The spectator., 1919-11-04

disability incurred in the recent war is as follows: Total permanent dis ability, S10O month; total tempo rary disability if the soldier has neither wife nor child living, $50 month; if he has wife but no child living, $9O month; if he has wife and one child living, $95 a month if he has a wife and two children liv- ing. S10O month, and if he has no wife but one child, 800 month; for each additional child where there is no wife living, S5 month if he has mother or father, or both dependent on him for support, $10 month in ad dition.
 The new legislation says specifically what man who served in the war shall receive for a certain disability. Under the existing law 1t has not al- ways been easy for the war risk bu- reau to determine the amount of ben eft soldier should receive. The new legislation provides that if the medi- cal examination shows that a benefici-
 
 disabled, he is to receive one half the amount set out in the schedule Thus, for instance, the legislation says that man who has totally lost his hear Ing is only 50 per cent disabled and may earn 90 per cent of his own liv- Ing. Accordingly he and his family would only receive 50 per cent of the compensation allotment for total dis ability.
 Removes an Injustice.
 The pending bill also moves to erad- icate an alleged injustice caused by the laws former definition of parents The new proposal is to include In the definition of father and mother" stepfathers, stepmothers. fathers and mothers through adoption. and per sons who have stood in relation to former soldiers and sailors as par ents for a period of more than one year. This change is made to benefit hundreds of persons throughout the country, who. having brought up adopt ed sons or stepSons or children with out legal process, could not receive the benefits of the old law because they did not come within the definition of father" and mother" The new pro- vision is made retroactive from Oc- tober 6, 1917.
 The cases of hundreds of men who after being inducted into the military service, but before they were actually sworn in and before they had a chance to apply for insurance. are to be taken care of in the new bill. While the new bill declares that a person is not in the active service until he has ac- cepted and enrolled, two provisions are made that cover most of the above cases. One provision is that if a man is killed or injured in line of duty. after induction, but before final ac- ceptance he is eligible to the benefits of the act; the second provides that man who applied for insurance af- ter being inducted and before being l finally accepted. shall be eligible to benefits under the law.
 Two sections of the pending bill
 
 allotments and allowances at the end of the fourth calendar month after the 1 present emergency. as declared by the president: and thereafter the only al- l lotments to be made soldiers families will be those voluntarily made by the men themselves. This will mean the elimination of a great lump from Un- cle Sans budget, four months after the declaration of peace, for although the payments are now being cut down owing to the decreased army they are still up in the millions.
 An extra allowance of S20 month Is made in the bill for person so dis abled as to be in need of an attend ant or nurse constantly. The bill also provides for ample medical and hos pital services for disabled veterans and also for srHh supplies as artificial limbs, trusses and similar appliances. Arrangement is made under the bill for exchanges of hospital service with foreign nations. The class 0f bene- | fciaries of the term insurance which 1 the men are now permitted to take out is enlarged in the bill to include uncles. aunts. nephews, nieces, broth ersin-law and sisters-in-law of the insured.
 If person entitled to insurance should die before receiving all the 240 monthly payments provided for fh the existing law. the remaining pay ments would go to such persons with in the permitted classes of beneficial ries as would be entitled. under state law, to the property of the original beneficiary in case of his intestacy. Red Cross Roll Call Another American Red Cross roll call will be made November 2-11. If 1hn oxnnctotinna nf fhn nrrnniza.