Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-16
FAMILIES TO GET PART
OF SOLDIERS SALARIES
Compulsory Allotment Plan to BE
Put in Operation This
Month.
Sl5 MINIMUM NTHLY SUM
Government to Supplement Sums to
Dependents With Amount Equal
to .illotmcnts = Soldiers Pleased
With Plan and Relieved Of Worry.
$50 MINIMUM MONTHLY Sun
LEY a staff Correspondent ]

lEy a staff Correspondent
CAMP LEE. VA. November 1.-THE
governments provision TO assure the
being in want during the period OF
service of the soldiers. goes into effect
this month. and the men of the d.
vision were to-day notified through
their company commanders that COM
pulsory allotments for their people
would be deducted from the pay they
will receive at the end of the month.
Under the provisions OF the war risk
! Insurance law each man will be re-
uuired to allot IL specific amount month
ly. depending on the SIZE Of his family,
but in no case shall il he less than Sis.
This has been done TO make 1t i'm
possible that want and distress shall
come to the wives, children or widowed
mothers OF the troops Not only will
the relatives of the soldiers receive the
allotmentS made by them but fund
has been SCI aside by the government
from which il will pay to tho families
an amount equal TO that which is al
lottcd to them. This will bring them
a monthly amount OF not less than $50,
and ii can go as high as 200. and per-
bapS more.
Already the men have sigmiiicd their
intention Of making voluntary allot-
mcnts for their families. and when this
is done tho government adds dollar for
dollar. The comp ilsory allotmcnts ap-
ply to wives. children and widowed
mothers, and there is no question about
these being made by the men. For
sisters. brothers. fathers. or in the
cases of other relatives the aliotmcnts
I.oft .,,l,
many of them are pleased with the
opportunity offered by the Sovcrnmcn,
TO aid thair people IN some substantial
way while they arc ,crving in the
army that it is expected voluntary
allotmcnts here VII be made in large
i:hinbcrs in all the commands in the
division.
PLAN MAKES MEN
BETTER SATISFIED
This action OF the government in
providing allowances for ,h' families
Of the troops serving in the war is
making the men much .irre satisfied
than they would be otherwise, nnd 1t
also works for the contcntment OF the
people back home. Complete details
ci the allotment clause Of the law. us
ii applies to the men here will be made
known to them through their COM
manding officer. who will &C lress them
on the sub; set.
Answer to wondering expressions Of
the men regarding their chance for
Christmas leave was furnished to- day
when Vt was officially announced that
d considerable number of passes would
be granted for the big holiday season.
nv Jews that many of them will be
permitted to go home for Christmas
was received with JOY by the men. and
there viii be much hard work done by
them between now and the time for
the passes 10 be issued, as they well
understand that unless their record Is
clear. they will not be rewarded with
the slip of paper that means home and
all that goes with it,
bn account of the large number of
passes to be given at Christmas, II has
been announced also that no one viii
be allowed holiday Thanksgiving
longer than for the one day. This is
due to the fact that. with the two holi-
days coming so close together. 10 per-
init the men to leave the camp for
several days Or each occasion would
take them too long from their instruc-
ton. However, the men arc willing to
foreso a trip home Thanksgiving Day.
IL trip Christmas, and IA leave extending
perhaps over several days.
Health conditions at Camp Lee CON
tinue To be the best. Although there
has been in the neiGhborhood OF 10000
men received here since the canton
ment opened, but four cases of typhoid
fever have developed. and the number
OF other severe communicable diseases
have been at the minimum. I.icutcn-
ant-Colonei 4. l.. RhoaJcs. his assistant
Major Henry J. Carter. and the staff of
medical men maintain the strictest OBJ
servance OF the men. and also any
causes that might arise which would
contribute to the poor health OF the
men. and the officers have succeeded
in keeping the percentage of sickness
here far below that of other training
camps in tho country.