The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-09-22
TAKING CARE Of
SOLDIERS PEOPLE
Bill Pending in Congress Provides
For Money for Families of
Fighting Men in
France.
MONTHLY ALLOWANCES
Law Operates In This Fashion and
|. Removes Any Idea of Pauperism
on Part Of Those Be-
ing Helped.
HIM MONTHLY

Keokuk families Of men called 70
the colors are to be provided for ana
comfortably too. if the Alexander
Simmons bill now before congress pc
comes a law 1t is possible that the
| bill will be passed this week. Local
social service workers are OF the
opinion that this government could
| do no better than to enact the pro-
visions contained in this measure.
| NThe pay of private in the United
States army is thirty-three dollars a
month, sum not sufficient to support
even family of two living together,
much less family one OF whom is
| at home and the other in france. 10
supplement this inadequate income
various plans have been proposed. IL
might be done through existing re-
lief organizations, through national
fund raised for the purpose and ad"
ministered by a nationwide organ
| ization such as the Red cross OF
| through system of allowances from
the government. The essential fea-
lures of the adopted plan should be
stability in administration, adequacy
in its provisions, and consideration
for the status of those who receive
the money.
Do Not Want Pauperlsm.
Soldiers families do not wish to be
pauperized The task is clearly not
one for existing relief agencies. 1t
would impose an impossible burden
upon them which would demoralize
their natural work. Even more I'M
portant, it would give to the families
Of our fighting men status which
they should not be forced into. A ma
tional fund for the purpose might De.
difficult to raise, and If SO the stabil.
ity and adequacy of our provision for
the families would be threatened The
system of governmental allowances
is the only one of the three possible
plans which combine these essential
features 1t is stable, it can be made
adequate and it is essentially just
Here's Operation Of Law.
To illustrate the operation of the
law being enacted an example is
given. A private gets $33 month
for service abroad. If he has wife
and two children, hef must allot to
them at least SIS of his pay. The
government supplements this by CIV
ing the family an allowance Of $3.50.
The family's minimum income, there
lore, WOulQ De 9f Low. L he ldluSl
can allot as.much more as he pleases.
If there is another child, the gov
eminent will allow SIS additional.
If that man should have mother or
father actually dependent upon him,
and to whom he has been accustom
ed to contribute, say SIS a month,
he can obtain an allotment for the
parent by allotting IS more of his
pay. Thus, the private with wife,
three children and mother actually
dependent upon him, by giving 500
out of his $33 month, would get
from the government for his family
$3.50 month, giving his family
$3.50, and still leave the man $13 a
month for spending money. If there
are more children, or IL there Is also
dependent father, the government.
would give up to $50 in all, over and
above the mans own allotment. Gen.
era1 Pershing says that ten dollars a
month is ample spending money for
our troops.