Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-06
PRESIDENT VETOES
BURSUM MEASURE
FOR WAR PENSIONS
Proposes Too Great a Drain
ON the Treasury, Message
Says Increase Granted
as Late as 1920

WASHINGTON, May 4.-Exer-
time, President Coolidge returned to
the senate Saturday, without his APP
prevail, the Bursum-Fuller omnibus
pension bill.
The president, in doing so, inform
ed the senate that he objected pri-
marily to the bill because it would
entail an 'unwarranted expenditure
Of the money of the taxpayers" at
a time when "the burden on the
taxpayers must not be increased
but decreased
"The desire to do justice to the
pensioners, however great their
merit, must be attended by some
sOlicitJde to do justice to taXpay
ers," the executive said in his mes
sage. The advantage of a class
cannot be greater than the welfare
of the nation"
The presidents message reached
) the senate soon after 1t convened
but was not taken up until late in
the day. After it had been read
Senator BursOm, Republican, New
Mexico, who, with Representative
Fuller, Republican, Illinois, is author
of the bill, moved that the matter
be laid on the table to be taken up
next Tuesday. Senator Bruce, Demo-
crat, Maryland, proposed that the
bill be taken up Immediately, but
the presdin gOfficer ruled that Sen
ator Bursum's motion had prece
denCe
Senator Bursum, pointing to the
vote of fifty-one to ten by which
the senate passed the bill April J.,
declared the measure would be pass
ed over the presidents oVeto, but
Republican leaders, both in the SEN
ate and house, express the belief
that the chief executive would be
sustained. The house approved the
measure without a record vote.
The measure had the Endorsement
Of veterans organizations, includ-
ing the Grand Army of the. Repub-
lie and the United Spanish meri-
can War Veterans
Headed by Carmi Thompson, of
Ohio, one of the Coolidge campa gn
managers, a delegation of represen-
tatiVes of veterans organizations
recently urged the president to ap-
prove the bill,
Text Of Veto Message
The veto message sent to the sem
ate by the president was az follows:
Il am returning herewith senate
bill five, An act granting pensions
and increases of pensions to certain
soldiers and sailors of the Civil and
Mexican wars and to certain widows,
former widows, minor children and
helpless children of said soldiers and
. sailors and to widows of the war of
1872, and to certain Indian war. vet
Grams and widows, and to certain
Spanish war soldiers, and certain
| manned soldiers and for other pur-
poses without my approval.
For the next fiscal year the eff
feet of this act will be to take an
additional $5S 100000 of the moneys
; paid by the taxpayers of the nation
; and add it to the pension checks of
the veterans of the wars from 1872
to 1902 and their widows and de-
pendents. This is the effect for the
first year, but the burden upon the
taxpayers will continue for many
; years to come While impossible Of
accurate estimation, the commission
err of pensions states that the pro-
/, posed addition to the pension roll will
total approximately $242. 100000 for
the first five years and $415, 900, 600
for the first ten years.
mo conditions exist which justify
the imposition of this additional bur
den upon the taxpayers of the ma
ton. All our pensions were revised,
and many liberal increases made no
longer go than 1920.
Civil War Pensions
; every survivor of the Civil war
draws $50 per month, and those in
, need of regular aid and attendance,
| A 6raV W
$72 per month. AS others come to
need this, the law alreadv gives it to
them The act also proposes to eX-
tend the limits of the war period from
April IS. 1865 to August 20, 1866,
so that those who enlisted during this
year and four months Of peace now
become eligible for the same treat
ment as those who fought through
out the war. There are other ques'
tionable provisions providing for the
pensioning of civilians and relating
| to the pensioning of certain classes
, of widows
But the main objection to the
whole bill is the unwarranted eXr
f penditure of the money Of the tax
. payers 1t proposes to add more
, than % per centum to the cost of the
\ pension rolls. j is estimated that
it would bring the total pension bill
/ of the country to a point higher than
ever before reached, Notwithstanding
D that it is now nearly sixty years
= since the close of the Civil war. "A
generous nation increased its pen
! Sions to we'll over quarter of a bill
= lion annually and has already be.
/ slowed nearly $6.250, 600, 600 in pen
2 sions upon the survivors of that con
flict and their dependents.
while there has been some de.
| crease in the annual expense. it Is
: now proposed, by horizontal increase
: to pay all survivors So each month
, without regard to age, TO their physi
: cal condition or financial condition
: With the other proposals a new high
record of cost would be established
Need for Economy
The need for economy in public
expenditures at the present time can
=; not he overestimated. I am for
economy. [ am against every unnec.
essary payment of the money of the
I taxpayers No public requirement at
. the present time ranks with the ne
cesslty for the reduction Of taxation
: This result cannot be secured unless
f. ! those in authority cease to pass la VS.
= which increase the permanent cost
: OF government. The burden on the
: taxpayers must not be increased; il
must be decreased. Every proposal
] for legislation must be considered in
: the light of this necessity. The cost
I of commodities is diminishing I'm.
f der such conditions the cost of gov,
= erument ought not to be increasing
0 The welfare of the whole country
s must be considered. The, desire to
+ do justice TO pensioners. however
7 great their merit must be attended
by some solicitude to do justice to
9 taxpayers The advantage of class