Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-14
VOTE UNANIMOUS
ON INSURANCE BILL
Privates and Officers and Their
Dependents Stand on Ex-
actly Same Basis.
SUBSTITUTE FOR PENSIONS
Believed Fight Will Be Waged
in Senate on Optional In
surance Section.
SUBSTITUTE FOR PENSIONS
TBy Associated Press.1

insurance bill. amended so as to equal
lie the allowances of the dependents
of enlisted men and officers, passed the
House tonight.
The vote was 3lo to 0. Representative
Platt. OF New York. and Hersey. Of
Maine. changing negative votes to aye
before the result was announced. amid
thundcrous applause.
AS the bill went to the Senate to-
night. privates and officers and their
dependents stand On exactly the same
basis. Benefits and allowances now
provided for are slightly higher than
those originally proposed as the mini
mum for privates by the committees.
and considerably lower than the maxi
mum amounts which officers and their
dependents would have received
President Wilson scored a personal
victory in the adoption, l4I TO II. of
an amendment raising from $4,000 to
$4,000 the maximum amount of op-
tional insurance policies that the gov
ernment would issue to all men in the
service. Th. original draft of the bill
carried $4,000. but it was stricken
out in committee.
MILDNESS OF ATTACK
CAUSES SURPRISE
The miidness . the attack OF op-
ponents of the mcas:re on the optional
insurance section caused surprise II
was passed over In comparatively
short time. after formal motion to
strike II out had been overwhelmingly
defeated. This fight. however. will be
carried TO the Senate by the insurance
companies, it is understood.
The main purposes of the bill are to
provide substitute for the present
pension law. as it " o, Id apply TO men
engaged in this war new system OF
allotments and compensations which
will provide for dependents of the SOL
dier and rehabilitation upon their re-
turn from war.
Upon enlistment. under the provisions
OF the bill. soldier or sailor would
be entitled to take out from 81 900 to
$4,000 worth of optional insurance at
approximately IS per $1,000. His de-
pendents will be entitled to allotments
from the government OF from IS to
$50 per month. and an equal amount.
UP TO SIS per month from his pay.
\.
the dependents of any person in the
military or naval service. including
women members of the nurse corps.
ing from so TO $40 pc. month and the
insurance.
In case of total disability. the in
jured persons would be paid from $40
to 500 per month.
COMPENSATION PROVISIONS
UNEXPECTEDLY ELIMINATED
Elimination of the committees com
pensation provisions came unexpect-
edly. No serious opposition to them
was promised until Representative
Black. of Texas. suddenly began as
sailing the salary basis proposal as
most undemocratic thing to impose
upon any army lighting for democracy.
lie quickly won supporters. and his
proposal 10 equaliZe the beI.efts of all
classes was adopted .lmost unani-
mously Representative Alexander, of
Missouri. opposed tn Black amend
ment on the ground that a family
should benefit from the death or dis
aoliity OF their support in accordance
with his earning capacity.
The new rates per month adopted
were:
Widow. S35: one child. $40: two chill
dfen. So2.oO. and an additional 50 for
each child up TO four
one motherless child. $50; two. S35:
three, Si5. and $40 additional for each
child up to five.
"A widowed mother ould receive $50
month, and no family allowance
would exceed SIS "A month. Under the
of Is maj dratt Of tho bill. the COM
Pehsatloh Tor oftccrs dependents
hiis"l nave gone as high as $500 q
month.
'"o" compensate II would cease
upon her rcnarriage. and a depen Il
'.'iu "ouid cease at eighteen years
OF age.
MONTHLY BENEFITS
FOR TOTAL DISABILITY
N'ohthiy benefits to a soldier or sailor
IN case of total disability would b, as
follows.
II he has neither wife nor child ,iv.
ing' $40; wife. S55: wife and one child.
soo' Two or more children. SIS; no wife
but one child. $50. and $40 additional
Tor each child UP to Two. dependent
widowed mother, $40 additional
would receive an additional $50 month.
ly.
man losing both feet, hands or
eyes would be entitled automatically
TO 500 per month.
Amendments adopted would give the
ella imants ten years instead of one in
which to file their claims for compen-
sation. prevent divorced wives who
nave remarried from sharing in de-
pendcnt's allowance. and eliminate the
proposed salary increases for present
employees OF the government who are
to administer certain provisions Of the
measure.
Opinions differ as 10 the cost or ap-
plying the measure. The first year
appropriation is $l7s.ooo. 900. but it is
declared by some that this will not be
J nearly enough.