Evening star., 1924-04-23
SENATE NEAR VOTE
ON BONUS: PAYMENT
IN CASH ASSAILEI

CContinued from First Page)
| his dependents insurance under the
war risk act the amount of his ad-
Justed service pay would be paid
to the dependents in ten quarterly
[ installments.
To meet the cost of the bill it provdtw
that an annual appropriation shall be
! made which, for the calendar year 1925,
shall not exceed s100.000.00O.
Cost Of the insurance provision, The
pr nCipa( feature of the bill, has been
. estimated from 50. .46T.42o. given by
Howard r. Brown Veterans Bureau ac-
tuary. to 1851, ,047 .63l. figured by .Io-
s"ph Mccoy, Treasury actuary. Senator
Curtis Republican. Kansas sponsor of
the bill, estimated the cost at approxi-
mat,Iy S2.5Gh. 0Uh. 900.
Opening the debate today, Senator Tn
derwood, Democrat, Alaba ma, renewed
the attack against the bonus. He adYo-
Gated a pension law, but declared it i'm
possible to compensate the former SOL
dlers for their service.
Says Veterans Dishonored.
You dishonor these protectors of our
nation by Offering thcrn dirty dollars"
Mr.. Underwood said, cor by proposing
/ to give them these insurance policies
The man who fought on the first
line of battle will have ta carry this
).
You very cunningly fixed this bonus
so that it won't be paid for twenty
years and propose that these men
instead of You will have to pay for IL.
You're adding under this legisla-
tion an enormous tax to an already
heavy burden. The doctors disaGr. =
as TO the cost of the bill. One esti-
( mate says it will cost $1,000, 600. 900.
! The Treasury actuary, Mr.. Mccoy,
says it will cost s3,600.00o. 900. and
the Treasury is probably right.
"A price must be paid for every
thing worth having" Senator Under
wood said that is true OF govern
ment-the most essential factor in
civilization. You pay in loyalty. in
service, as well as in taxes. The
bond every citizen is born under is
carried IN that section of the Con-
stitution providing that Congress has
the power to raise and maintain
armies. The duty cannot be meas
ured in money.
VIII Vote Against Bill.
Il want il distinctly understood
that l shall vote against any bonus
measure presented here. 1t would be
"A reflection on the service given by
yet the senator would reflect on
it by letting war profiteers keep their
profits" declared Senator Broekhart,
Republican, Iowa.
That is not the issue here" re-
turned the Alabama senator. They
already are hidden behind tax-exempt
securities"
When Senator Brookhart insisted
that those securities were only a
small part of the national security is
sue, Senator Underwood expressed re-
gret that he could not keep up with
the senator's imagination.
Although opposed to any bonus
he continued. II feel that If one is to
he paid, it should be an honest bonus.
paid in cash.
''This bill says to the soldiers, You
are to sign a receipt, adjust your ac-
count with the government and pass
on" the Alabamian continued.
"It is claimed the soldiers approve
this bill. / don't believe it, Why, they
A loan at high interest can be made
after two years, but only of ss7, If
the policy is worth $1,000"
Calls Measure a "Sham.-
Characterizing the insurance meas
ure as "sham and fraud. Senator
Underwood said he would vote to
amend it to substitute a cash option,
but added he would continue to op-
pose a bonus measure.
Senator Mcclellan, Democrat Ten
nessee, described the pending measure
a "makeshift," and therefore, said he
amendment. To keep a pledge Mr.. Nc
Kellar said he would support the
measure if the amendment failed.
The Tennessee senator declared re-
adjustments had been made for rail-
roads, civilian employees and business
interests and "it is time now, past
time. to readjust to some degree the
pay of our soldiers who risked life
for u.s."
BondhoIders' Patriotism Urged.
A proposal that holders of tax
exempt securities pay the cost or the
soldier bonus by voluntarily forego-
ing their income from this source for
four years was made by Senator
Smith, Democrat, South Carolina
I'VE have been hearing of the pure
patriotism of these bondholders," he
said; here's a chance for them to
show it,
senator Walsh, Democrat, Massa-
chusetts. suggested senators who
held these bonus be asked to sub
scribe to the scheme first.
."I will ask it," Senator Smith said,
"and who is the first?"
Il have an income of about $500
year from liberty loan bonds which 1
Walsh replied.
Senator Bruce, Democrat, Maryland,
volunteered $40 a year which he said
he gained from tax-exempt liberty
bonds.
Number two" shouted Senator
Smith, as his time expired.
Senator Copeland said it was time
for repentance" by the government,
and referring to the recent Senate
inves LEGATIONS, declared I'VE can best
start cleaning house by paying our
obligation to the soldiers"
Senator Copeland Explains.
IT have been booed and Kissed by
the rich for presenting this cash op-
tion amendment" Senator Ccreland
said. Il don't think there was a New
York paper which did not criticize
me for 1t. But there is hardly bank
or business firm in New York which
every year does not give it's employees
a cash bonus"
Mr, Copeland said he had receive,
messages from soldiers in every Sec
tion of the country indorsing and
demanding the cash option.
The pending measure should be
compared with adjusted compensa-
ton paid by the government to every
Industry since the war; declared
Senator Hef1in, Democrat, Alabama,
''in order that it's inadequacy might
be appreciated"
Senator Broussard, Democrat, Lou
isiana, said sentiment in that state
was overwhelmingly in favor of a
cash bonus and gave notice that he
would vote for the Copeland substi-
tute
Denouncing the Extremely ex-
travagant" staten ent, which he said
had been made by proponents Of the
Bruce, Democrat, Maryland, asserted
the average pay of the private soldier
in the world war was $1,287 per an
mum, exclusive of allowances for de-
rend dents. In no other conflict, he de-
dared, had the men been treated 50