The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-09-14
MUCH RED TAPE
IS NECESSARY
FOR euARpsMEN TO GET AID
FOR THEIR FAMILIES, ".s
$50 PER MONTH is THE LIMIT
Soldiers Must Make a Sworn AppIica.
ton That the Money Is Needed,
and Also Answer Nineteen
Pertinent Questions.

Washington, d. c., Sept. 13.--Iowa
guardsmen who desire to get part of
the 100000 fund congress has ap-
propriated for relief of dependent
families of men on the border will
have SO much red tape to unrayel that
their families may suffer before they
get help.
Although the act empowering the
secretary of war to contribute $50 a
month to dependent families of the,
guardsmen passed more than a week
ago, it will probably be a month, Off.
Gals said today, before payment to
families is actually made. .....
sworn Application, ....
And then this relief fund will be
available only when the guardsman
has made sworn application that the
aid is needed and after he has an
swered a list of nineteen questions
submitted to him by the war depart.
ment.
AS the law has been construed by
the war department it falls far short
of giving the measure of relief in.
tended by many congressional sup
porters of the measure. The law
provides in brief:
That the relief fund is payable not
from June IS, when the president call
ed out the militia. but from August
90, when the act was approved.
That the law applies only to those
guardsmen and regulars who were &C.
tualIy in the service when the presi.
dents call was issued June IL, and
does not include in its benefits those
enlisting after that date in response
to calls for recruits to fill out the
ranks of the regiments.
instructions Given Men.
Where the red tape comes in is in
the method of administering the law.
The quartermaster general of the
army has sent orders to department
commanders tpsaz instruct company
commanders to carr their commands
together and explain under what con.
ditions the law operates.
The company commanders also are
instructed to deliver to the men
printed application forms on which
they must, if they seek aid for their
families bare their financial cOnGi'
ton. The applicant must state his
employment when called out, his sal
airy, whether he or his family have
any other income and what sum he is
contributing out of his federal pay.
If the employer Is contributing to
his family's support he must say so.
Presumablyif there is such contribu-
ton the government will not aid. He
| is asked what sum he considers abso-
| lutely necessary for the government
to contribute to the support of his
family.
$50 Is Limit.
The law empowers Secretary Baker
to pay $50 a month to the support of
families of defendant guardsmen, "or
such part of it as he may deem neces-
sary." All the guardsmens families
will not receive the maximum sum.
The war department announced to-
day that it intended to send the mil
tia remaining in state mobilization
camps to the order and to return for
muster out part of the guard on the
border. If orders are sent soon re-
turning additional units they mas
reach home and be mustered out be
fore the red tape enshrouding the re
lief payments in unraveled. 1t is
thought highly improbable that the
fourteen regiments from nine states
ordered to be mustered out Thursday
will participate in the relief fund al
they will be back at work before ever
the preliminary steps are taken Il
make any part of the 100000 relic
, fund available.
, After application is made by thu
:. guardsmen his request for relief Ii
| to be sent by mail to the depot quart
!. ermaster at Washington, who is au
4 thorized to make payment by check
I If any payments are made durinI
= September it will occasion surpris
! as few officials feel it will be possibly
: to reach the check sending stage TO
e at least month. .--p,r.ral =
=