Daily Kennebec journal., 1917-09-01
651. Congressional Legislation
Relative to Dependent Fami-
lies.

lies.
August %, 1917.
1t is matter Of importance to the
Red Cross that. at the instance OF
Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo, a
comprehensive measure providing Tor
the fnancial assistance Of the families
of American soldiers and sailors mas
been introduced in Congress.
Henry p. Dawson, Chairman, on be-
half of the Red Cross War Council, re-
Gently authorized the following:
"Obviously the task of providing for
the financial assistance of the families
of our soldiers and sailors is so large
that the Government alone can assume
il In no other way c2n~ the burden
be discharged fairly and as matter
of right rather than charity. NO vol
untary organization. or organizations,
could adequately cope with a duty OF
such magnitude"
The bill, which was introduced in
beth Houses Of Congress Spontaneous
~. represents a very careful study Of
the whole problem of possible depen-
dency as a result of the war and a
conscientious estimate of the Govern
ment's recognition of its responsibility.
AS drawn, the bin is an amendment
to the Act establishing the Bureau of
War Risk Insurance and adds to the
functions of this Bureau the admins
tration of family allowances and allot-
rrents to dependents. of compensation
for death or disability and of life in
s,rance for men in the military or
naval service.
In a memorandum. Secretary Nc
Adoo explains the operation of the pro-
posed legislation.
Il realize" says the Secretary Of the
Treasury. that the cost involved in
the PRONUNCIATION of such comprehen-
sivn plan is a most important factor
% he considered. Actuarial estimates
were submitted to me. These esti-
mates arc necessarily of "A tentative
character. owing to the fact that it is
Impossible to secure accurate data upon
which 20 base calculations. After care
full consideration of these estimates
and after consultation with Captain s.
II. Wolfe, of the War Department, one
OF the leading actuaries Of the coun-
try, | have reached the conclusion that
If the bill is promptly enacted into
law the total expenditure for the first
and second years will be as follows:
First year Second year
Family allowances, Sill 900 Goa $4,000, COZ
Death indemnities. 3,WUe 2ZtW,D9
Compensation for
total disability, 5.25OSoo 3o.WV,ol
Compensation for
partial disability 3.gOo0 N,UT,UJ
Insurance against
death and dsa-
bility, 3,Wooo9 1l2SN""
Total, s176 $50, 900 $3.50, 500 coo
THE bill is intended to meet those
essential and fundamental principles
of Justice which you have so much at
heart Its main purpose is to grant
reasonable government indemnity
against the losses and risks incurred in
the discharge of a patriotic duty and in
the performance of an extraordinarily
hazardous service to which the Gov
ernment has called and forced the
citizen 1t provides not only for the
man but for his family.
1T aims to accomplish these ends by
granting reasonable measure of in
demnity against risk of loss CD of
support of the bread winner; CD of
life and limb. 90 of present insur-
ability at ordinary rates.
The risk of dependency, in the case
of an enlisted mans family, is indemni
fed against by allotment of part of
the pay of the enlisted man. supple
mented by a family allowance granted
and paid by the Government"
This system. as explained, means
that the enlisted man shares with the
Government in providing for the finan-
cial needs Of his family. The compul
sorry allotments from the enlisted mans
pay must equal the family allowance
from the Government. with a mini
mum. however. Of SIS, monthly, and
maximum of one half pay. There is
scale Of allowances determined by the
size of the dependent family, so that
the monthly family allowance ranges
from IS to $50. according to the number
of dependents.
Secretary McAdoo illustrates the
working of the system in the following
example: "A private gets s33 a month
for services abroad. If he has a wife
and two children he must allot to them
at least SIS out Of his pay. The Gov
ernment supplements this by giving
the family an allowance of $3.50 This
family's minimum monthly income,
therefore. would be s47.50. The father
can alIot as much more as he pleases.
If there is another child, the Govern
ment will allow S. additional. If that
man should have a father or mother
actually dependent upon him. he can
secure an allotment of $40 a month
from the Government for the parent by
alloting IS more of his pay. Thus,
the private with a wife. three children.
and mother actually dependent upon
him, by giving $40 out of his $33
month, would get from the Government
s47.50 a month-giving the family an
income of $3.50. and still leaving the
man sl3 per month for spending
money. If there are more children. or
If there is also a dependent father. the
Government would give up to $50 in
all. over and above the mans own al
lotment"
To instill thrift. to enable a man to
build up fund out of which he can
pay the insurance premiums. and,
above all, better to preserve equality
and democracy among the members Of
our own forces and between them and