Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-11-30

being continually improved and on
largcd upon 1t Is impossible for one
soldier who apparently has the same
cause tho second one has received a
rating Of 60 per cent. he will reyeice
the same rating. This Is because no
more than the finger prints OF diff
ferent men are ever similar. To base
the rating upon hard ans fast rule
in great many cases would work in
seen ut the time of adoption Of the
rating.
Rests on Earning. Capacity.
+ Another question is very frequently
asked: Upon what Is the rating
lnnsey ,I II l get Job and earn some
IF ! earned 500 before | went into
the service, aud now can earn only
SEQ. what will the per cent mean?
win IL be SO per cent Of the money
the difference. or just what will it be?'
This Is in effect asking for a definition
OF the torn reduction in earning ca
pac.ty the mans disa bility has caused
him.
TO arrive at this reduction in earn
Ing capacity there must be COMPARE
son OF the two situations in order to
determine what the reduction has
been. and to fix the basis for com
parison has been a very difficult ques-
ton for those administering the act.
II was az first believed that a com
parison of mans earnings after he
TO entering the service would afford
an accurate basis and that the result
would be the reduction in the mans
earnings.
But what is the result of using such
comparison, 1t is that the question:
If ! get job and earn some money
will my compensation cease" must be
answered. Yes. your compensation
will be reduced or discontinued"
Obviously this is not just. A man
with disease like tuberculosis or
Bright's disease might by reason of
his necessities be forced to find job
and earn something even in spite of
the advice OF mis- doctors. The result
would be that the more he earned the
less he would get from the govern
mrent: and the government would profit
by that mans industry, even though
that mans industry might be one form
of committing suicide. If the man
got raise of $40. he would receive a
reduction in his combensa ton. Such
son also does not take into considcra-
ton that most men who had been in
the service for any length Of time had
gained UNNECESSARILY by the expert
cnce. and probably had improved their
earning capacity.
a man may have gone into the war
as farm hand and come out as All eS-
pert automobile mechanic. IL this were
SO then his earnings as an expert me-
chan!c would be compared with those
when, Ire was a farm hand. and he
long as he worked. Such a compari-
son also would not take into &C
count the fact that, probably when
month was worth great deal more
than 500 at the present time. II will.
therefore. he clearly seen that to Judge
n man on his actual earnings. either
past or present, is distinctly unfair to
the man.
Fair Basi. of Estimate.
1t was believed that the only com
parison which could be used that would
be fair to the man was comparison
OF his physical condition before he en-
. tered the service with that Of his ply.
steal condition at the present time, and
mad to be coupled with the experience
tables of the doctors and the various
workman's compensation commissions,
. TO determine how much The average
disability affected the average earning
"a opacity. and il is this basis of com
The result Is. that Just as long as the
doctors say man Is suffering a dis
ability which will affect his earning
capacity TO certain degree. just SO
long will he receive compensation Of a
corresponding percentage and no at
i id VII be paid 70 his earnings
as he ever earned before. and still be
entitled TO the compensation. (Con-
SreSS I'll the act recognized the justice
of this position for those who had per-
ma nent disa biiities by STIMULATING that
their ratings should be based upon
such an average table. and should not
be In anyway dependent upon their
earninEs)
There are many questions which
arise in the administration OF the act
because OF the fact that many men
believe they are not being treated the
same as other men. This has been
partly touched upon. by showing the
impossibility of definite schedule, but
the matter may be made more clear by
stating that the Bureau fully realizes
that man with disability which he
has just received, and who IL just GO
ing out into the world, is under a much
more serious handicap than the man
with the same disability. but of long
standing. The latter man has had
time to become accustomed TO the dis
ability and probably in large part
TO overcome it. The man just out of
The service has all OF this period before
him.
The bureau recognized this fact and,
even In cases of loss of limbs, per
fectly definite fixed disabilities axes
awards Of temporary nature OF a
greater. extent until il Is shown that
the man has overcome this extra ham
dicap. This extra handicap, of course.
Is much greater to- some men than
others. The loss of an arm n ~,