St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1948-01-23
Dear Joe
MAN OF THE YEAR,?
By JAMES L. HICKS

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10, 569 900 living veterans in these
United States, added TO the fact
that this is an election year, makes
you a pretty popular man in 1913
Joe, and II you play your hanC
right II may mean cash money II
your pocket.
The politicians are out TO gel
you. Are you the easy to get
type, or are you the kind that make
EN- lay it on the line before you
close a deal? II you are you may
be the man Of the year in 1913.
THE COME ON
The boys on Capitol Hill are al.
ready on the firing line and their
sights are zeroed on you.
Last Tuesday the Senate passed
and returned to the House a bill
to provide 20 per cent pension in.
crease for veterans Of Indian wars
and families Of veterans who re.
ceive pensions under public laws
administered by the Veterans AID.
ministration. Already passed by the
House, the bill was sent back foi
action on a minor amendment be.
fore going to the President.
The bill has no effect on you
because those weren't Indians
you were fighting on the
Gothic Line, but the bill might
touch your grandpap and serve
to notify him that the boys are
still thinking Of him.
Representatives George W. Sar.
bacher, Jr., Republican Of Pennsyl,
vania, however, introduced a bill
last Tuesday which may be right
down your alley.
His bill, sponsored by the Ameri
can Legion, would increase pension
payments to disabled veterans, wal
widows and orphans.
The bill provides for a Is pc
cent increase for veterans with
service connected disability, a q
to 81 per cent increase for widows
children and dependent parents o
servicemen killed in action and
80 TO 1903 per cent increase in pen
sions being paid to widows AM
children Of veterans whose death
were not service connected.
Don't go counting up the in
crease in your pension check
yet because politics is a funny
game-but the American Le-
EiOn has a way Of getting
things done on the Hill and il
anybody can get a pension in
crease they are the boys who
can do il.
Those "Baa Baa Baa's" whicl
you've been hearing around you
favOTite veterans clubhouse arr
coming from the boys all right bu
they are not practicing a new yer
sion of the "Whiffenpoof Song.
The baa's are for that par
Of President Humans budget mes
sage which states that the vet
Grams program is Successful" an,
which recommends VA bulge
that is $50 million dollars less 70
veterans services and benefits 70
the next fiscal year than the ex
penditures this fiscal year.
Successful-well, maybe. 1t de
ponds upon how you look at it,
But it sounds just like the sur
geon who stands over his bleeding
patient and says: The operatio,
is successful, but my patient
dying"
II the veterans readjustment
program has been successful
there are n helluva lot Of guys
who would rather live in ad-
Versity!
Despite the fact that he think
you are doing all right, Joe, MI
Truman is still willing to spen,
GIL billion dollars to keep you feel
ing that way. That's what he rec
commended that the Congress Civ,
the Veterans Administration I,
spend in your welfare next year.
Now let's do little figuring an,
see how really important SOM
people think you are.
Based on the fact that there ar,
1865, 900 living veterans on whom
the President is willing to spen,
$6,1OO,OOO,OO0 next year, simpl
arithmetic shows that the admins
tration is willing to spend an aver
age Of about 1928 on ever.
mothers son Of you, next year.
Congress may have other idea
but you can bet your life there vii
be plenty spent. Are you prepare,
to get your shAref