Evening star., 1920-01-11
EXPLAINS BENEFITS
Of SWEET BILL AS
RECENTLY ENACTED
!luthor Tells of Increased
Payments Due Soldiers
Under New Law.

How monthly benefits paid under
the war risk insurance act have been
Increased and the class of benefici-
aries enlarged by the recently enact
I'D Sweet bill was explained today
" it's author Representative Sweet
of Iowa.
Converted insurance may now be
raid in a lump sum or in installments
or thirty-six months or more, at the
option of the policy holder, Mr.. Sweet
aid, while the policies may be made
payable to more than a dozen types
Il beneficiaries. The following may
lie made payees: Parent, grandparent.
tep-parent. parent through adoption
husband. wife, child. grandchild, step
child, adopted child. brother, sister,
alf sister, half brother. brother
hrougE adoption, stepmother, uncle.
unit. nephew, niece, brother-in-law,
sister-in-law, any person VINO was In
he relation of a parent to the insured
or one year before the insureds en-
j.stment, the children of such person
nd parent through adoption of the
.nsured's wife or husband.
VIII Increase Payments.
"The monthly compensation paid
Inder the new law. said Mr.. Sweet,
is more than double-almost treble
that paid in the past. This increase,
SEQ a year to the amounts paid by the
government to the disabled ex-serv1ce
men and their families.
by the retroactive provisions of
the law all payments of compensation
will be increased to the new basis.
'ayments now are being made by the
war risk bureau to make up the diff
terence between the old rate of COM
pensation and the new one. This is
IN immediate and direct benefit to
s4l.s22 veterans, among whom s14.-
100000 is being distributed. An un-
married soldier who has been draw
ing sac per month for the last year
will receive $500 at once, the monthly
compensation being increased by $50
In his case
Increases Are Explained.
MIR. Sweet also explained the perma-
nent monthly increases provided for
:ll disabled ex-service men. For total
temporary disability the new COM
penSation will be paid as follows:
To the unmarried veteran, $50
month. an increase from $50.
To the veteran with a wife, $50 a
month. an increase from $40.
To the veteran with wife and
child. s95 month, an increase from
To the veteran with a wife and two
or more children, $100 month, an
increase from S65.
To the veteran. who has no wife.
but one child. $50 month. with SIS
for each additional child. an increase
from $40.
To the veteran with dependent par
ents. an extra allowance of SO
month for each is also granted.
''Of course. all disabilities will not
come within the rating of total tenn
porary.' Mr.. Sweet said. ''and so the
new law provides that all disab bilities
shall be rated by the war risk bureau
These other ratings are: Partial and
temporary. total and permanent and
partial and permanent. and for each
the monthly compensation shall be a
percentage of the degree of reduction
in earning capacity resulting from
this disability. The reduction in earn
ing capacity must be at least 10 per
cent before one can receive any COM
pensation.
a Compensation Is 500 Month.
For total permanent disability the
compensation is fixed at 500 a month.
The law specifically provides that the
loss of both feet or both hands, or
the sight of both eyes. or the loss
of one foot and one hand, or one foot
and one eye. or one hand and one
eye. or becoming permanently bed
ridden, shall be deemed to be total
permanent disability. Then. too, dou-
BILE total permanent disability en-
titles one to 5000 month as long as
he lives. For instance, this double
payment is for the few men who lost
both eyes, one hand and one foot, or
both eyes and both hands. or both
eyes and both feet.
THE helplessly disabled are fur
ther cared for under the new law by
the provisions directing the war risk
bureau to allow an additional $40
month to those veterans in need of an
attendant.
mo penalty is imposed by the law
on those disabled men for their in
dividual success in overcoming the
handicap of permanent injury. The
law directs that disability ratings
shall be based as far as practicable
upon the average impairment OF
earning capacity resulting from in
juries in civil occupations and not
upon the impairment of earning ca
pacity in each individual case.