The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-07-01
FAMILIES OF men
IN Service ARE
ENTITLED TO AID

The question of allotments and al
lowances to dependents of soldiers
now serving in the United States army
appears to be subject regarding
which there is a great variety of opin-
ion and misunderstanding.
Dependents of soldiers are entitled
to two classes of financial contribu-
ton. Allotments and allowances. Al
lotments are such contributions as the
soldier may wish to have deducted
from his pay for the benefit of those
dependent upon him for their support
while allowances are such cOntribu-
tons as the federal government has
prescribed by act of Congress approx
ed October 6, 1917, to be paid by the
government to such dependents if
such soldier has made an allotment.
Every soldier who has a wife or
child is obliged to make an allotment
from his pay. A man is not required
by this law to support any relatives
except wife and child, but as an in
centive for a man to support or help
support his parents, if they really need
his help, the government will add a
certain amount to that which he al
lots. The amount of allowances is
fixed by the law and the various pro-
visions are too extensive to be includ-
ed in a brief statement of this subject.
Each enlisted man is required to file
a statement as to those dependent up
on him and it is upon this information
that the family allotment and allow
ance will be calculated. Allowances
will be paid only upon written appli-
cation by the man or by or in behalf
of the beneficiary. Every enlisted
man or drafted man is given a chance
to apply for the allowance at the time
he makes the allotment and if grant
ed it is paid to the beneficiaries with
out any application on their part. If
he does not apply for it at the time,
he may apply for it later, or the bene-
ficiary may then apply for it.
TIL esimplest statement relative to
soldiers allowance is as follows: A
soldier whose pay is $50 a month
makes a voluntary ALLOTMENT of SIS, to
hsi father and mother who were de-
pendent upon the man for support
previous to his enlistment. In addi-
ton to this the United States govern
meDt makes an allowance of $40, $40
for each parent, making a total of
| $35 a month which they would re
ceive during the time the man was in
the service of the United States. These
| allowances cease upon the death in
the service or one month after the dis
charge from the service and in any
event one month after the end of the
war. Every soldier is advised to take
out insurance and if he has done So
ments and allowances cease, and the
insurance takes its place.
All this provision for the benefit of
the dependents of our soldiers now in
service is an entirely new problem
and departments and systems have
had to be organized to carry it into
effect. The clerical work alone re-
uuires the services of hundreds of en-
ployees for all these papers have to be
checked up, verified, checks drawn
and sent out, and naturally it takes
time for all this work. Thousands
of checks have been sent out with
faulty addresses owing to the care
lessness of the soldiers in making their
applications It is said that 1,00O,-
900 checks a month are sent out from
the war risk insurance bureau which
has charge of this great work and this
very large number will continually in
crease as more and more people take
their rightfu1 advantage of the bene-
fits of the law and as the government
/ continues calling for additional units
of the national army.
Naturally, the dependents knowing
they are entitled to these allotments
and allowances from the government
and not receiving them promptly, be-
comes impatient and resort to the va
rious sources of information to know
why they have not received them.
These delays in many cases have caus-
ed great hardships and as the condi-
son is not confined to any one locality
but is spread all over the United
States wherever there is a home of a
soldier the matter has been taken in
Is,nd by the American Red Cross and
a special department has been organ
lied in Washington to give its assist
ance in investigating cases where de-
pendents have failed to receive their
checks. In this work they are aided
by the home service section of the va
rious Red Cross chapters throughout
the country and these chapters have
been authorized to extend financial
aid to tide over dependent families
until the government allowances are
received.