The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-04-07


If nothing further is added to the
already existing legislation, experts
calculate that the total cost OF
World war veterans relief will reach
one hundred billions of dollars by
the time the last beneficiary has
died
Pension Drive Is Next
DESPITE the economic slough into
which the world is plunged. new
drive is under way at Washington
to pay Immediately more than two
billion dollars in bonus to veterans.
After that is out of the way, another
campaign is planned for payment of
a service pension to every individual
who served in the World war.
A deficit of $976,O00,O00 appeared
on the governments books last year.
Cost of veterans relief, without IN
Guiding money set aside to pay The
present bonus, was 78 per cent OF
this.
This relief took Is per cent Of the
entire government revenue, 81 per
cent of the, income tax, and cost
nearly a fifth of all government
expenditures in 1881. 1t will take
all the income tax and more. besides
to meet the bills of ex-soldiers dur
ing 1892.
Payments Mount Fast
It was not until 1914 that the
whole income of the federal eStab-
ishment reached billion dollars
To visualize such a sum, if million
represents one inch, billion would
be eighty-three feet.
Under present laws, in a little
more than decade, payments to
veterans will have mounted to al
most two billion dollars year, pro-
vided the United States treasury
can stand the pressure.
Congress has not been lavish with
the dependents of those who died
in the worlds bloodiest fighting The
widow who sent her only son and
support away in 1917 to the strains
of over There" never to see him
again, now is receiving only $40 a
month as her share of the billion
dollars year, unless she has insur-
ance benefits which her boy paid
for himself before he died.
The man who contracted mumps
in training camp and suffered, as
result, the permanent atrophy of
one gland-a difficulty which medi-
cal opinion agrees is in no way dis
ahling-receives a fiat compensation
of $25 month.
Poor Reward for Widow
A woman with two children who
lost her husband under the enemy
guns gets SAC a month.
Any veteran who could prove that
he had 6 10 per cent disability case
of tuberculosis prior to 1925 which
had been arrested completely and
thus no longer was a handicap to
his earning power now is getting
straight payments of $50 each
month.
Legislation on veterans relief is
full of such contrasts. Pressure for
new legislation increasingly has been
to get more for the living veteran,
regardless of his need or earning
power, rather than to place higher
value on the lives of those killed in
the war.
Dead men have no political in
fluence. Neither do they pay dues
to support a Washington lobby.
Veterans of wealth are receiving
regular compensation they do not
need.
Athletes Listed as Disabled
Professional athletes, policemen,
f1remen, all going about their regular
tasks, are listed as disabled enough
to be on the veterans relief pay roll.
Official records list the names Of
business men, lawyers, and doctors
earning salaries of from $4,000 to
$4,000 yearly who are getting full
retirement compensation if they are
80 per cent disabled"
There are 683,ll0 men getting
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