The Coolidge examiner., 1933-07-07
Our Government
How 1t Operates
By William Bruckart
VETERANS
ADMINISTRATION
By William BTuckdrt


solve involves the veterans of the
World war. 1t is problem that has
bedeviled congress and one Presl-
dent after another, and it is going
to bedevil more congresses, and
more Presidents, for the answer is
not in sight and in this year alone,
the payments to veterans under one
or another of the hundred-odd vet
eran relief acts amounts to the as
founding total of $9S5,00O, ,000-just
about one-fourth of the operating
cost of the government, or that part
paid for running expenses.
All of this vast sum, and it has
been growing year by year, is paid
out through one agency, namely, the
veterans administration. The vet
erans' administration is not in the
fight it is not a part of the prob
lem. 1t is simply the agency through
which the money passes, never to
return to the federal treasury.
Undoubtedly, there is large sum
of this total which the taxpayers
would not have returned TO the
treasury. Surely. there is none who
would object to governmental and,
public expression of gratitude in the
form Of compensation and care for
the widows and orphans left behind
by those who made the supreme
sacrifice, or for those men whose
lives were wrecked in the service.
The care of them is recognized ev-
erywhere as an obligation that must
be met. But about the remainder of
this sum, a real battle wages for
that involves the bonus, Ii includes
payments in the nature of cOmpen-
sation or disqualification and the
like for causes not remotely con-
nected with the war. These are the
things that are being questioned.
and unless all signs fail, congresses
of the future are going to be con-
fronted by 1t. because there never
has been an investigation made TO
disclose what share of the nearly a
billion dollars falls within the recog-
nized requirement of caring for
widows and orphans and wartime
disabled.
The best available figures indicate
that something like 100000 persons
are receiving payments In one form
or another under the veterans re-
lief acts. But that is not all. There
Is that demand, best exemplified by
the bonus march on Washington, for
payment of the remainder of the bo-
nus in cash. Half of the sum that
was intended originally to be paid
to the veterans in 1945. or prior to
that time to be paid to their bene-
/ ficlaries in case of death already has
been made available, in the form of
/ loans. There is no denying, how
ever, that some of the veterans have
organized powerful groups TO force
I legislation throughtO carry out their
wishes. and if they do, congress will
vote a total of two billion, four hun
dred million dollars out of the treas
ury at one fell swoop.
Ii has been pointed out as this bo-
nus question has been debated up
and down that the federal treasury
/ is likely to end the current year next
June 80 with another deficit. 1t had
deficit of $9S3. 100000 on June 80
1881, and more than two and half
billion June 30 1882. so imagination
is not required to see what will hap
pen If the bonus is voted. 1t will be
/ either more taxes or more bond is
sues which the taxpayers of the
country eventually will have to
meet.
But the veterans have a claim
They point to the fact that fifty
years after the Civil war, the fed
eral government was paying pen
sions that amounted TO as high as
$500 100000 a year, and even now
So years after the war between the
states. pensions drain Sl25,OOO,OOC
from the treasury.
AS was stated, however, the veter
ans administration is not party
TO the controversy, except incident
ally. 1t goes on carrying out the
laws which congress has passed anc
paying out the money which con
gress has appropriated. 1t does the
lob through some eight or ten thou
sand employees. scattered through
out the country. They are necessary
if funds are to be handled and il
the hundred or more hospitals tC
which veterans may go for treat
ment are to be supervised.
The veterans administration ha!
to get as near to those it serves as
can be done conveniently. Hence, the
fifty-Odd district Offices; hence, The
local physicians in so many commu
mites, hence the examining board:
in so many sections. 1t would ap
pear that the veterans administra
ton eats up a tremendous sum ii
salaries. The cost of handling these
payments to the veterans or theil
beneficiaries is only about 5 per cen
of the total. Criticism has been di
rected to the agency from time tt
e;ao bo,yauor Indicative Of SOmI