Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-07-24
HE WAR. VI.-The Dependent Woman
By Frederic j. HaSkin

In addition to separation allowances the Brit
sh government also pays pensions. In the case of
a soldiers death: disability pensions when man
is hurt and certain special allowances for special
cases The government is not in favor of equal
pensions for everybody. It believes that the man
who was earning a th%"saS1 pounds a year before
he was conscripted should receive a greater al
Iowance than the man who was earning only
hundred pounds year His standard of living
would have been much higher, and it is the policy
of the government to maintain pre-war standards
of living as far possible So the wife of the
$4,000 is paid more than the $500 man by
special dispensatiOn of the government.
Then there is the case of the man who had
contracted financial obligations before he enlisted
The British government in such a would
keep up the interest the investment Also
where man is deprived of his former occupation
owing to physical disability incurred in the war,
the government pays for his training in new. pro-
fession; it also pays for the vocational training of
widows of soldiers.
Pensions in case of disability or DEATH" says
the childrens bureau, have been increased many
times since the beginning of the war. and the
kinds of disability have been more accurately de-
fined in the interests of greater justice to t'- ma"
and their dependents"
Disability pensions of course, are paid in pro-
portion the mans disability, including the Eek
tent to which that disability affects his pre-war
occupation. For example If man is totally. deaf,
if his leg is aplputated at the hip. or his arm at
the shoulder the British government considers
that he has been injured 40 per cent On the other
hand,
considered only 20 per cent injury.
In case of disability too, the mans children
are still kept on the allowance payroll The gov
eminent has been particularly concerned with the
children. At the beginning of the war the age
- ar seraration allowances and pensions was
IA i'll the of girls and in the case of boys.
Now this has been increased until sometimes the
government pays allowance up to the age of
twenty-one if the girl boy is learning a useful
trade, if he or she is in a school university
1t is also interesting to note that the British
government makes no exceptions with regard to
illegtimate children, If those children have been
supported by man before he entered the army.
Allowances also paid to unmarried wives If
they supported by men before enlistment and
the men acknowledge their responsibility on their
enlistment papers. r. a--> -. ..-..
These are only the provisions of Great Britain.
The children's bureau also has material on those
of all the belligerent countries some of which are
especially unique and interesting. France for In
stance insists the private employers shall continue
the salaries of their employees who at the front,
inasmuch as the government is already taxed TO
the utmost with the payment of pensions and al
lowances. Allowances paid only to needy fam
ilies If the members OF a family may support
themselves, if they have enough money to live
on, they do not receive any compensation wnat-
ever. The separation allowance amounts to ABOUT
twenty-five cents day for the wife of soldier,
and fifteen cents additional for each child under
sixteen who is dependent upon him, whether they
are his own or not
The allowances are paid to the heads of the
families-to the mother the grandparent the
aunt or even to a housekeeper If she happens to
be the temporary head. Only one allowance Is
paid to each family. woman may have had
seven SONS supporting her before the war, but she
receives an allowance only for one, and only one
pension The families of foreign soldiers, includ-
ing Serbians, Belgians and Russians also paid
the same separation allowances, even though the
men may have returned to their own armies This
courtesy is also extended to French families in
other countries. ,~ 5-f r.