New Britain herald., 1917-04-28
SOLDIERS FAMILIES
 TO GET STATE AID

ALLOWANCES NOW PayaDle, Deputy
 Comptroller Announces TOWNS TO HANDLE BUSINESS Wives to Receive sao Per Month With
 So Extra For Each Child Under
 Sixteen Years of Age-Bood Rela-
 tives Eligible Under Law.
 Hartford, April 2S.-Members of the Connecticut National Guard and Naval Militia on active duty within or with- out the state, either for the federal or state governments, are entitled to draw separation allowances for families, if they have dependents, under the terms of chapter two of the public acts of 191E
 In the act providing separation al- lowances such aid starts from the day the soldier enters active service. Az the system is new and not generally understood no payments have as yet been made.
 Deputy Comptroller F. Clarence Bissell has authorized a statement to the effect that allowances are now payable and those entitled may draw their money by making proper appli- cation. Under an amendment to the original act, actual payments are to be made by town or city officials and town selectmen and city departments of charity. All the necessary machin- cry for making payments has now been set up.
 How to Make Application.
 The procedure for . dependent en. titled to 8 separate allowance is to make application at the municipal charity department in . city or the se- lectmen in a town. The state board of control has provided municipal and town officials with application blanks to be filled out by dependents. The state board also has sent to the muni- cipal and town authorities lists of sol diers who have dependents and the names of the dependents. When the application for a separation allowance files an application this will be com- pared with the list sent out by the state board of control. If tho compar- ison proves the correctness of the ap- p1ication the name will go to the state board, which will determine the amount to be paid and return tho blank to the local authority. Towns or cities will then make weekly pay- <<> <ro HopnrAmvk<n 1ana Qe f10a soldiers remain in active service and will make reports quarterly to the state board of control.
 Who Dependents Are.
 The portion of the act which states who are dependents reads as follows:
 "A dependent within the meaning of this act means a blood relative of a Connecticut soldier or the wife of a Connecticut soldier, who, at the time of the calling of such soldier into ac- tive military service. Is actually and solely dependent on such soldier for support and maintenance"
 The provision as to allowances reads as follows:
 ..separation allowances shall be paid on a basis of not more than $2O per month to the wife of such soldier. and not more than SC per month for each minor child under sixteen years Of age of such soldier; provided if such sol dier shall have neither wife nor child. but shall have actually and solely de- pendent upon him, Q father or broth CT or mother or sister, so solely de- pendent, or if such soldier shall nave such father or brother or mother or sister dependent on him in addition to a wife or child or children or both, 1t
 
 board to pay to such dependent or de- pendents,- or allowances on the same basis that it would pay al- lowances to wife or children, provided no allowances paid to all the depend- ents of one soldier shall amount in the aeeregate to more than $50 per month; and provided no person shall receive a separation allowance as the dependent of more than one soldier. Allowances are to be distributed through departn ents of charity mere lv as a matter of convenience and ex- l petition.
 Some confusion with the reference to the act has been caused by the war department. The Connecticut act is imperative whenever the federal gov ernment pays allowances equal in amount to those provided under the state act. At first it was not known whether federal allowances were to be l paid or not. Then doubt arose as to i the status of soldiers with dependents. l At one time it was expected that such | soldiers would be discharged. Now it i appears that men with dependents are not to be discharged wholesale, but will remain in the service except in unusual cases and the federal govern ment is not to pay allowances. FORTY MEN AND w