Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-09-20
INSURANCE BILL
PASSES THE HOUSE
Amended to Equalize Allowances
of Dependents Of Enlisted
Men and Officers.
VOTE IS $40 TO 0.
Measure Provides $4,000. Maximum
Amount Of Optional Policies That
u. o. Will Issue to Soldiers.

washington, Sept. 1S.-The adminis-
tration's soldiers and sailors insur-
ance bill amended 30 as to eQualize the
allowances of the dependents Of en-
listed men and officers. passed the
tonight.
The vote was 319 to o. Representative
Plat, of New York, and Hersey Of
Maine changing negative votes to aye
before the result was announced amid
t%hunderous applause.
AS the bill went to the Senate to-.
night, ~privates inc 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 committed and
considerably lower than the maximum
amounts which officers and their de-
pendents would have received.
VICTORY FOR PRESIDENT.
President Wilson scored a personal
victory in the adoption Of 141 to II Of
an amendment raising from $4,000 to
$40, 900 the maximum amount OF option
al insurance policies that the govern
ment would issue to all h men in the
service. The original draft Of the bill
carried $1o,0 900 but 1t was stricken out
in committee.
The mildness of the attack Of oppon-
ents Of the measure on h option In
rance section caused surprise. II
was passed over in a comparatively
short time after a formal motion to
strike 1t out had been overwhelming
ly defeated. This fight, however. will
be carried to the Senate by the insur-
surance companies. 1t Is understood.
SUBSTITUTE FOR PENSION LAW.
hi main purposes of the bill are
to provide a substitute for the pres
ent pension law as 1t would apply ia
men engaged in this war a new sys-
tenn of allotments and c~ompensations
which will provide for dependents OF
the soldier and rehabilitate men on
their return from the war.
Upon enlistment under the provisions
Of the bill, a soldier or sailor would
be entitled to take out from $1,000 to
$1,000 worth Of optional insurance at
approximately 50 per $1,000. His de-
%pendents would be entitled to allot-
ments from the government OF from
IS to $50 per month and an equal
amount up to SIS per month from his
pay.
Death or total disability. the depend
ents Of any person in the military or
naval service. including women members
of the nurse corps. would be entitled to
compensation ranging from $O to $O
per month. and the insurance.
In case of total disability the injured
persons would be paid from $40 to 500
per month.
Elimination Of the committee compen-
sation provisions came unexpectedly. No
serious opposition to them was promised
until Representative Black of Texas sud
denly assailed the salary basis proposal
as a most undemocratic thing to i'm
pose upon any army lighting for democ.
racy. He quickly won supporters and
his proposal to equalize the benefits OF
all classes was adopted almost unani-
mously. Representative Alexander OF
Missouri opposed the Black amendment
on the ground that a family should
benefit from the death or disability of
their support in accordance with his
earning capacity.
A widows compensation would cease
upon her re-marriage and a dependent
chi!d's would cease at IS years Of age.
TOTAL DISABILITY BENEFITS.
Monthly benefits to a soldier or sailor
in case of total disability would be al
follows:
II he has neither wife nor child living
$40; wife, SIS; wife n one child. $65
two or more children. SIS: no wife but
one child, $50 and SO additional for each
child up to two; dependent widowed
mother. SO additional.
Injured men requiring nurse care would
receive an additional so monthly.
A man losing both feet. hands or eyer
would be entitled automatically to $lot
per month.
OTHER PROVISIONS.
Amendments adopted would give claim
ants ten years instead Of n In which
to Ale their claims for compensation: pre-
vent divorced wives who have remarked
from sharing In a dependents allowance
and eliminate proposed salary increases
for present employees of the government
who are to administer certain provisions
Of the measure.
Opinions differ as to the cost of apply
ing the measure. The first e "a appro'
priation is SIG. 000. 900. but It Is declared
by some this will not be nearly enough
Representative Gillett Of Massachusetts,
acting republican leader declared to-da,
that the second cost Of administration
probably would be near $1,000. 0O0, 900.
The measure Is not complete in respect
to Its rehabilitation feature. Provision
merely is made for rehabilitation. and thu
details will be worked out later. Repre-
sentative Fess Of Ohio. particularly urged
the House to-day to be liberal In dealing
with this provision. Statistics showed, h
said. that IS per cent. Of the broken mer
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