The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1918-01-12


pie you meet what Uncle Sam pays his
soldiers. 1t will be safe to bet they
won't know.
Half of them may have some hazy
idea about a dollar a day." and you
will find lots of people who think
Uncle Sam still pays the old scale of
$13 month, but few outside the army
know the ins and outs of the wage
scale, even for private soldiers.
The whole pay system of the United
States army has been revolutionized
since the war started.
A private in Uncle Sans armies,
regular, National Guard or National
army, receives in cash, as long as he
is In the United States, $33 month";
in addition to food, clothing and med
ical attendance.
When he is sent to Europe he gets
20 per cent extra, whether in training
or in the trenches, which brings the
minimum cash pay up to $39.60 a
month, or $1.30 a day.
The revolutionary part of the pay
system, however, about which most
people are ignorant, is the scale Of al
lOwances made by the government to
the soldiers dependents. We are thus
breaking away from the old theory of
paying soldiers a fiat wage for fighting
to the new theory that the nation is re-
sponsible for the welfare not only Of
the man in service, but for the depend
entS whom he left behind him.
Under this new scheme, if there's a
wee wife waiting" she receives each
month direct from Uncle Sam $15 a
month, which is virtually an addition
to the fighting mans wage, and brings
his total compensation up to $48
month while he is in the United States
and to $54.60 abroad
If there is one child with the wife,
the allowance is $25 a month; two
children, $3.50, and so on up to the
point where, with a wife and six chill
dren, Uncle Sam pays $50 month in
cash to the family.
Allowance for Parents Made.
It may not be enough to support
them, even with what the enlisted man
can send home out of his wages, but
it is at least a recognition of Uncle
Sans responsibility and a bulwark
against dependence on charity.
Allowances are also provided for de-
pendent parents, SO month for each,
and for brothers, sisters and grandchil-
dren, So a month for each, with the
proviso 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 illegitimate child a
soldier may secure for it the full gov
ernmental allowance, the only prOvi-
sion being that if it 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 if
there is proof that they have lived to-
gether as man and wife for two years
prior to enlistment.
Uncle Sam also sees to it 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 S15 q 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
wife and child behind the man will
have to assign to them at least $3.50
a month"; to which the government will
add $50, making a total of $44.S0
which they are to receive.
The old pension system is wiped out
by the new and far more equitable sys-
tenn 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.
It bases the compensation on the
size Of the family from time to time.
While a totally disabled bachelor will
get Oulg sOU d IlOulAlf tA4G man Win a
wife and four children will get SIS.
Twenty dollars is added if a nurse is
required; SO a 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 $40 to SIS a month,
according to size of family. No dis
tinction is made between a 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.
The city of Lyon has opened a pro-
fessional training school for the high