Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-04-15
CLEARING INEQUALITIES IN COM.
PENsATioN FOR THOSE PER.
MANENrLy MANNED.
CONGRESS MAY GO BACK
TO OLD PENSION SYSTEM
World War Veterans Disabled Do Not
Fare Nearly SO Well as Veterans OF
th. Civil and Spanish American
Wars-Great Injustice Done Those
Who Sacrificed All But Life.
IBy Z. G.. Dougherty.l

Washington. April l5.-Pension bills
.rivalling those providing for civil war
veterans and their widows will he put
up to the next congress by scores OF
members of the house and senate.
Judging from thousands of letters
which have poured into Washington
from all parts n the country and are
piled up on the desks of practically
every member of congress the war
risk insurance act has proved a very
unsatisfactory substitute for the old
fashioned pension plan.
The dissatisfaction voiced in the
letters is with regard to the so-called
compensation rates allowed manned,
crippled or otherwise disabled soldiers.
1t is alleged that the scale of allow
ances provided by the war risk insur-
ance act-even when stretched beyond
the strict letter of the LAWS wholly
inadequate to provide for the men.
The point made by most of the letter
writers, however, and this is the point
that IL appealing so strongly on Capitol
Hill, is that the scale of allowances in
the McAdoo war risk bill Is very much
smaller than the pensions paid by this
government to civil war veterans SUI
fering from similar disabilities.
One member of the house who has
practically decided to make a fight for
oldtime pension legislation said today
that in number of instances where
he had taken up with the war risk bu-
reau individual cases where 1t seemed
to him glaring injustice had been
done his constituents he had been told
by the bureau that they were already
stretching the law. SO obviously was
this case, he said. that he did not
press for any further action by the
bureau. aitho nothing could be clearer
than that the government was not do
ing justice TO the disabled soldiers
who had written him. This convinced
him, he said, that the only solution to
the problem Is for congress to enact
new pension legislation.
Where Injustice Lies.
Those who are studying this situa-
ton say that the chief defect of the
present law providing for payments to
disabl soldiers is that it is based on
workmen's compensation acts of sew
eral states and that in following the
Ideas of these state laws computations
were made only on the money wages
paid the soldiers instead of counting
in their feed, clothing. quarters, etc.
ON this basis. it is pointed out. a un-
married private soldier who got a
month in the army. would. if he were
totally disabled. draw only $50
month from the government 50 long
AZ his disability lasted.
IL he were only partially disabled he
would get a percentage of $50 a
month. If the man requires the con-
government generously allows him an
additional sum. which may go as high
as $40 month.
Whoever drafted that section OF
the BILL" said one senator discussing
this phase, must have had in mind
the scale of wages in effect just before
the civil war Certainly he has not
employed any nurses, or for
that matter servants, in recent times.
If this same soldier had a widowed
mother dependent on him the govern
ment allows him $40 a Month more, SO
that a totally disabled soldier. with a
helpless dependent mother may live
quite nicely and pay the attendant
necessary to care for the soldier on
an allowance from the government
scaling UP to $50 a month.
This is not quite all because con-
gress, when it passed the McAdoo war
risk insurance act, inserted an arneno-
ment providing that regardless of
whether z man is a bachelor or not.
ne shall be given 800 month if he
has suffered the loss of both hands or
both eyes or is in permanently help
less, bedridden condition.
Giarina Inequalities.
Absurd and inadequate as this is
considered by those who are deter
mined on forcing oldtime pension
legislation it is declared that it is not
even just as between the different
classes Of disability. The man who
has lost both his feet gets 500 a
month, while man who may have
lost one arm at the shoulder and leg
at the thigh can get only $50 month
Yet the man with both feet off can,
with improved artificial limbs, gel
around fairly well. while the man with
an arm 81 2t the shoulder and leg
of above the knee can use a crutch
only with difficulty.
Col. Henry D. Lindsey, director OF
the war risk bureau, as many mem
hers Of congress have discovered when
taking the troubles of their constit u
ents to him has been going just as far
AZ the law allowed. But even his
liberal constructions have not con-
WINGED senators and representatives
who are interested in the problem that
changes are not needed. The bureau Il
plannig to fix by regulations the per-
centages which may De paid wounded
soldiers, for the~loss of one arm. oi,e
leg. and other disabilities not de-
| 'lnitely fixed by law. Meantime, ne
schedule having been adopted or ap-
proved, the bureau has been paying
certain hit and miss figures.
|. Following is contrast between tht
figures 1t has been paying and the
rates paid civil war veterans ant
Spanish war veterans
War Risk Spanish
Bureau is or Civil
paying war vet.
| Grams
LOSS OF leg below
| knee 1880 $4,000
LOSS Of leg above
knee ......... Z4.oO 70 ~ 4o.V'
Loss Of right fore
I arm .....- ,ZiVO fVV'
- ~ N