Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-11-11

what a man who served in the war
shall receive for certain disability.
Under the existing law it 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-
airy under the law is only so per cent
disabled, he is to receive one half the
amount set out in the schedule. Thus,
for instance. the legislation says that
a man who has totally lost his hear
ing is, only 80 per cent disabled and
may earn so per cent of his own liv->
ing Accordingly he and his family
would only receive 80 per cent of the
compensation allotment for total dis
ability.
Removes an Injustice.
The pending bill also moves to Grad
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 az par
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 indicted into the military
service but before they were actually
sworn in and before they had chance
to apply for insurance, are TO be taken
care of in the new bill. While the
new bill declares that 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 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
a man who. applied for insurance al
ter being indicted and before being
finally accepted, shall be eligible TO
benefits under the law.
Two sections Of the pending bill
would cut off all government family
allotments and allowances at the end
OF the fourth calendar month after the
present emergency, as declared by the
president; and thereafter the only al
lotments to be made soldiers families
will be those voluntarily made by the
men themselves. This will mean the
elimination of q great lump from I'm
Gle 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 $50 a month
is made in the bill for person so dis
abled as to he 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 such supplies as artificial
limbs. trusSes and similar appliances.
| Arrangement is made under the bill
for exchanges of hospital service with
| foreign nations. The class Of bene-
! ficiaries of the term insurance which
the men are now permitted to take
out is enlarged in the bill to include
uncles, aunts. nephews, nieceS, broth
ers-in-iaw and sisters-in-law of the
insured.
If person entitled to insurance
should die before receiving all the
$40 monthly payments provided for in
the existing law, the remaining pay
ments would 90 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
the expectations of the organiza,
ton are realized. several hundred
thousand new members will be
enrolled. Each new member will
mean one additional dollar for the
work of the organization, for that is
the price of admission. The peace
activities of the Red Cross are to be
multiplied many times compared with
what they were before the recent war,
and these activities will, of course,
take money. An enormous amount of
work remains to be done in Europe
before the organization can withdraw.
but in due time it is proposed to cen
/ fer all the activities in the United
I, States.
The program of camp service ac-
tivities in this country under the d.
rection of the department of military
relief provide for a recreation pfo-
gram at every general army and base
hospital.
The Red Cross activities at regular
army posts, camps, environments. ETC.,
are to he confined almost entirely TO
! home service work. 1t is believed
that at the present time this branch
| of the service is about all that is
really needed for well and able-bodied
men. Home service work is TO be
conducted at all stations among pa
tients. corps men and able-bodied men
alike.