The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-08-10
CHANGES MADE IN ALLOWANCES
TO FAMILIES Of SOLDIERS

Some changes have been made in the
allowances granted to families of SOL
diers serving with the American army
and the newspapers are asked to give
publicity to this in order that confusion,
worry and needless writing to the war
department may be avoided. The fol-
lowing circular letter sent out to the
Red Cross gives the information which
the war department wishes to reach the
relatives of soldiers now in the army:
"It is highly essential that every SOL
dier's and sailors family should clearly
understand the changes in the law and
in the government procedure which will
affect the amount of the checks which
they will receive from the government
after August 1st
misunderstanding as to these changes
and as to the reasons which impelled
them would result in worry and dis
satisfaction on the part of relatives of
enlisted men which would react un-
favorably upon the spirit of these men,
here and abroad
Home service sections of the Red
Cross, because of their intimate contact
with soldiers and sailors families in
every quarter of this country can render
valuable service by explaining that there
should be no acuse for alarm, if, in
August the government check is tenn
porarily delayed or is for reduced
amount, and by counseling these re1a-
tives to be patient while these changes,
instituted for their ultimate benefit, are
being effected. If. the family of every
man in the service whose case is affect
ed by these changes should write to
Washington for an explation, the flood
of correspondence would cripple the
government machinery, thereby unneces-
sarily delaying the issuance of the
checks.
No Change to Class A Dependents Of
Men Getting $50 and Alloting SIS
If an enlisted man whose pay is $50
month was alloting to his wife and
children only the amount required by
law, there will be no change whatever
in the checks which they have been re-
ceiving from the government. The man
must continue to allot SIS from his pay
and the government will continue to
allow SIS additional to the wife and the
same amount as previously for each
child ~l~(
Reduction in Compulsory Allotment
for Men Getting Over $50
The amount which every enlisted man
is now required to allot to his wife and
chanldren, irrespective of the amount of
pay which he is receiving, is SIS. For
each man getting over $50 this will be
a reduction. If he wishes to continue
to contribute to his wife and children
the same amount as before, he may
make new allotment for the difference
through the war department or navy de-
partment Thus for example, if he had
formerly allotted $18 to his wife and
children and wishes to continue to do
so, he must make a new allotment of
So through the war or navy departments,
as the bureau of war risk insurance will
in the future handle only the SIS COM
pu1sory allotment. Prompt notice of
these facts has been sent to men III all
branches of the military and naval serv-
ice but it will, of course, require some
time for the new forms to be executed
and returned to Washington. Many
men may decide that they do not wish
to continue to a1lot as muc has ebfore.
In such cases the government cannot
compel them to keep up the former allot-
ments, and the family may receive only
the minimum compulsory allotment of :
SIS and the same government allowance
as before.
Reduction in Allotment Which Has
Been Necessary to Secure Allow
lowances to Class B Dependents
Hereafter a man who has no wife or
thildren need make an allotment OF only
SIS to obtain the government allowance
for his dependent parents, brothers, or
sisters.
If he has either a wife or child or
children, or both, to whom as the law
requires, he is allotting SIS, he need
allot only $5 additional in order to OBJ
tain the full allowance for his dependent
parents, brothers, or sisters.
Formerly in many cases he had to
allot more. In each of these cases his
parents, brothers, or sisters will now
receive smaller check from the bureau