Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1918-01-04

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Uncle sam sim phys tho old Bcnle Of
Il3 month, but few outside the army
SnOw the ms and outs Of the wage
scale, even for private soldiers,
The whole pay system Of the United
States army has been revolutOn2ed
since the war started.
A private In Uncle Sans armies,
ngular, National Guard or National
pmy, receives In cash, MS long ms he
10 in the United States S33 Il month,
a addition to food, clothing and med
,n attendance
When he Is sent to Europe he gets
q per cent extra, whether in training
or in the trenches, which brings the
mi lImum cash pay up TO $500 n
mOllth, or S1.30 Il day
Hhe revolutionary part Of the pay
syst I'M, however, about which most
peOE le are ignorant, Is the scale Of al
lcwnccS made by the government TO
the folders dependents We are thus
biPlj ling away from the old theory Of
payil & soldiers II FIAT wage for fighting
- ~ new theory that the nation Is re-
,punSihc for the welfare not only of
the man In service hut for the depend
ants whom he left behind him.
Under this new scheme, If there's n
KttEn ,tnttinuN CHI. paEaitag npgh
month direct from Uncle sam SO a
month, which is virtually an addition
to the fighting mans wage, and brings
his total compensation up to S4S II
month while he is in the United States
and to S54.G0 abroad.
If there is one child with the wife,
the allowance is $50 a month"; two
children, $3.50, and so on up to the
point where with Il wife and six chill
dren Uncle Sam pays $50 month In
cash to the family
Allowance for Parents Made.
II may not be enough to support
them, even with what the enlisted man
can send home out Of his wages, but
II is at least n recognition Of Uncle
Sans responsibility and huwark
against dependence on charity.
Allowances are also provided for de-
pendent parents, $40 month for each,
and for brothers, sisters and grandChll-
dren, S. n month for each, with the
provso that in any case the govern
ment will not pay to the dependents
Of any man more than $50 month.
No mawkish prudery entered into
the drafting Of these provisions; by
acknowledging his Alegitimate child a
soldier may secure for IT the full gov
ernmental allowance, the only provl-
sion being that If 1t is born after De
Cember 81, 1917, It must be born In the
United States. So in the case Of a wife
there need be no legal marriage II
there is proof that they have lived to-
gether as man and wife for two years
prior to enlistment.
Uncle Sam also sees to II that his
soldiers do not throw all the burden
OF caring for dependents on his broad
shoulders by making it compulsory for
each man who has left wife or child
behind to pay over to them through
the treasury at least $l6 n month and
as much more as will equal the allow
ance which Uncle Sam makes up to
half a mans pay. Thus for the man
in service abroad who has left a
wife and child behind the man will
have to assign to them at least $3.50
a month, to which the government will
add $25, making total of S44.8O
which they are to receive.
The old pension system is wiped out
by the new and far more equitable sys-
TEN of compensation for death and
disability.
This compensation differs from that
provided in any other law. 1t takes
the family as the unit that Is serving
the nation, not the individual man.
Depends on Size Of Family.
1t bases the compensation on the
size Of the family from time to time.
While a totally disabled bachelor will
get only $50 month, the man with a
wife and four children will get $75
Twenty dollars Is added If nurse is
required; $40 month as long as he
may live, whether he Is married or
not
If he dies from injuries or disease
received in the line of duty the widow, |
children and widowed mother receive |
sums ranging from $50 to $75 month,
according to size of family. No dis
tinction Is made between private and |
the highest officer.
In addition, every man may take
out insurance up to $4,000 at the ac-
tual cost of furnishing such insurance
in peace times-the entire nation
through the treasury bears the war
risk. This insurance is wisely safe
guarded to protect it from creditors,
shySter lawyers and loan sharks.