service and
SIPS for every day of foreign serv-
ice. Maxir,./nl payment, $500 for
home service and S625 for overseas
service. Payment to be made for
service in excess Of 60 days.
! 2. Adjusted service certificate in
the form of paid-up 20-year en-
dowmcnt policy, to the value of 3.3S
times the amount that would be re-
ccived in casnr. The face value of the
policy would be paid to The veteran at
the end of 20 years, or, if he dies in
the interval, to his beneficiary. Loan
values are provided.
8. Vocational training aid of S1.25
day while taking an additional
course. The amount thus paid is not
to exceed 40 per cent the amount due
in cash
4. Farm or home aid, to the extent
of lao per cent the amount due IN
cash.
/ 5. Land settlement.
Any man or woman who served in
| the armed forces of the United States
at any time between the dates of April
Is, 1917, and November II, 1918, IS
| eligible for compensation.
This bill was introduced into the
| House Of Representatives by Joseph
". Fordney of Michigan, and into the
Senate by Senator Porter j. McCum-
Der of North Dakota. 1t is an adap-
tation, with few changes, Of the bill!
drafted by Legion representatives in
March, 1920, at conference in
Washington. The aim of the Legion
conferees was to make the bill! broad
enough to give every man the kind Of
compensation he could use; also to
stress other options besides cash, sc
that the payment Of compensation
might be as productive as possible
for the benefit Of the country at
large
The cash feature was provided for
the benefit of men who would be un-
able to avail themselves o. any of the
other four features. Opponents of the
bill have concentrated attack on this
feature, forgetting the other four OPP
tons But the Legion men who pre-
scented the bill to Congress and MEM
bers Of that body who heard them,
were convinced OF the unfairness Of
refusing any compensation to man
simply because he was unable to avail
himself of one o. the four more pro-
ductivc options.
The insurance feature Of the bill
originated in the Senate, and is con-
sidercd by many to be the most valu-
able and most likely to appeal to the
average veteran. Any man who is not
actually in want will make every ef-
fort to avail himself of this offer. If
he served 100 days in this country
and 200 days in France. his cash COM
pensation would be $3.50. But he
could waive cash and get an endow-
ment policy OF value of $l,1S3.
More than 100000 disabled men
have awaited themselves of the voca-
tional training offered by the Gov
crnment, seeing in it chance to bet
ter their condition in life. The edu-
cational feature Of the compensation
bill is expected to appeal to thousands
of veterans who are rot physically
disabled. They will be given tuition
ut accredited schools and will be paid
s125 a day while studying, until they
have received 140 per cent of the
amount due them in cash. The man
VINO had $3.50 coming to him in cash
could go to school for 392 days, being
paid $1.25 a day during that period.
The same man could apply the $3.50
due him, which is 140 per cent Of the
cash $3.50, toward purchase of an APP
proved farm or city or suburban
home. The money also could be APP
piled toward payments on farm or
homo already purchased, or to pay
for improvements.
If the veteran desires aid IN ST
ding undevelopcd LANDS, the fifth
option of the bill will enable him to
do so. Provision is made for the es-
Establishment OF reclamation projects,
for development and Improvement
Of vacant land. This may be Gov