Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-08-08
TO SPEED UP ALL
MEMS ALLOTMENTS.
Rules For The Payment To
Dependents Of Soldiers
Changed
COMPULSORY END

of the State Council of Defense, on
Monday gave out a summary OF the
methods and regulations under which
the government will pay allotments
made by soldiers and sailors TO mem
bers of their families and allowances
by the government. in addition TO the
allotments, in those cases in which
the members of the families are de-
pendent.
The government recently made a
number of changes in the methods,
with some confusion resulting. The
summary issued by General Waters
was prepared by one of the experts at
Washington, in order 10 remove this
confusion as far as possible. 1t
should be read by all persons receiv-
ing allotments or allowances. 1t
follows:
Every enlisted man in the active
military or naval service is under a
duty to allot SIS a month from his
pay to his wife and children. To
these compulsory allotments the gov
eminent adds family allowances,
ranging from IS a month for
motherless child. and SIS for a wife
without children, up to a maximum of
$50. The compulsory allotments are
the same for all enlisted men. regard
less of rank or pay.
"In addition to the compulsory al
lotments, the enlisted man may also
make voluntary allotments to his
parents. grandparents, brothers, sis
tiers, or grandchildren, and, If they
are dependent upon him for support,
the government may add certain
monthly family allowances.
"If the enlisted man is already max
ing a compulsory allotment TO his wife
and children, he need allot only So
additional to his brothers, sisters.
parents, grandparents and grand
children, if he claims family allow
ance for them. But if he is not MAX
ing a compulsory allotment, he must
allot SIS to such other relatives to
obtain a government allowance for
them.
THE Bureau of War Risk Insur-
ance will pay allotments only when
they carry with them government
family allowances, and then only in
the amounts required to support such
allowances. All other allotments will
be paid by the branch of the military
enlisted
The essence of the whole change
in dollars and cents is simply this:
Heretofore when an enlisted man
allotted more than the required
amount, the Bureau of War Risk In
surance included this excess in the
check which is sent to the relative.
Now this is changed. All excess al
lotmnts will be paid by the Army, the
Navy, the Marine Corps and the
Coast Guard directly.
Another element which will tend
to reduce the Bureau Of War Risk
Insurance checks is this:
I'm the past compulsory allot-
ment made by an enlisted man to his
wife and children varied according to
his rank and pay. The amount was
not fixed. The only limits were
minimum of SIS month and a maxi
mum of half the mans pay. Between
these two poles, the allotment de-
pended on the mans pay, the law
specifying that he had to equal, if
possible, the government allowance.
This sliding scale arrangement was
changed by an amendment to the War
Risk Insurance Act effective July j,
1918. Hereafter, allotments, as stat
ed previously, are the same for all en-
listed men, regardless of rank or pay
I'm other words, sergeant making
$4S a month, who, under the old sys-
tenn, would have been compelled to al
lot S24 to his wife and children, will
now be required to allot only SIS,
thus looping SO off the check which
the Bureau of War Risk Insurance will
send to the Sergeant's family. If the
sergeant wants to continue to allot
S24, the Bureau of War Risk Insur-
ance will pay the SIS and the ex-
cess of 50 will be paid by the War
Department through the Quarter
master General.
THE result of this new system will
be to speed up the delivery of checks
to dependent relatives, because it will
reduce the amount of mathematics
required to make awards.
THE important thing to tell the pub
lie is that although in some cases the
first check may be smaller than usual,
there will probably be another check
coming from different department to
make up the balance. The relatives
should be urged to write to the en-
listed man to find out how much he
is allotting, and how much of this is
paid through the Bureau of War Risk
Insurance, and how much by his OWL
service department.
I'VE must also emphasize the fact
that the Bureau of War Risk Insur-
ance is overloaded with correspond
ence, receiving upward of 10000 let
/ tiers a day. and that complaints and
/ inquiries about specific cases always
delay action because they result in the
papers being taken out of the files
and losing their regular position. We
should tell people to wait until tbs
end of the month before writing tC
anybody If they have inquiries re
garding excess allotments. they should
/ consult the Home Service Sections OF
4 the American Red Cross.
3 9TH, - Sl,s,