Great Falls daily tribune., 1919-03-06

day, large number of returned sol.
dies, bearing scars of war and insignia
of overseas regiments, visit the head
quarters Of the finance division of the
war department here, in search of miss
ing allotments. Most of these men have
been allotting certain portion of their
monthly pay to relatives or to business
concerns ever since they were sent
across, and it is rather disappointing
upon reaching home to find that the
money has been held up somewhere by
Il mass Of government red tape.
MY mother tells me that she hasn't
received cent from the gvernment since
early last summer" said a young, one
armed soldier the other morning land
yet the company commander has been de-
Quoting $40 from my pay every month to
be sent to my mother He was very
courteous and cheerful about it-much
more so. commented the lady who look
ed up his case, than she would be under
similar circumstances.
After diligent searching no record
could be found of this particular SOL
diers allotment. so he was taken before
Il notary public and asked to make an
affidavit concerning his allotments. A
check for the amount which he had paid
and which his mother had not received
was then presented him by the director
of finance.
This is what the government is doing
| IN every case where Il mans service rec
ord cannot be found-acceptng a mans
affidavit and refuDding him his money.
| trusting that it will be able TO trace the
| unpaid allotment and change its book
! keeping later. This is the only fair way
to settle an unfortunate misunderstand-
| ing. and 1t is safer than it looks. BY
| hni nyt, al e.. IT,
I was eliminated from the army in the
earl part of tho American mobilization,
ana the average man does not make a
false affidavit
III Is only true that, while hundreds
OF thousands Of allotments have smooth
~ reached their destination without mis-
Understanding or mishap, several hun
urcd nave not. In numerous eases it is be-
cause in filling out the applications for
ailotments the men have made mistakes
lhoy give the wrong address, or they
give such unsatisfactory addresses as
hing George's County or New York
ity Sometimes. moreover. the person
to whom the allotment is to be paid
moves To new address without letting
the war department know But in 80 per
/ cent of the cases the blame can be plac-
ed upon the tangle of red tape which
stretches from the war risk insurance
hHreau Of the treasury department 70
| the finance division of the war depart-
ment.
1t Is an extremely complicated affair.
50 we will begin at the beginning. Since
the year, 1899. the finance division has
Deen handling the alIotments made to
ihelr families and for other purposes by
oilicers and enlisted men outside the
Continental limits of the United States.
ha tp.<
fopean war. however the war risk bu-
reau was established. which took over
all family allotments. compulsory or
voluntary. This left the finance division
with little to do but to take care of the
mans business interests-thp numerous
miscellaneous alotments made to cover
such things as the interest on loans and
mortgages. real estate investments, bills.
lodge dues. bonds. and club and church
subscriptions
Last summer, when an amendment to
tne war risk insurance act WAS passed
oy congress, providing specific govern
nieht aiiowance to meet specific allot-
ment from every soldier. attention was
called to the fact that the war risk bu-
feau was handling a large number of
voluntary allotments Of the old army
type for which it did not necessarily
nave any authority under the law.
At conference held between the SEQ
retary of the war, the secretary of tho
navy and the secretary of the treasury.
IL was decided that, since the war risk
bureau was so ovcrworked ANYWAY. il
would be wise to transfer the voluntary
iamiiy ailotmen.s It had been paying
rack TO the finance division of the var
department. by voluntary allotment. he
1t understood is meant that rart of q
mans pay which is contributed hy him
Without request for allowance from the
government Accordingly. instructions
were framed to be sent to the command I
ing Officers of every regiment. explaiu- |
ihg the nature OF the transfer and rp |
questing that the men be informed
Unfortunately. these Instructions wera
sent ont long after the transfer was I
made. The men did not know wha: they
were expected to send in their voluntary T
ailotments on what is known as quarter. |
masters form No, So of the war depart- |
inent instead of the bank formerly used I
by the war risk bureau. In other cases
the blanks were lost before they reach
ed the finance division. The deductions
Tor a!lotments from the mems pay were
entered on the books of the depot
but there the record
ended
'hhVuL ihe appic3tionS far ailot-
ments, the finance division had no
authority to pay out any money. The
authority had been taken away from
the War Risk bureau. which did have
the applications, and as a result the
nliotmentS were not paid. At the time.
it was suggested that the records of
the War Risk bureau be turned over to
the finance division. bat the war risk
bureau refused to do this because their
records were all they had to show as
for making past payments
Thus, attempting to correct an error
made in the early part OF the American
engagement. greater problem was ere
ated than if il had been let alone
Meantime. the finance division began
to enlarge its Headquarters
md working force to take cara of the
argc quantities of new business, 1t had
% spread out into three different build
ngs. and it had to open school 10
each prospective clerks the complicated
'acts about ailotments. Pupils have to
attend this school for nine days before
hey master all of them. Today. the
division handles the voluntary alfot-
nents of 3T5,Si5 enlisted men. and dis
purses nearly two million dollars d