The Washington times., 1924-02-28

I'V"W w gMCt0W compensation can O6
paid aOlthOut wOrkimg hardship on
anyone.
By JOHN r. QUINN,
National Commander American
Legion.
INDIANAPOLIS Ind, Feb. a.
You have probably read in the
| newspapers of new so-called
bonus" bill recently introduced
In the Senate by Senator Bursum
OF New Mexico. Briefly It wants
returned to the veteran the billion
or more dollars taken in insurance
premiums, the compulsory allot-
ments taken from the meager nay.
and to reimburse the ex.servlce
men for the money lost by viz.
tually enforced purchase of Lib
erty bonds that later, through ne
cessity, were sold at a great loss.
Now this brings up subjects that
arouse indignation even among
persons opposed to adjusted COM
pensation.
Let us take the insurance money,
history. In practically every State
IN the Union there is a workmen's
compensation insurance act. II
provides that men engaged in haz.
ardous occupation shall be insured
and the premiums must be paid by
the employer.
Please note that the premiums
are paid by the employer.
Soldiers Paid Premium.
In the case of the fighting men,
however, engaged In the most
hazardous work possible-war-the
Government forced the country's
defenders to pay their own insur-
| ance premiums
so out Of that base pay Of $40
month came $3.50 to nav for
the veterans life In case he lost it.
In round figures something like
$3.50 100000 was collected by the
Government in insurance premiums
from fighting men. So huge is this
sum that today 1t is being used
to support the widows and orphans
Of men who died for their country
The only money appropriated by
Congress to care for the relicts
Of men who gave all, is $40O, 900
for administration purpose. This
money, as Senator Bursum ex-
pressed it. was taken from the
pockets of the fighter by the Gov
eminent. He proposes to return it.
Now the question Of compulsory
allotments. Out Of the remaining
$3.50 a month the fighter drew.
came an average of $40 for allot-
ments. In all the Government took
from the fighters 100000, 900 as
allotments to which the Government
added two-thirds more.
Senator Copeland, Of New York, |
declares this money should be re-
funded to the soldiers. So you see,
the veteran was supporting the
widows and orphans of his dead
and paying for the war at the same |
time by buying Liberty bonds he
could not afford.
Forced to Sell Bonds.
Out of the remaining $3.50 a |
month the fighter paid SIS a |
month. in many cases, on Liberty
bonds he was practically forced to
buy. When he got out of the serv-
ice, having nothing, he was forced
to sell his at a great loss.
Now here is a point to be consid-
cred. II the Government returned
teh insurance premiums, made good
the compulsory allotments taken
and reimbursed the losses on Liber-
ty bonds, the whole amount would
be greater than the cost of the ad-
Justed compensation bill which the
veteran now wants passed.
In other words, IL the compensa-
ton bill Is passed, 1t will return to
the soldiers over twenty-year pc
Rod less money from the Govern.
ment took away from him during the
war.
And all these items coming out
OF his pay is the reason the soldier
laughs loud and raucously when in
formed he was the highest paid
fighting man Of all time.
He merely grunts and admires the
civil war soldiers. ''They only got
ten bucks a month, but they got it."
He feels he was placed under an
economic handicap from which he
has not yet recovered. If they had
left him his pay, possibly his wife,
or mother, or sister wouldn't have
been forced to go to work, or suf-
fer hardships and live in misery.
His Viewpoint.
He feels that by denying him
adjusted compensation the Govern
ment is discriminating against |
him. For the soldier knows that |
VI dlI lHo IdCtOrS winch con. |
tributed to winning the war, the |
fighting man is the only one who |
did not have his compensation ad- |
justed. The war contractors, the |
railroads, the civil service en-
ployes. the workmen-all received |
adjustment Of wages because Of |
wars Generalization Of average |
prices. Everybody was attended to |
but the fighting man, and he was |
away winning the war while the |
other factors were getting cared |
for.
In my next article I want to |
delve into this phase of the COM |
pensation issue. It is interesting,
that phase, because some billions |
of dollars were divided among |
thousands of Americans but few, |