The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-01-10
PRESIDENTS VETO
PENSION CRITICISED
Great Disappointment to Many Aged
Veterans Who Are in Need of
Increase.

WASHINGTON, Jan. .9-President
Harding's recent veto of the Burum
pension bill proposing among other
things, increases OF Civil and Mexican
war veterans pensions from $50 to
S72 a month, and of their widows
from $50 to $50, was deplored In an
address to the Senate today by Sen
ator Bursum, Republican, New Mex
leo, chairman of the Senate pensions
committee. Senator Bursum an
nounced he would not attempt to have
the bill passed over the veto because,
he said, it would not change the re-
suit in any accomplishment"
The New Mexico Senator declared
the president had given the country
unwittingly an erroneous impression
of the bill and criticized provisions
which Senator Bursum said were not
contained in it. The presidential veto,
he declared, would "disappoint many
aged veterans and widows who are un-
doubtedly in distress and in great
need of the increase which the bill
would have given them"
II cannot help but feel that this is
a harsh mistake, a cruel mistake"
said Senator Bursum,
" / am unable to make myself be-
lieve that a patriotic, appreciative,
kindly character like Mr.. Harding, if
in possession of all the facts and cir
c~umstances surrounding perhaps Is
per cent of the beneficiaries under
the proposed bill, would have given
expression to such a sweeping con-
demnation of every item that the bill
stands for"
President Harding's alleged misrep-
resentation of the bill, Senator Bur
bum said, was in stating that it pro-
posed pension increases for widows
who had "cohabited" for two years
with a veteran before his death.
"This is a serious charge and I'M
fortunate" he declared, "if it were
true certainly Congress would merit
a severe censure for attempting to
encourage the loosening of the morals
Of the country. No such provisions
as are quoted in the the message are
found in the bill. In view of the error
contained s. . y it seems to me that
some one has been loose outside of
Congress. In my opinion the presi-
dent should correct this erroneous
impression given the public which has
been broadcast to the country on &C
count of the erroneous quotations
/, contained in the message"
Senator Bursum also challenged the
presidents statement that the bills
cost would be $108 100000 additions
on the pension rolls for the next year
: The increased cost, he contended
would be only $72,608.O0, and consid
ering the death rate or the veterans
he added, withoin two years the tota
additional cost would have vanished
"The prediction of a $4,000, 600, 0Oi
outlay within the next so years" Sen
ator Bursum continued, would seen
shooting far from the mark of rea
SON. Fifty-eight years have elapse
since the Civil War ended. If tn
veterans and widows of other war
are required to wait SO years befor
obtaining similar rates of pension
provided in the bill, there can be n
justification to expect a S50,000,OOO
900 outlay unless we unfortunatel,
become involved in other wars whic
are not now ~foreseen."
The financial considerations give
by the president, he said appeared t
/ be a "one-sided picture and an argu
ment by opposing counsel"