Evening star., 1934-10-03
Time to Apply the Brakes.


addressing the convention of Veterans
Of Foreign Wars in Louisville yeSter-
day, predicted that cash payment of
the soldiers bonus would be made
within year. 1t would take some
thing more than $4,000 100000 to
make this payment. The money
would go to veterans of the World
War, whether they were in need of
money or not; there would be no
distinction between the veterans who
are out Of jobs and those who have
jobs, between veterans who are desti-
tute and veterans who have wealth.
Under the original bonus act the pay
ment Of this money in full is not due
for another decade.
The demand for the cash payment
of the soldiers bonus-about half Of
the bonus has already been paid in
cash, due to the borrowing privileges
extended by the Government to the
veterans on their adjusted compen-
sation certihcates-has been heard for
years. 1t is not new for the Senator
from Indiana to demand the cash
payment of the bonus. He has been
doing it in season and out. The pay
ment has been resisted in the Hoover
administration and in the Roosevelt
administration up to date because, 1t
is argued, the Government was in
tight place for money, and because
the veterans, as class, were better of
than many of the rest of the people.
Senator Robinson called attention
to the fact. however, that the Gov
ernment has been spending billions
of dollars lin other directions" He
argued that he saw no reason why, If
the Government Is able to go on
spending money in such large sums,
the veterans should be Disseminated
against. The country was told, he
continued, that there was to be econ
omy and the Government budget was
to be balanced. Instead, he said, the
budget is ten times worse of than
it was" He denounced the economy
act, which Topped $500, 900, 900 a year
off the compensation payments of vet
Grams, saying that the Government
had been pouring out $4,000. .000. 900
for other things since its passage.
And, finally, Senator Robinson pre-
dicted that no man within the sound
of his voice would live long enough
to see the Government budget bal
anced.
The very vastness of the Govern
ment expenditures today for the A.
A. A., the P. w. A., the F. E. r. A.,
the C. C. c., the T. v. A. and in
dozen other directions lends color to
the argument that the Government
has money to spend. The only argu-
ment that can be advanced under
such conditions is that the Govern
ment's expenditures for other purposes
are wiser and more helpful and more
needed than the expenditure of
couple of billions of dollars for the
soldiers bonus.
1t would appear that the time for
sober thought about Government
spending has arrived. In fact, it ar
rived long ago. Governments, as well
as individuals, are not immune from
spendthrift habits. Governments may
and do waste money quite as fooliShly
as individuals. The difference is that
when governments waste money they
waste the money of the people, and in
dividuals as a rule waste their own
money. It will not help the situa-
ton to pile spending upon spend
ing Of Government funds. Senator
Robinson's plea that because the
Government has poured out $1o.-
900 900 900 for all kinds of projects is
no good argument that it should pour
out another $4,000, 900 900 for the SOL
diers' bonus at this time. Yet it is
one that is likely to be made with in
creasing frequency unless there is some
check in the huge expenditures now
in vogue. A kind Of fanaticism has
developed, fanaticism which de-
mands Government expenditures for
myriad of purposes, some of which are
more worthy than others. When will
the brakes be applied?