The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-08-10

government making $3.50 for his
| dependents. -,
The bill provides that a man with
out dependents or who does not al
lot half of his pay, may be compelled
by the government to deposit up 70
half his pay with the government az
four per cent interest, compounded
semi-annually.
If total disability results from IN
jur: or disease, compensation runs
from a minimum of $40 to maximum
of SIS month for enlisted men, anu
I'D to 5000 month for higher OIL
ficers. An officer can't receive this
disability allowance if he receives
retirement pay. :,
If a man loses both legs and botn
arms in battle, he would receive S4o
a month; or if he needed nurse,
$40 more. If he had dependent
mother he would get $40 more. II
he later married, he would get $40
more and for each of the first two
children by the marriage, $40 more
or sos. He would be fitted Win
artificial arms and legs. If he want
ed to start a store, he could collect
a $1,000 advance on his compensa..
ton, to be paid back at the rate OF
$50 month.
If a man dies, his funeral expenses
not to exceed 500 will be paid. II
he leaves his wife, two children ana
his mother, they get $50 a month IN
addition to the $4,000 or $4,000 IN
surance he may carry at IS per $1,000.
Under the old pension system this
family would receive only SIG to S24
a month.
Of the $50 on the death Of his
mother, $40 a month would be cut,
off. If the wife remarked. she
would get the $50 month for two
years, when it would drop to SIS un-
til the first child was IS, and there
after to SIS, being stopped altogeth-
er when the second child was IS.
This holds good whether a man
died during the war or after he is
out of it, if the wounds were suf-
fered in Americas service.
After he leaves the service he can
retain his So per $1,000 insurance at
the rate and change it into policy.
All soldier insurance is non-as-
signable and free from the claim OF
creditors of the insured or the
beneficiary.
The object of this insurance clause
is to forestall any future attempts at
pension legislation.
The bill provides for reorganization
of the war risk insurance bureau OF
the treasury department to handle
this phase of the law 1t divides the
bureau into two sections, one ma.
rine and seamen's insurance, and the
other on military and naval insuT-
ance Each division will be under
commissioner controlled by the
bureau. rs,T..
The bill was introduced IN the SEN
ate by Senator Simmons and in the,
house by Representative Alexander.
1t will be pressed to passage this
session.
Because we are drafting and COM
pelling men to make II necessary,
the supreme sacrifice a higher obli-
CATION rests on the government to
mitigate the horrors of war for the
fighting man and his dependents,
Secretary McAdoo declared in let
ter to President Wilson, explaining
the measure.
"The compensation should not be
offered as a gratuity, nor deferred
until the end of the war. The wives,
children and other dependents should
not be left as in other wars, to I'M
certain charity. The men should
know in advance that If they come
back armless, legless and sightless,
they are not going to be left to I'M
certainties of future legislation or to
scandals Of the old pension system.
'It may be suggested that the cost
Of this system is too great. I have
no patience with such suggestion;
only compassion. If the annual cost
Of doing justice to our fighting men
and their families should be five,
six or seven hundred million dollars
per annum, it is insignificant COM
pared with what those. men do for
| their country.
I'VE are contemplating expendi
lures during 1918 exceeding ten bill
lion dollars, for the war, for the
creation of armies and death dealing
instruments to be used in destroying
enough life to restore peace and
Justice to the world.
Should we hesitate to spend an
amount equal to only about six per
cent Of that for the protection of the
widows and orphans the dependent
and the injured who, after all, make
the greatest sacrifices?"