South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-09-14
HOUSE PASSES
INSURANCE BILL
PriVateS and Officers Stand
on Same BaSiS-$10,000
Maximum Amount.

WASHINGTON. Sept. 1.-THE
/ administrations soldiers and sail
ors insurance bill. amended so as
+ 10 equalize the allowances Of the
/ dependents OF enlisted men and Of
/ hcers. passed the house Thursday
night
The vote was 319 10 g. Rep. Platt
/ Of New York and Rep. Henri OF
Maine. changing negative votes 70
| aye before the result was annOunc-
ed amid thunderous applause
As the bill went 70 the senate
Thursday night privates and Off
GERS and their dependents stand on
exactly the same basis Benefits and
allowances now provided for are
slightly higher than those original
~ proposed as the minimum for
privates by the committee and con
siderably lower than the maximum
amounts which officers and their
dependents would have received.
Wilson scores Victory.
Pres't Wilson scored a personal
victory in the adoption, 141 10 II.
y ?
I 600 to $4,000 the maximum
amount of optional insurance poll
cies that the government would is
sue TO all the men in the service.
The original draft or the bill car
ried $4,000 but il was stricken out
in committee
Upon enlistment under the pro-
visions of the bill a soldie' or sailor
would be entitled to take out from
81. 900 10 $4,000 worth Of option
al insurance at approximately IS
per $1,000 His dependents would
be entitled TO allotments from the
government OF from s. 10 $50 per
month and an equal amount up 70
SIS per month from his pay.
Death or total disability result
ing. the dependents Of any person
in the military or naval service, in
Guiding women members Of the
nurse corps. would be entitled 10
compensation ranging from $40 TO
$50 per month and the insurance.
Total Disability. $40 to 500.
In case Of total disability, the in
iured persons would be paid from
sac TO 500 per month. Elimination
Of the committee compensation pro
visions came Unexpectedly. No seri-
Gus opposition 70 them was promis-
cd 0ntil Rep. Black of Texas sud
denly began assailing the salary
basis proposal as most undemO-
cratic thing 10 impose upon an
army fighting for democracy He
quickly won supporters and his
proposal to eoualize the benefits Of
all classes was adopted almost
unanimously Rep. Alexander Of
Missouri. opposed the Black
amendment on the ground that a
family should benefit from the
death or disability of their support
in accordance with his earning
capacity.
A Widows compensation would
cease upon her remarriage and a
dependent child's would cease at
Is years old
Monthly Benefits.
Monthly benefits to a soldier or
sailor in case of total disability
would be as follows:
If he has neither wife nor child
living. $40; wife. S55; wife and one
child. SOS; two or more children,
SIS: no wife but one child, $50 and
$40 additional for each child up TO
two. dependent widowed mother,
$40 additional.
Injured men requiring nurse care
would receive an additional $50
monthly.
A man losing both feet, hands or
eyes would he entitled automatical-
Nv to 800 per month.
Amendments adopted would give
claimants 10 years instead Of one in
which TO file their claims for com
pensation: prevent divorced wives |
who have remarked from sharing |
i'm dependents allowance, and |
eliminate proposed salary increases !
for present employees Of the gov
eminent who are to administer |
certain provisions Of the measure.
Opinions differ as 10 the way OF /
applying the measure.
The measure is not complete III l
respect TO its rehabilitation feature. |
Provision merely is made for re-
balibitation and the details will be
worked out later Rep. Fess of Ohio I
particularly urged the house today
to lie liberal in dealing with this
measure. Statistics showed, he said
that s. percent Of the broken men
who return from the British front
can he rehabilitated.