The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-28
DEPENDENTS OF M|L|TIAMEN TO
 BE GIVEN HELP Ten families : of Bridgeport Soldiers Will Get Aid
 Next Week. FUNDS OF STATE TO
 MEET ALL EXPENSE Disbursement Not Charity in Any: Sense, Says>Lo-
 cal Officials.

Tn Any Sense, SayS>Lo- cal Officials. Twenty eight members of the Fourth company, Connecticut Coast Artillery now in federal service, have depend! ents' at home who will receive aid un. der the recent act of the General As sembly, which provides state aid for such dependents.
 The applications have been forward ed to the assistant state comptroller and Angus G. Thorn. superintendent of the poor, said today that he expected to have money Monday for 10 families. The others will receive their money later in the week. The state comp tro11er has arranged that this state aid to the families of National Guardsmen in state or national service, shall be distributed by the selectmen in the small towns and the charities depart ments in the cities.
 Supt. Thorn said today that the dis a charity and was not to be classed as such- It is paid to make up in part the difference between the earning ca pacity of the soldier while pursuing his regular business and his compensation which he receives as an enlisted sol- dier.
 No applications have been made as yet from. the members of the Second company, Connecticut Coast Artillery. this city, who are doing duty out of town. It is estimated that at least score of the members of this command also have dependents who will be en- titled to this state aid as long as the bread winner remains in the army. Members of the National Guard and Naval Militia oh active duty within or without the state either for. the fed eral or state government are entitled to draw separation allowances. under the terms of Chapter ? of the Public Acts of 1917.
 Such aid starts from the day the soldier enters active service
 Tho procedure fnr a dependant en- titled to separation dl1owance1is to make application at the municipal charity department in a city or the selectmen in 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 mu- soldiers who have dependent and the names of the dependents.
 When the applicant for Q separation allowance files an application this wfu be compared with the list sent out by the state board of control If tho comparison. proves the correctness of the application the name will go to the state board which will deter mine the amount to be paid. The board will return the blank to the local authority. The town or city will then make weekly payments to the dependents so long as the soldiers remain in active service and will make report quarterly to the stAte board of control The portion of the act that states who are dependents, reads:
 "A dependent within the meaning of this act means a blood relative of a Connecticut soldier or the wife of 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 follows:
 Separation allowances shall be paid on a basis of not more than $20 per month to the wife of such soldier, and not more than $6 per month for each minor child under 16 years of age of such soldier; provided if such soldier shall have neither wife nor child, but shall have actually and sole ly dependent upon him a father or brother x or mother. or sister, so solely dependent, or if such sol dier shall have such father or brother or mother or sister dependent on him in addition to wife or child or chil- dren. or both, it shall be within the discretion of the board to pay to such dependent or dependents, XIX allow ance or allowances on the same basis that it would pay allowances to wife or children x provided no allowances pad to all the dependents of one soldier x x shall amount in the aggregate to more than~$5O 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 departments of charity mere ly as a matter of convenience and ex- petition.
 Some confusion with reference to the act has been caused by the atti- tude of the war department. The Connecticut act is imperative when ever the federal government pays al- lowances equal in amount [ to those provided under the state act. At first 1t was not known whether federal allowances were to be paid. Then doubt arose as to the status of sol- diers with dependents. At one time it was expected that such soldiers would be discharged. Now 1t ap- pears 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
 TAFT VISITS WILSON.