Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-01-30
GOVERNMENT BUNI)EE
IN SOLDIER ALLOWANCE
Order Depriving Families Of Sup
port Works Injustice On
Soldiers Parents
IS TREAS. DEPT RULING

from Annapolis and Slclnlty nave OeeH
severely dealt with b. an agency ot
the Il. S. government urder q recent
ruling Of the Treasury department.
through which many parents are re-
quired ID refund allowances granted
them on behalf ot their soldier sons.
extending over considerable time
| Doubtless, this is ID pursuance Of a
general policy and II Is expected the
matter will be the subject of coun-
ltry-wide protest before long, The
home service department Of the local
/ Red Cross. through Miss Nellie Ennis,
/ It's secretary. has already taken the
matter up with public officials Ia
washington. and Ii receiving the ac-
tive help OF Congressman sydney 3.
ngudd in the matter
The action of the department ap-
pears to be based upon grounds which
are plausible, but, Ia the opinion Of
those who are actively interested. they
work tremendous hardship never
the less IT Is felt that more thor
ough examination should have been
made before such action was taken,
1 and that In no case should the allow
ances Be Withdrawn and repayment de-
rnanded unless an actual fraudulent
case was shown or one which disclosed
no reasonable basis FOR the allowance.
Ten cases from Annapolis and the
county have been reported to the local
/ Red Cross All concern the parents
OF white soldiers In several Of the
cases the soldier has been returned
to this country on account Of wounds
and Is faced with the proposition that
his parents are to be deprived OF the
allowance upon which they have
counted and also that portion Of his
pay is to be taken to make up the
amount already given them
The action of the department is
based upon apparent differences be-
tween the statements Of soldiers and
their parents. The allowances were
originally granted upon the state
ments o9 the soldier. Months sitter
wards papers we're sent TO the par
ents, and when these we're returned,
I the department undertook To say that
there were differences which justified
them In stopping the allowances, gem
orally fifteen dollars per month. and
asking for the return OF the amount
already paid Iii the ases which
have been reported this amounts to
from sIDO TO $3.50 In each case,
The return Of these amounts Is all
most out oE the question In the cases
which are known, and the alternative
fs that the same viii be taken from
the soldiers pay There are two
Ca which are now receiving the at
tantion of the local Red Gross one in
Annapolis and one III Eastport. For
reasons connected with the natural
feiings of the parties concerned,
names cannot be used. but 1t can be
said with the greatest emphasis that
these parties are fairly entitled to
the help which they received. and the
enforced return or the amounts works
the greatest hardship
The stand of the department II
largely based on a ruling that no al
lowance should Be made for the de-
privation Of the amount paid BY the
soldier for board because HIS parents
no longer have the expense Of bis
| board. This ruling, 1t Is pointed out,
Is absurd, as often the sole support
Of the mother may be the profit she
derives from, the board paid by the
1I.a - ne3 So