White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1924-02-01

1t didn't matter so much; but back
home, with the unifrom cast aside,
the war won and over, perhaps
girl waiting to help him establish
home and a family-well, that was
different.
During the first session of Con-
gress after the war ended, So differ
needs of the discharged veterans.
There was general agreement
that the veteran needed help and
should receive some form of aid
from the government True, it
would add another item to the stag
gering cost of the war, but then sup
posing the government had been
obliged to pay it's soldiers and sail
ors SO and $40 day, or say, even
$50 instead of $50 month!
Seek Legion Aid
Where the members of Congress
could not agree was in the manner
of raising the funds necessary to fl
nance an adjustment for these vet
Grams. 1t was then that the newly
organized American Legion was ask
ed to help in solving the puzzle.
| The plan Of adjusted compensation
that seemed most likely to be of the
greatest help to the veteran and at
the least cost to the government has
been repeatedly before Congress and
is still before Congress, having been
reintroduced with certain amend
ments in the Watkins bill, presented
in the House Of Representatives and
referred to the ways and means com
mittee.
The time when a cash bonus for
the veteran would have tided him
over the first rough spots in read
justing himself to civil life, has long
since past. He has been for four
years doing the best he could to re
adjust himself at his own expense
and without any immediate hope OF
help from other sources, while the
government debated and argued and
harangued over the question of who
would pay the bill. Congress has re
peatedly recognized the fairness and
the need Of adjusted compensation
for the veteran, just as it recognized
and paid compensation to it's civil
service employees, to it's war con
tractors and to the railroads. Only
it has failed to settle with the vet
Grams who were taken from civil
Jobs to fight the nations military
battles.
Last year an adjusted compensa
ton measure similar to the Watkins
bill, but providing no means of fl
nancing was passed by both houses
Of Congress, but was vetoed by Pres
ident Harding when the secretary OF
the treasury, Andrew Mellon, inform
ed him that the national treasury was
confronted with deficiency of $3.50,
100000 for the current fiscal year.
Mellon Figures Wrong
Today the figures show that Mr.
Mellon was mistaken; he was off
nearly 1000, 100000, inasmuch as the
treasury shows surplus Of more
than $30O,OO0.0O0.
Mr.. Melons cry of a deficit last
year was sufficient to kill adjusted
compensation in 1928; his cry to kill
1t in 1924, If possible, is that the
treasury is SO fat now 1t would be
possible to reduce federal income
taxes by the amount of the surplus;
but, If adjusted compensation is te
be provided, he claims, no tax reduc
ton would be possible.
The treasury department has esti
mated that adjusted compensation
under the Watkins plan would re
Quire 100000 in the first three
year period, an average of $4,000 ,OOC
a year. This could come out of Mr.
Melons $323, 100000 and still per
NIT very considerable reduction OF
taxes. But Mr.. Mellon doesn't want
to admit 1t.
The United States is financially
able to pay this debt, can afford tc
pay it land except for big business
interests, wants to pay 1t and knows
1t can be paid without disturbing eco
nomic conditions or interruptine
prosperity.
The Watkins bill eliminates from
consideration for adjusted compen
sation the soldier or sailor who serv.
ed only go days or less; any veteran
dishonorably discharged from the
service; any conscientious objector;
any soldier or other member of the
military establishment who was paid
a bonus while in the service for the
kind Of work he was performing, as
for instance, the men in the spruce
division; any officer above the rank
Of captain in the army or lieutenant
In the navy.
The $50 bonus paid to veterans at
the time of their discharge from the
service is deducted from any COM
pensation they would receive
The compensation basis is 81 a