The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-03-18
Our Government
How Il Operates
VETERANS
ADMINISTRATION
By William Bruckart

$40 81 LIE STEAtRSt pfahteInS
which this. ar any other gov.
eminent, has been called uppn 10
solve involves the veterans of the
World war. 1t is problem that has
bedeyiled congress and one Presi.
dent after another. and it is going
to bedeyil 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 yet
eran relief acts amounts to the as
founding total of $685.. 900. 600 just
about one-fonrth 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 yet-
Grams 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
woaid object to a 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 We're wrecked in the service.
Tile care of them is recognized ev-
eryWhere as an obligation that must
,, be met. But about the remainder of
this sum, real battle wages for
that involves the bonus. it 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
franted by 1t, because there never
has been an investigation made to
disclose what share of the nearly a
lsillion 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. Bat that is not all. There
Is that demand. hest expmplitied by
tile bonus march on washington. for
payment Of the remainder of the no
mis- In cash. Half Of the sum that
waas inIciFl,tl Originality Ia he l,u;.t
TO the seterahs u l94:l. or prior To-
that time III be paid "a their bene
| iiciaries In case OF death already has
Eeen made availa Die, in the form of
ltIltls. There is no denying. how
ever. that some of the veterans have
ergstnized powerful groups To force
legislation through to carry out their
wishes, and II they do, congress viii
vote II total of TIVE billion. four hun
dred million dollars out of the treas,
ury nj one fell swoop.
Ii has been pointed out as this no.
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. II Trad
u deiicit of S9S3.tbbO,0OO on June 30.
1891, and more than two and Il half
billion June 30. 1!I3.., so Imagination
is not required to see whit viii iEtf,-
pen ii the baIils is voted II will be
either mUre taxes ar more bond is-
sues which the taxpayers of the
country eventually vii hare to
meet.
Hut the veterans hare 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 ,U0a.ts9U year, and even now
| 65 years after the war between the
states. pensions drain Sl25s0u0, 900
from tile freasnry.
| As was stated, however, the veter-
ans administration is not a party
To the controversy. except incident
ally. II gees On carrying out the
l laws which congress has passed and
paying ost the money which con.
gfess has appropriated. 1t does the
job through some eight or ten tisotI.
sand employees. scattered through
out the country. They are necessary
II fuAds are TO he handled and If
! the hundred or more hospitals to
which veterans may go for treat
ment are to he supervised.
The veterans administration has
to get as near tn fhase II serves as
can be done conveniently. Hence, the
fifty odd district Offices; hence. tie
local physicians In 81 many cssTnmu-
| mites. hence the examining boards
In so nnny sectionk n would an.
pear that the veterans asimlnisxra.
I ton cats up a tremendous sum In
salaries. The cost az handling these
] payEnenis 10 tie resrraas r their
/ benefciaries Is only about s per cent
Of the total Criticism has been di.
reotsa to the agency fresn tlsEe TO
tsaae. however, sndIcaiIve Of saGae
inaifaasance. Undoubtedly. s0me al
Il Is 1sastisssi hszt the consensus ii
oFsitlios + that much 81 the siisscmlty
aafu which the Veterans asiEainssfra
lion fails grnrn fimla 4, slrr.a resr,Ara