Evening star., 1935-04-16
SENATE MAY GET
HARRISON BONUS
BILL TOMORROW
Compromise Expected to
Avoid Vet0-Th0maS
Group Opposed.
BONDS TO MATURE
IN 1888 FORECAST
Possibility of Interest. Bearing
Liens Seen in Measure Of Ad.
ministration Supporter.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Senator HarriSonS So-called COM
promise soldiers bonus bill will be in
troduced In the Senate tomorrow.
Senator Harrison, chairman Of the
Finance Committee, plans to hold
early hearings on the bonus bills, 50
as to get the matter before the Senate
for consideration.
While Senator Harrison is having the
final touches placed on the compromise
bonus bill, supporters Of immediate
cash payment today were planning o
hard fight for their proposal. Senator
Thomas Of Oklahoma said he and nine
other Senators had held a meeting
since the Harrison compromise pro-
posal was announced. They are de-
termined, Senator Thomas said, to
make a monetary issue. They look
with favor on the Patman bill which
passed the House and which provides
for the payment. of the soldiers bonus
with greenbacks, Treasury notes.
Support Is Seen.
While President Roosevelt at his
press conference today stated that he
had not Endorsed any compromise
bill, the belief prevails that Senator
Harrison, a stanch administration sup
porter, will not offer a bill which the
President would veto. As q matter Of
fact the President has not had an op-
portunity to see the Harrison COM
promise. The Mississippi Senator.
however. conferred at length with the
President on Sunday and went thor
oughly into the matter OF the bonus.
Although the details of the Harri-
son bill have not yet been formally
announced, 1t Is understood that the
bill will authorize the issuance of Gov
ernment bonds, for which the veterans
may exchange their adjusted service
certificates. These bonds will mature
in 1888 and will be negotiable when
received by the veterans. There Is
also a report that the bonds, issued
to take the place Of the bonus certtfl-
Gates, will become interest-bearing
bonds in 1898 and mature In l945.
Such q plan, it is argued. would have
the effect Of postponing the cash pay
ment Of the bonus In large part A
further effect would be 10 stall OF the
expected drive for World War veter.
ans pensions.
Would Delay Payment.
The veterans would benefit ma
terially through having the bonds ma
ture in 1898. The plan would be to
consider the bonus payments as begin
ming to run from the date Of the armi-
stice in 1918, instead of in 1925 when
the bonus legislation became effective.
From the point of view of the ad-
ministration. the payment Of the
bonus, through this compromise. would
be postponed certainly until 1888. The
public works program runs until June,
1887. Administration leaders figure
that they can appeal to the veterans
on the ground that much will be
done to take care of them through the
work-relief appropriations during the
next two years. They will argue that
the veterans in need should be willing
to postpone the payment of the bonus
until this big work-relief expenditure
is over, since they are to share in the
relief.
Democratic Senator'S who wish tc
support the President in his opposi-
ton to the immediate cash payment
of the bonus nevertheless are desirous
Of voting for some measure which
may appeal to many Of the veterans
A considerable number Of these Sen.
atorS come up for reelection next
year. The suggestion Of compromise
particularly a compromise which the
President would be willing to accept
has made q strong appeal to the Sen.
ators. Back of the compromise move.
ment, therefore, lies political mo-
tive. On the other hand there also
lies the desire to postpone cash pay
ment of the bonus and the expected
demand for World War veterans pen
sions.