Evening star., 1946-06-29
Advocates of Bonus |
Call 1t Equalization
Cost Will Run Up to Six Billions
as Public Debt Nears Limit
BY Berfram Benedict

By Berfram Benedict
They don't call 1t bonus 1t is called
equalization of treatment between en-
listed men and officers at discharge.
Similarly, the bonus of World War I
wasn't called that by its advocates It
was termed adjusted compensation
a sum to compensate the men in the
Army and Navy for the difference be-
tween their pay and the wages they
might have received in civilian en-
ployment.
At discharge after World War II
officers are allowed to take accumulated
leave up to 80 days for each year Of,
service with an allowable total of 120
days. During this additional period
they receive their pay and allowances.
On June II the House passed unani-
mously bill to give discharged en-
listed men of the Army and Navy a sum
corresponding to this terminaI-leave
pay Of officers. The bill had been
bottled up in the House Military Affairs
Committee. A petition to discharge the
committee from the bill had received
the requisite 218 signatures; thereupon
the committee reported the bill out.
NOW Senate Military Affairs Sub.
committee has reported the bill favor
ably to the full committee. If the bill
comes to a vote in the Senate. 1t will
undoubtedly go through with little or
no opposition
Up to Six Billion Cost
In the House debate, terminal-leave
pay for enlisted men was estimated to
cost anywhere from a minimum of So
100000, ,000-s2, 600, ,OOOO 900 for Army men
and sl,000,000 900 for Navy men-up to
$4,000 100000 or more. On June 25 the
gross public debt stood at $3.50 900 ,00o.-
900, and on June 26 President Truman
signed the bill making s275 ,O0O, 900 900
the limit of the public debt The Treas
ury is carrying a cash balance of
almost 100000, 900 in it's general fund.
The bill provides that every dis
charged enlisted man is to get a lump
sum payment for every unused day Of
furlough-2i2 days month-since Sep
tember g. 1889. The maximum payment
period is 120 days. The rate of pay is
to be that received at discharge. The
72-hour passes given enlisted men are
not considered furlough time used.
Each enlisted man is to report how
much of his furlough time he didn't
use. Then his report would be checked
against the War Department records.
The records on furlough time actually
used and unused by over 10000 900 en-
listed men are, of course, sketchy or
subject to dispute. and in most cases
the enlisted mans statement would
have to be taken. The average length
OF service is understood to be around
rs months
In Case Of Death.
In the case of an enlisted man who
has died, the payment would 90 to his
wife or children or parents In such
cases, statements on furlough time used
and unused would, Of course, be unusu-
ally unreliable.
The House took up the bill on Juns
7, and was ready to pass it on that
day. but the actual vote was postponed
until June II, so that as many Repre-
sentatives as possible could be recorded.
No less than II members spoke in favor
OF the bill, not one against it. None of
the n speakers referred to the muster
ing-out payment up to $500 given to
enlisted men. The vote in the House
on June II was $50 yeas, present"
(Wadsworth of N. ", 0 nays.
After World War a discharge bonus
of $50 was voted almost immediately.
The real bonus, amounting to about
A. billion dollars, was voted in 1922,
but President Hardings veto was sus-
tanned. The bonus bill was enacted in
1924. four ard half years after the end
Of the war. when President Coolidee's
veto was overridden The full amount
was payable after 20 years could be bor-
rowed against each year Fifty per cent
payment was provided in 1881 and full
payment In 1885, when President Rooee-
velts veto was overridden, after 4
similar veto had been sustained in 1895.