The Alaska daily empire., 1923-04-07
SENATE AMENDS
 SOLDIERS | A N D| BONUS MEMORIAL
Strikes Out Assignment Pro- Supporters Claim
 Kills Measure.

NiCu lnt i1bioe Ddso1H ile COl. tl dier Bonus land grant memorial it thereby gave three cheers for Alaska !, veterans of the World War; when the |, Senate cut off the last 1G words of the House draft, il gave Alaska ex- service men the razz',' declared an interested spectator in the Senate yes terday afternoon when the upper |, House was considering the memorial. By a vote of live to three, Aver, + Dlmond and Chamberlin voting against it. the Senate adopted an E to the memorial striking i1 from it the phrase which made trans fprable or ass.gnable the right to select and locate land grants which [, Congress is asked to bestow on the former service men and women of !; the Territory.
 The memorial asks Congress to pass an act granting Alaskan veter- ans of the World War l60 acres of T land on the public domain open to homestead entry and providing that f such land may be selected from any [ unapprupliatod part of the public do main ''without any requirement. of E settlement or cultivation and that the l, lands be made transferable and as sgnable' The Senate amendment strikes all that part after tho word E cultivation"
 Claim Will Work Injustice [:
 Supporters of the memorial in |: both Houses, American Legion mem- bers who are interested in the measure which is sponsored by the |: Legion. contended that the amend |; ment virtually kills the benefits which were sought It is claimed by |: them that it is not practicable for the ex-service men in all cases to select and locate the lands | if they were given the right 10 do | so by Congress and that where Al | aska veterans are now residing out E side of the Territory it would entail I' financial loss for them 10 attempt E to do so as the cost of making a spe- !. cial trip to the agricultural sections i, of Alaska to file would he more than could be received from sale of the land under present conditions. The |; effect. therefore, would be to deprive !; former soldiers or sailors not con- venicntly situated to agricultural !; lands of any benefits from the pro- posed act.
 Land Grabbers 6ueaboo
 The old bugaboo that somebody Is [, trying, or may try, 10 grab the re- sources of the Territory and tie them up for speculative purposes cropped out carly in the Senate's discussion of the memorial Four out of the [: eight members, Senators Aldrich, |: Dunn, Hunt and Snodgrass fefretinS ont the speetor, denounced the ob- jeethonable provision on the ground |: that it meant the issuance of script |: which would present opportunities for specuIators to possess themselves of a great tract of Alaska's choicest land and permit them to hold it off the market until develop ment of surrounding lands or indus tries made it immensely valuable. !; All of them declared they were oD- posed 10 the issuance of soldiers land script but said they were willing to do anything for the ex-seryice men which in their judgment was consistent with the best interests cf \ the Territory.
 Fight Is Futile
 The fight of the memorials sup porters to prevent amendment was futile. Several ex-sewiee men, in- ciudlng members of the Legislature, pleaded the cause of the men who : are not in the Territory, whom, they : declared, should be included in any compensation given. Among these were Representatives iStaser ana Policy, while representatives Keys author of the memorial, and Shep- ard. both of whom had sons in the [ service. also spoke. Mir. Staser said | if the Senate could not ask for the land without strings attached, ne | hoped they would defeat the memo rial. The American Legion men in | Alaska do not want something which | Alaska veterans not iin the Territory | cannot share, he declared.
 Mir. Policy said the land grabbers bugaboo was ovorplayed. The inter- ests of the Territory arc not threat ened. If one industry comes 10 tne Territory as the result of land graD' ping. If 10 per cent of the land ln- volyed in the memorial is taken up the material welfare of Alaska VIII he advanced and not retarded, ne asserted.
 Mr. Keys contendcd that inasmuch as the men who wont into the gov ernment'5 service during the war, en- listed or were drafted without reser- yations or restrictions as to their service and without chaperones, II was but fair for the Legislature, II it is to recompense them for the losses they incurred financially should do so equally from hamper ing restrictions imposed.
 Dimond Defends Memorial
 Senator Dimond, opposing tho amendment, said three attitudes were represented in the Senatc-one that ri,n,,ld ha u4 lep1 in ng ]