The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-08-22
FAMILY CHECKS
HAVE BEEN CUT
SOLDIERS ALLOTMENT is $500
AFTER AUGUST 1ST.
CAN'T GIVE LESS; MAY Be MORE
Change Made To Simplify Allowances
Should Be Studied To Gain Full
Observation-Disclosures Service
Section Will Help.


1t 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.
1t is also of the greatest Importance
that soldiers and sailors and their
families should be inspired with con-
fidence that if distress results in any
case by reason of these changes in
lGovernment procedure the Red Cross
home service stands ready TO relieve
| it, where necessary to prevent hard
ships, the Red Cross will make in
term payments from it's own funds
until the Government checks arrive.
Relatives of enlisted men should not
regard this as charity, but as a part
of the responsibility which the Red
Cross has assumed for maintaining the
morale of the American soldiers and
sailors by installing them with con-
fidence that their families will not
suffer for the necessities of life dur
ing their absence.
Home Service Section
Under the new plan the payment
of allotment and allowance is simpli.
| fed. The amount which every en-
listed man is now required to allot
| to his wife and children irrespective
of the amount of pay which he is re-
ceiving is fifteen ($l5) dollars. For
each man getting over $50 this will
be reduction. If he wishes to con-
tinue to his wife and children the
same amount as before he may make
a new allotment for the difference
through the War Department or Navy
Department. Thus for example, if he
had formerly allotted SIS to his wife
and children and wishes to continue
to do so he must make new allot-
ment of SO through the War or Navy
Department as the Bureau of War
Risk Insurance will in the future han
die only the SIS compulsory allot-
ment Prompt notice of these facts
has been sent to men of all branches
of the military and the navy service.
But it will of course require some
time for the new forms to be exc
cuted and returned to Washington.
May AIIot Additional Sum.
! Hereafter a man who has no wife
or children need make an allotment
of only SIS to obtain the Government
allowance for his dependent parents,
brothers or sisters. If he has either
wife or child or children or both to
whom as the law requires-and he is
allOtting SIS, then he need only S.
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 receive a
smaller check from the Bureau of
War Risk Insurance because of the
reduction in allotments required ThI
amount of the Government allowance
will be the same, but the allotment
required from his pay will not be the
same. If he desires to have the TO-.
tai continue as before he must pay
AZ additional allotment through the
War or the Navy Departments.
UP To the Soldier Himself.
Thus if a soldier was aliUtting SIS
to his mother, after August 1st she
will get SO less through the Office Of
the Quartermaster General. If he
changes his mind and decides that
SIS is enough, the Government can
not compel him to allot more.
In some instances, however, reIa.
tives of a soldier or sailor may find
that their man in the service has not
taken the necessary steps outlined
above to see that his people continue
to receive the same payments as for
merly through the War or Navy De
partments instead of through the Blu
reau of War Risk Insurance. In
such cases the relatives should write
him urging upon him the necessity of
taking the necessary action. 1t is
matter which lies purely in his dis
erection. He is under no compulsion
from the Government.