The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-02-13
NEA servlce Writer

Copyright, 1881, NEA Service Incl
 Washington.-Ever. since the Rev. olutionary war. and even before. this country has rewarded with pen- sions of money or grants of public land the men who have carried its flag on the field of battle.
 Decades before the revolution, the Colonies pensioned disabled veterans of Indian wars. In 1913, after pre- vious laws had rewarded veterans with service-connected disabilities. an act was passed to pension all sur- vivors of the Revolution.
 It was George Washington, him. self, who had received grant of land for his service in the French and Indian wars. who successfully urged congress to reward with land the veterans of 1776. The same prin- ciple was followed for many dec- ades and even to some extent after the Civil war. Abraham Lincoln ap- piled for and received a grant after he had served in the Black Hawk war.
 Varying in form, but not in prin- ciple or purpose, there have followed money pensions to veterans of the Civil war and Spanish-American war, and rewards of adjusted compensa- tion"-or "the soldier bonus." as 1t is best known-to veterans of the politicians have always used pension bills to curry favor.
 These adjusted compensation certificates are, in reality, the gov- ernments I. O.. us to pay each hold CT a certain amount in 1945. The average face value Is about $1,0OO per man. They also carry a cash value which, at present, Is about 52 Der cent of the face value, and a loan value which is now about 22 1-2 per cent. .,3s
 Such is the background of one of the major issues of the present ses- sion into which congress has sud- denly been plunged. This is the movement to have the government pay this money to the veterans now, Instead of waiting until 194e.
 Three Main Proposals
 Supporters of the plan, varying only in detail, have put forward the following proposals:
 Congressman Wright Patman of Texas: To pay the full, face value to each veteran now. There are about 3,6O0,000 certificates of average value of $1.000 each. meaning that to do this 500,000,00O would be required. At present, the sinking fund for this purpose totals only $625. 100000, meaning that the rest would have to come from a bond issue.
 Congressman Jack Garner of Tex as, the democratic leader: To pay immediately the presen- cash value of the certificates The cash value is computed at about 52 per cent of the face value, or a total of about $l,700.000,000. the loan value. on which holders may borrow. The present loan value Is about p s1-2 per cent of the face value. Strongly advocated Is a plan to increase the loan value to 50 per cent. M
 Congress Grows Liberal
 But the World War veterans ob- tained from congress a more exten- sive bonus system than was ever granted before and won a general pension system rnu -h sooner than did the veterans of any previous war. Tn 1924, congress passed over President Coolidge's veto the adjust ed compensation act which gave war veterans the certificates due to be cashed at an average of $1,000 each in.1945.
 On top of the arrangements al- ready made for payment for dis abilities connected with military ser vice, congress last year enacted legis- lation which granted payments of from $12 to $40 a month for dis abilities not connected with military service.
 Prior to the World war the near est approach to a cash bonuJ was given in the Spanish-American war. After that war, partly because of the worry over trouble in the Philip pines, men mustered out were, at first put lon furlough" and received two months pay--at $15.60 a month for time spent in civilian life.
 Pensions Go Far Back
 The governments first pension sys- tenn, which followed the Revolution ary war, granted $20 a month to of- ficers and $8 to enlisted men. Civil war pensions for disabilities of all typeS began in 1895 when congress liked . minimum of $6 q month for veterans proving disability. Since that time Civil war pensions have been greatly increased.
 The history of, spanish h-American war psusions reveals . long and h. s.I <. .sl W & <, { 4