The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-11-07
increased compen,.aation for Disabled
Ex.servlee Men Is urued-1ureau
, Seeks to Give Fullest Possible
Service to Those Affected.

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the treasury department, to enact sew
eral important amendments to the war
risk insurance act. These may be d.
vided into two general classes-those
affecting the compensation features Of
the act, and those concerning war
risk insurance.
A. very important proposed amend
ment, and one which meets with wide
spread approval, is the upward revi-
sion Of the schedule of compensation
payable to disabled ex-service men.
Under the present schedule man to-
tally disabled is entitled to $50 a
month, If single. The amendment
raises this by $50, making $50 pay
able under these circumstances. If he
has wife but no child living he gets
.$45; the amendment provides $50. If
he has a wife and one child, he draws
at present, $55; the amendment gives
him sos.
Extend the Provisions.
The law now provides that if a man
loses both hands, both feet, or the
sight of both eyes, or becomes helpless
and permanently bedridden, he shall
receive $500 a month compensation.
Experience has shown that many men
who have lost an arm and q leg, or one
limb and the sight Of one eye, are just
as badly crippled as men who have
lost both feet or both hands, and so
the bureau has recommended that in
addition to the injuries at present en-
'titling q man to compensation at the
rate Of 500 month, the following
shall be included: The loss Of one foot
and one hand the loss of one foot and
the sight of one eye. These are deem
ed total and permanent disability" by
the express wording Of the amend
ment. There is also provision that
for "double total permanent disabil-
dty," meaning cases in which men are
manned SO seriously that their injuries
Include two of these classiacations, the
compensation she'll be $500 month.
The bureau has found a very wide
spread sentiment among ex-service
men in favor of having their policies
made payable in lump sum, or in in
stallments covering q short period of
time, at their option. To meet this
demand Director Cholmeley-Jones has
urgently recommended a modification
of the war risk insurance act to permit
making provision in the contract for
converted insurance for optional set
elements on the part Of the insured,
making such insurance payable either
i'm one sum or in installments for thir-
ty-six months or more.
II the insured has not exercised his
right Of election, under the proposed
amendment the beneficiary may elect
to receive the insurance in monthly
installments. covering a period Of not
less than three years.
include Other Relatives.
Another very important item Is the
proposed enlargement Of the permitted
class Of insurance beneflciaries (spouse,
child, grandchild, parent, brother or
sister) to include. in addition to those
enumerated, uncles, aunts, nephews,
nieces, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-
law.
All Of the amendments described
tabove, together with several other pro-
posed measures Of less general inter-
est, but Of much importance, are incor-
porated in the so-called "Sweet bill"
introduced by, Congressman Sweet OF
Iowa in the house of representatives
ON August, 26, 1919.
The whole trend of the bureaus
recommendations manifest its desire
to be of the greatest possible service
to those for whom 1t was created-the
men who served our country in the
Great War. Not only in recommending
the adoption of amendatory legislation,
but in every other possible way, the
bureau is doing its best to expedite
its service and to carry out the letter
and spirit Of the act in behalf Of the
men for whom it was prepared.
In the matter of the settlement Of in
surance claims the bureau is practical
" current. OF over $4,000 claims, all
but 1900 have been settled, and regn=
lar payments are being made. The
1000 unsettled cases consist of those
IN which the benef1ciaries live In for
.eign countries Of for some other rea-
son cannot be reached. A diligent ef-
fort is being made to get In touch with
!. this comparatively small residue.
Il Insurance Paid Promptly.
y A great many. people do not realize
that there Is q wide difference between
the insurance feature of the act and
the provision for compensation. An
insurance claim is paid Immediately
tic the beneficiary; but in the case of
claim for compensation a great many
features must, under the law, be con-