The Colorado statesman., 1919-11-08

disability Incurred I'm the recent war
Is ms follows: Total permanent dis
ability. 500 n month: total tempo
rury disability II the soldier has
neither wife nor child living, $50
month If he has wife hut no child
living. 500 month II he has n wife
and one child living 500 month; II
he has wife and two children liv'
Ing 500 n month. and II he has no
wife hut one child, 500 Il month; for
each additional child where there is
no wife living. 50 month If he has a
mother or father. or both dependent
on him for support so n month In adj
dition.
The new legislation snys specifically
what n man who served In the war
shall receive for a certain disability.
Under the existing law II has not al
ways been easy for the war risk bu-
reau to determine the amount of hen
eft a soldier should receive. The new
legislation provides that II the medi-
cal examination shows that n benefici-
AIRY under the law is only 30 per cent
disabled. he is to receive one half the
amount set out in the schedule. Thus.
for instance. the Legislation says that
n man who has totally lost his hear
ing IL only 80 per cent disabled and
may earn 80 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
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 matte retroactive from Oc-
tobsr 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 chance
to apply for insurance, are to he taken
care of in the new bill. While the
new bill declares that n person is not
i'm the active service until he has ac-
copied 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. hut before final ac-
ceptance he is eligible to the benefits
of the act; the second provides that
Il man who applied for insurance af-
ter being inducted and before being
finally accepted. shall he eligible to
benefits under the law.
Two sections of the pending bin
would cut off all government family
allotments and allowances ut the end
of the fourth calendar month after the
present emergency. as declared by the
president; and thereafter the only al
Iotments to Da made soldiers families
will be those voluntarily made by the
men themselves. This will mean the
elimination of 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 q month
is made in the bill for person so dis
nbled as to he in need of an attend
ant or nurse constantly. The bill also
provides for annie medical ard hos
pitaI services f r 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 nj bene-
ficiaries of the term insurance which
the men are now permitted 10 take
out is enlarged i'm the bill to include
uncles. aunts. nephews. nieceS, broth
ers-in-Iaw and sisters-in-iaw of the
insured.
If n person entitled to insurance
should die before receiving all the
30 monthly payments provided for in
the existing law, the remaining pay
ments would go to such persons WIN
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 he made November 2-l1 If