The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1912-1984, 1918-02-15
WHAT ARE OUR SOLDIERS PAID?

Half of them have some hazy ide;
about a "dollar day." and you will
find lots Of people who think Uncl,
Sam still pays the old scale of 81;
month, but few outside the arm,
know the ms and outs of the wage
scale, even for private soldiers.
The whole pay system of the Unit
ed States army has been revolution.
lied since the war started.
A private in Uncle Sans armies
regular, national guard or national
army, receives in cash, as long as he
is in the United States, $33 month
in addition to food, clothing and
medical attendance.
When he is sent to Europe he gets
20 per cent. extra, whether in train
ing or in the trenches, which brings
the minimum cash pay up to $1,000
a month, or $1.30 a day.
The revolutionary part of the pay
system, however, about which most
people are ignorant, is the scale of
allowances made by the government
to the soldiers dependents. We are
thus breaking away from the old
theory of paying soldiers a fiat wage
for fighting to the new theory that
the nation is responsible for the well
fare not only of the man in service,
but for the dependents whom he left
behind him.
Under this new scheme if "there's
a wee wife waiting" she receives
each month direct from Uncle Sam
SIS month, which is virtually an
addition to the fighting mans wage
and brings his total compensation
up to $48 a month while he is in the
United States and to S54.60 abroad.
If there is one child with the wife,
the allowance is $25 a month; two
children, $780,, and so on up to the
point where with wife and six chill
dren Uncle Sam pays $50 month in
cash to the family.
1t may not be enough to support
them, even with what the enlisted
man can send home out of his wages.
but it is at least recognition Of
Uncle Sans responsibility and bull
wark against dependence on charity.
Allowances are also provided for
dependent parents, SO month for
each, and for brothers, sisters and
grandchildren, So month for each,
with the proviso that in any case the
government will not pay to TIE de-
pendents of any man more than $50.
No mawkish prudery entered into
the drafting of these provisions; by
acknowledging his illegitimate child
a soldier may secure for it the full
governmental allowance, the only
provision being that if it is born af-
ter December 81, 1917, it must be
born in the United States. So in the
case of a wife, there need to be no
egal marriage if there is proof that
hey have lived together as man and
wife for two years prior to enlist
nent.
Uncle Sam also sees 20 it that his |
soldiers do not throw all the burden
IF caring for dependents on his
broad shoulders, by making it com
oulsory for each who has left wife
,r child behind to pay over to them
through the treasury at least SIS a |
month and as much more as will |
equal the allowances which Uncle
Sam makes up to half mans pay |
Thus for the man in service abroad |
who Las left wife and child behind, |
he man will have to assign to them
It least $3.50 a month to which the
government will add $25, making
otal of $44.8O which they are sure
o receive.
The old pension system is wiped
,ut by the new and far more equit-
bile system of compensation for
leath and disability.
This compensation differs from
hat provided in any other law. 1t
axes the family as the unit that is
CRYING the nation, not the individ-
Ial man. 1t bases the compensation
m the size of the family from time
o time. While a totally disabled
get only $40 month, the
nan with a wife and four children
will get SIS. Twenty dollars is add
d if nurse is required; $40 more
there is dependent widowed mo-
her; but if he loses both hands or
10Th feet, becomes totally blind or
lelplessly bed-ridden he gets 500
Month as long as he may live wheth-
r he is married or not.
If he dies from injuries or disease
eceived in line of duty, the widow,
hildren and widowed mother re-
Give sums ranging from $50 to SIS
month, according to size of family.
10 distinction is made between a pri-
ate and the highest officer.
-- xol.n