Evening star., 1934-11-28
HARRISON OFFERS
PART B0NUSP PLAN
AS COMPROMISE
Veterans Who Can Show
Need Would Receive
Cash Payment.
SENATOR HAD TALK
AT WARM SPRINGS
View Not Presidents, but Admin.
istration in Sympathetic Mood,
Finance Committee Head Says.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Compromise of the issue revolving
about immediate cash payment of the
soldiers bonus by the payment of vet
Grams who could show they were in
need was suggested today by Chairman
Harrison of the Senate Finance Com
mittee.
IF the proponents of the bonus
payment could get together said
Senator Harrison, and agree that
immediate cash payment should be
made to ex-service men who are in
need, I haven't the slightest doubt
that we could agree on legislation
without delay
Talk With President.
Senator Harrison, who has just re-
turned to Washington after comforting
with President Roosevelt at Warm
Springs Ga, on the coming budget,
taxes and the bonus, said he was
speaking for himself and not for the
President in making this suggestion.
He did say, however, sympathetic
consideration was being given to the
bonus question by the administration.
He declined to say whether the Presi-
dent was against payment Of the
bonus.
IT am sure" he said, that the
bonus bill could not be passed over
the Presidents veto. The incoming
Congress was elected to support the
President. The President is the leader
and whatever he decides is in the best
interest of the country in connection
with the bonus the Congress will
sustain"
Opposes Tax Increase.
The Mississippi Senator said he
hoped that there would be no general
tax increase legislation.
1T is impossible to tell what will be
done about taxes until after the Pres
ident shall have sent his budget mes
sage to Congress in January" he said.
He added that the increase in receipts
from present taxes was encouraging
In every case these receipts, he said,
were in excess of the estimates made
by the Treasury experts at the time
the last tax bill was passed, except in
the case of liquor.
The President in his budget mes
sage to Congress last January es-
timated that the total Treasury deficit
would reach s9,0O0,000,00O for the
fiscal years 1884 and 1885" said Sem
etor Harrison.
Estimate of Deficits.
THE estimate was for a S7,000,-
100000 deficit during the year, 1894
and S2000,O00,OOO during the year
1885. AS matter of fact, the deficit
than was estimated.
The deficit for the first four
months of the fiscal year 1885. July,
August, September and October, is
about 100000. If this rate
should be kept up, the deficit for
1885 will be 100000. In other
words, the actual deficit for the two
years. will be about S2,O00,O ,OO0, 900 less
than was estimated by the President" :"
For OId-Age Pension.
Senator Harrison declared himself
In favor of immediate adoption of
an old-age pension system. in which
the Federal Government and the
States should cooperate.
He said he thought this pension
should begin at the age of IS and
should be a reasonable" amount.
How much, he did not say, although
he declared that $3.50 a month pen
sion is an unreasonable amount" The
Townsend old-age pension plan, given
wide publicity in the recent Califor-
MIA campaign. called for 5000 month
to begin at the age of so.
Reasonable Works Program.
Senator Harrison said that while
there was large group of able-bodied
citizens unable to find private en-
ployment, there should be a reason
able public works program which
would provide them with work.
He declined to say whether this
public works fund should be S4,000,-
000,000 or more or less than that
amount.
Il don't think that the administra.
tion has the slightest doubt" contin-
ued Senator Harrison, that business
in the country is on the upgrade. I
have no doubt that there has been
an improvement in business.
If we can get business up we will
soon have surpluses of revenue in the
Treasury instead of deficits"
Senator Harrison said he looked for
no immediate move for stabilization
of the dollar, nor for any further leg
islation relating to its stabilization.
The President has wide powers
now to deal with the currency" said
Harrison. When we can get the coun-
tries of the world together on tie
question of currency stabilization and
can get agricultural prices higl.er
than they are today" he said, Il be-