Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-12-26
PAY OF UNCLE
SANS SOLDIERS

Uncle Sam has system of paying
his soldiers and Of looking after their
wives and children in a very gener-
Gus way.
The whole pay system of the Unit
ed States army has been revolution
lied since the war started.
A private in Uncle Sans armies,
regular, National guard or National
army, receives in cash, as long as he
is in the United States, $33 month,
in addition to food, clothing, and
medical attendance.
When he is sent to Europe he gets
20 per cent extra, whether in train
ing or in the trenches, which brings
the minimum cash pay up to $1,000 a
month, or $1.30 day.
Under this new scheme if there's
wee wife waiting" she receives
each month direct from. Uncle Sam
SIS month, which is virtually an adj
dition to the fighting mans wage and
brings his total compensation up to
$4S a month, which is virtually an adj
States and $54.60 abroad.
If there is one child with the wife,
the allowance is $50 a month; two
children, $3.50; and so ION up to the
point where with wife and six chill
dren Uncle Sam pays $50 month in
cash to the family.
1t may not be enough to support
them, even with what the enlisted man
can send home out of his wages, but 1T
| is at least a recognition of Uncle
Sans responsibility and bulwark
against dependence on charity.
Allowances are also provided fol
dependent parents, $40 month for
each, and for brothers, sisters and
grandchildren, So a month for each,
with the proviso that in any case
the government will not pay to the
dependents of any man more than
$50 a month.
No mawkish prudery entered into
the drafting of these provisions: by
acknowledging his illegitimate child a
soldier may secure for it the full gov
crmental allowance, the only provi-
sion being that if it is born after
/ December 81, 1917, it must be born in
the United States. So in the case of
! wife, there need be no legal mar
riage if there is proof that they have
lived together as man and wife for
/ two years prior to enlistment.
Uncle Sam also sees to it that his
soldiers do not throw all the bur-
den of caring for dependents on his
shoulders, by making it compulsory
for each man who has left a wife or
child behind to pay over to them
/ through the treasury at least SID a
month and as much more as will equal
the allowances which Uncle Sam
makes up to half a mans pay. Thus
for the man in service abroad who has
left wife and child behind, the man
will have to assign to them at least
$3.50 a month to which the govern
ment will add S25, making total of
$44.S0 which they are sure to receive.
The old pension system is wiped
out by the new and far more equita-
BILE system of compensation for death
and disability.
This compensation differs from that
provided in any other law. 1t takes
the family as the unit that is serving
the nation, not the individual man. 1t
bases the compensation on the size
of the family from time to time.
While a totally disabled bachelor will
get only $50 a month, the man with a
wife and four children will get SIS.
Twenty dollars is added if a nurse -
required; SO more if there is de-
pendent widowed mother; but if he
loses both hands or both feet, be-
comes totally blind or helplessly bed
ridden he gets 500 month as long
as he may live whether he is married
or not.
If he dies from injuries or disease
received in line of duty, the widow,
children and widowed mother receive
sums ranging from $40 to $75 a
month, according to size of family.
No distinction is made between a
/ private and the highest officer.
In addition every man may take out
insurance up to $4,000 at the actual
cost Of furnishing such insurance in
peace times-the entire nation
through the treasury bears the war
risk. This insurance is wisely safe
guarded to protect it from creditors,
shyster lawyers and loan sharks.