Evening star., 1935-05-23
The Political Mill
By G.. Could Lincoln.

| C84o 4Al tklC LlohoC NAAothSSA JANeAA6
from the vote in the House to over
ride his objections-but it will have
registered heavily with millions OF
people throughout the country. 1t was
carried to listening millions by rado
That 1t was an effective speech, well
delivered, was admitted by supporters
of the Patman bill. 1t was just not
convincing to these Patmanites-cer-
tainly not as convincing as the vet
erans' lobby. The Senate has the
final say in the matter, and the House
has relied upon the Senate to pull
the bonus chestnuts out of the fire
several times in the past. In view Of
the fact that the Senate cast SO votes
against the bonus bill on its first
passage, and at least two other Sen
ators were aligned against it, Tydings
Of Maryland and O'Mahoney of Wy
oming, it would be a surprising thing
indeed, If the vote to override carried
in the Upper House.
The history of bonus demands and
bonus legislation in Congress since
1920 clearly shows. however. the
growth of the movement. The House
in that year passed the Fordney SOL
diers' bonus bill 289 to 90. 1t gave
the veterans maximum OF $500 for
home service and $625 for overseas
service, to be paid in 10 equal quar-
terly installments. If the veteran
preferred he could take an adjusted
service certificate, running for 20
years. Under the latter plan he re-
ceived an increase Of 40 per cent and
interest for 20 years at 4 "a per cent.
The bill carried a tax to provide the
money. 1t was referred to the Sen
ate Finance Committee, but there it
died. Next year, 1921, Senator
McCumber Of North Dakota sponsored
similar bill. While the bill was
pending before the Senate the then
President Harding came down to the
Capitol and urged the defeat Of the
bill. The Senate then recommitted
the bill, AZ TO 20.
The bonus continued to knock at
the door, however, and Representative
Fordney Of Michigan introduced a
bill In March, 1922, which passed the
House, 1913 to 10, and, later, the SEN
ate, Al to ~. President Harding
vetoed the bill and the House over
rode the veto, 258 to 54. The Senate
sustained the veto, A to %. 1t was
in 1924 that the bonus bill which
became law, and is the law. was
launched. 1t was offered by Repre-
sentative Green Of Iowa and passed
the House, 355 to 81, and. later, the
Senate, by a vote of 81 to II. The
late President Calvin Coolidge prompt
ly vetoed the bill The House over
rode the veto. 3l3 to 78, and the
Senate followed suit, 50 to Is. And
so the bonus became the lava 20
year-payment plan.
The first demands of the veterans
after this law was enacted were for
liberaliZed loans on the bonus certi-
ficates, and couple of laws along this
line were passed. 1t was in 1881 that
the late Senator Caraway Of Arkansas
offered a bill for the cash payment OF
the bonus without further delay, one
Of the first Of such bills. In that year
bill to increase the loan value of
the bonus certificates to so per cent
Of the face value of the certificates
passed both houses and was vetoed by
former President Hoover. The veto
was overridden by both houses. It was
not long after this, in 1882, that q
flood of bills for the cash payment
Of the bonus began, among them the
first Patman bill. The Patman bill
passed the House in June. 1892, by a
vote Of 2l1 to 176. The bonus army
had come to Washington. But the
Senate turned the bill down by a vote
Of 81 to l8. A Patman bill also passed
the House in March, 1888, by a vote
OF 295 to l25. 1t was not reported
from the Senate Finance Committee
However, immediate bonus payment
was offered as an amendment to bills
time was rejected.
So the Senate has proved the
stumbling block against the payment
Immediately of the bonus in the past,
as 1t is expected to SO prove again.
However. the vote in the Senate in
favor Of the bonus has become a
majority vote this year, instead of a
minority vote. The Patman bill passed
the Senate IS to SO on May Z, after
it had passed the House a couple OF
months earlier by vote of 3l8 to 90
The President told the veterans in
his veto address to Congress yesterday
that when they received their bonus
payments under the Patman bill. if
they were on the relief rolls they would
be dropped from those rolls. No relief
while there was bonus money for them
That might be expected to give the
veterans something to think about,
The answer might be made, however,
that after they had spent their bonus
they would 60 back on relief.
** ~
House Democratic leaders are not
willing to begin work in the House
itself on the bill extending the life
Of the N. r. A. until after the Su-
preme Court Of the United States has
handed down a decision in the
Shechter case. involving the constitu-
tionality Of the N. r. A. The Su-
preme Court Is expected to give its
opinion in this case not later than
ouhC ., WACu the court Is due to Quit
for the Summer recess. The present
act expires June Is. However. the
House leaders contend that thev can
get speedy action on an N. r. A. bill
In the House If they have to, perhaps
in three or four days, and that will
leave time to thresh the matter out
with the Senate, which has already
passed q joint resolution extending
the life OF the N. r. A. only until
april 1 next. The administration is
strongly opposed to such a brief ex-
tension, and the House is ready to
back 1t up by putting through an
extension until June Is, 1897. giving
the N. r. A. life for two more wears
The Ways and Means Committee of
the House is about ready to bring in
q bill for N. r. A. extension at any
time. meeting the demands of the
President.
The tug of war will come when the
House seeks to impose the two-year
extension of the N. r. A. on the SEN
| ate. The Senate has sent IN tho