The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-08-17
ASK YOUR SOLDIER
WHAT HE ALlOTS YOU
Changes in Administration Of Aifot~
meut~ May Cause Confusion II De-
pendents DO Not Know Amount.

Especial 10 The Richmond Virginian.)
Montpelier. Vt. Aug 1.-THE fol-
lowing statement has been issued by
Leighton r, slack, chairman. and
Joseph y grown. secretary of the Yer
mont committee Of public safety:
Recent changes In the law and ad-
miHistrstiou of allotments and allow
auceg are certain to cause public mis-
apprehension and anxiety People will
he wondering next month why their
allotment and allowance checks from
the bureau ~ war risk insurance are
reduced IN amount. In spite Of what
ever publicity The treasury depa rtment
has been issuing, II ia hardly possible
that the situation is understood by the
public as yet. and l am quite confident
that it Is not vet familiar to every
body.
Every enlisted man in the active
military ar naval service is under a
duty 70 allot SIS a month from hts pay
to his wife and children To these
compulsory ailotments the govern
ment adds family allowances. ranging
from s. month for A motherIess
ichild 8nd SIS for a wife without chill
dren, up to A maximum of $50. The
com pulsory alotments are the same
for all enlisted men. regardless Of rank
or pay
In addition 10 the compulsory al
iotynents. the enlisted man may also
make voluntary allotments TO his
parents. grandparents. brothers. sis-
ters or grandchildren. and. If they are
d pendent upon him for support. the
government may add certain monthly
family allowances.
II the enlisted man is already max
ling n compulsory allotment to his wife
and children, he need allot only s. ad-
dltlonaI TO his brothers, sisters.
ma rants sv~4p5Oa~apfa and Sraudrl7ti-
dren. If ne claims a family allowance
fer them. But If he is not making Il
compulsory allotment, he must allct
SIS 20 such other relatives 10 obtain
a government allowance for them.
The bureau Of war risk insurance
will pay allotments only when thev
carry with them government family al
lowances, and then only in the amounts
required to support such allowances.
All other allotments will be paid ny
the branch of the military or naval ser
vice in which the man is enlisted
THE essence Of the whole change in
dollars and cents is simply this; Here
tofore when an enlisted man allotted
more than the required amount the
| bureau Of war risk insurance included
this excess in the check which it sent
10 the relative. Now this Is changed.
All excess allotments will be paid biz
the army. the navy, the marine corps
/ ana tNH coast Buaf0 dlFeCAlS.
Another element which will tend 10
reduce the bureau Of war risk insur-
ance checks is this, In tho past a
compulsory allotment made by an en-
listed man to his wife and children
varied according to his rank and pa.
| The amount was not fixed The only
limits were "a minimum OF SIS a month
and "A maximum OF half the mans pay.
| Between these two poles, the allotment
depended on the mans pay. the law
| specifying that he had to equal If
/ possible, the government allowance.
| This sliding scale arran cement was
changed by an amendment to the war
| risk Insurance act effective July !.
Isis Hereafter. alIotments as stated
previously, are the same for ali enlisted
| men regardless Of rank or pay.
! In other words, a sergeant making
f$48 month who under the old system
would have been compelled to allot SCI
to his wife and children will now he
/ required to allot only SIS, thus looping
50 off the check which the bureau OF
war risk Insurance will send to the
Isergeant's family, II the sergeant
| wants TO continue to allot S24 the hu-
reau of war risk insurance will pay
the SIS, and the excess Of SO VIII be
paid by tho war department through
the quartermaster general
The result of this new system win
Ito dependent relatives, because il will
reduce the amount Of mathematics re-
Iquired to make awards
'"The important thing Is mat al
/ though Some cases the first check may
he smaller than usual, there will prob
ably be another check coming from Il
! different department to make up the
balance. The relatives should be
urged to write to the enlisted man to
find out how much he is alloting, and
how much Of this is paid through the
bureau of war risk insurance, and how
much by his own service department
we must also emphasize the fact
that the bureau Of war risk insurance
is overloaded with correspondence, re-
ceIving UPWARDS Of 20 600 letters day
and that complaints and inquiries about
specific cases always delay action be-
|cause they result in the papers being
taken out OF the files and losing their
regular position. We should tell peo-
pie to wait until the end of the month
before writing to anybody. II they
have Inquiries regarding excess al
lotments, they should consult the home
service sections of the American Red
Gross These sections. because OF their
intimate contact with the soldiers and
sailors families. have already been re-
iceiying from their Washington head
Iuuarters complete and detailed tnstruc-
tons as to these changes in law an I
i governn mental procedure. with explicit
suggestions as to the manner Of eE-
planning them to the relatives of the
enlisted men. II any individual cases
need attention at Washington they Will
he referred by the Red Cross to the
uuarterYna ster-generat OF the army, the
navy allotment officer, the paymaster
| of marine corps. or the captain COM
. niaudant of the coast guard tas the
case may bel all in Washington, d g