A Veto Message

The first veto message to issue from the White House during the present Administration descended upon a pension bill. This bill, sponsored by Senator Holm O. Bursum of New Mexico, was passed by both Houses during April. It was similar to a bill vetoed by President Harding.

It proposed to increase the pensions of veterans and widows of veterans and nurses of the War of 1812 and of the Mexican, Civil, Indian, Span ish, Philippine and Boxer Wars. The proposed increase for Civil War vet erans was from $50 to $72 a month. The present outlay for pensions is about $263,000,000.

The President imposed his nega tive with direction:

"For the next fiscal year, the effect of this act will be to take an addi tional $58,000,000 of the money paid ,by the taxpayers of the nation and add it to the pension checks of the veterans of the wars from 1812 to 1902 and their widows and depend ents.

"No conditions exist which justify the imposition of this additional burden upon the taxpayers of the nation. All our pensions were revised and many liberal increases made no longer ago than 1920. Every survivor of the Civil War draws $50 per month and those in need of regular aid and at tendance, which already included 41,000 of them, draw $72 per month. As others come to need this the Taw already gives it to them. The act also proposes to extend the limits of the war period from April 13, 1865, to Aug. 20, 1866, so that those who enlisted during this year and four months of peace now become eligible for the same treatment as those who fought throughout the war.

"But the main objection to the whole bill is the unwarranted expendi- ture of the money of the taxpayers. It proposes to add more than 25% to the cost of the pension rolls. It is estimated that it would bring the total pension bill of the country to a point higher than ever before reached, not-withstanding it is now nearly 60 years since the close of the Civil War. A generous nation increased its pensions to well over a quarter of a billion annually, and has already bestowed nearly $6,250,000,000 in pensions upon the survivors of that con- flict and their dependents.

"The need for economy in public expenditure at the present time cannot be overestimated. I am for economy. I am against every unnecessary payment of the money of the taxpayers. No public requirement at the present time ranks with the necessity for the reduction of taxation. . . . The burden of the taxpayers must not be increased; it must be decreased."

Mr. Bursum, seeing his proposal vetoed, was expected to try to over-ride the veto. But no one expected to see him succeed.