Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-01-16
SWEET BILL JUST
PASSED IS BOON
To SERVICE MEN

III SERVICE MEN
What is known as the Sweet bill,
amending the war risk insurance act
was passed by congress recently and
contains provisions affecting all serv-
ice men and women. For the purpose
Of placing the salient features of the
new hill before those who served
their country during the war. the
journal requested T. j. Mabry to pre-
pare a resume of the measure for
publication, which follows;
ut should be understood. to begin
with. that House Res. No. S77S, APP
proved December "a, 1919, and known
as the sweet bill" is amendatory of
the original act of congress approved
october G. 1917, and known generally
as the war risk insurance act' The
Sweet bill came about through an
overwhelming demand from the peo-
PIE, and doubtless a desire on the part
Of congress as well. to make more
adequate provision for the unfortu-
rate victims of the war and their de-
pendents especially. and also, through
a desire to so extend the original act
of October 6, 1917. that II would pet
ter serve the purpose originally In
tended as to all of the service men
(and women as WELD who came under
its provisions,
ain this discussion where the word
man is used II is meant also to in
clude, quoting the letter of the law:
"a person, whether male or female,
and whether enlisted enrolled or
drafted into service in the military or
naval forces of the United States, and
includes all officers and members OF
training camps authorized by law
Under the original act compensa
ton of $40 per month, with medical
and hospital care in certain cases, was
the maximum for the disabled man
without dependents, with a sliding
scale of s15 extra for the man with a
wife dependent and $40 additional for
each child up to three.
Under the new act the man with
out dependents, totally disabled, is
given minimum of $50 per month
while total disability continues, and
also provision is made for the wife
and $40 for each dependent child re-
CARELESS of the number there may be
and in addition, the medical and hos
pital care for certain cases.
Under the original act man who
was disabled between the dates of the
beginning of hostilities and the pass
age of the original measure October
G, 1910 was left out in the cold. He
had either to do without or to look to
the old pension bureau for relief; and
then he had the very considerable
disadvantage of proving that his in
jury was in fact in line of duty and
that he was not suffering from a dis
ease or injury that he brought with
him into the service. And let it be
said in passing that there were thou
sands of deserving cases left without
protection, men whose discharge from
service came between the dates April
and October 6. 1917, and who could
find relief under neither the pension
laws or the recent war legislation.
Under the new act now, it is pro-
vided that it shall operate retroactive
~ as of April 6, 1917, and also it is
provided THAT for the purpose Of
this act, such officer, enlisted man. OF
other member shall be held and taker
to have been in sound condition wher
examined, accepted and enrolled fol
service" There is now no longer any
question to bubble about as to thC
matter of the injury being in line OF
duty
Under the original act. also, there
were thousands of cases of illegiti'
mate or adopted dependent children
the proof of the parentage or adop'
ton as to such children being more
or less circumscribed as to how anC
when: with the result that the unfor.
tunate child, though a dependent Of
the disabled soldier was without aiC
or support from the government. I'm.
der the new law this matter is cleared
up and thousands of these children
will receive the benefits they are en-
titled to receive.
Under the original act dependents
of the disa bled were limited to the
spouses, parents, brothers and sisters
and grandparents, while under the
amended act it is to include also step.
parents, mothers through adoption
and persons who have stood in loco
PARENTS to any such person.
THE new act also protects the mat
ter of the assignment of the benefit!
of insurance under the act, so long al
the assignment is made to some Other
person within the specified class O.
beneficiaries.
THE new act in addition make!
provision for the proper distribution
of the allowances made to the dis
abled man when he and the wife may
not be living together and there are
children living regardless with whom
they may be.
The new act extends the time wher
automatic government insurance may
have been taken out and there is 9
clause in the new act that gives au'
tomato insurance to the man who
was 'inducted by local draft boarc
into the service between April 6, 1917
and November IL. 1918. and who
while in such service and before be.
ing accepted and enrolled becomes
disabled without having applied fol
insurance, providing that he shall be
deemed to have applied for and tC
have been granted insurance etc.
Under the new act brothers-in.
law, sisters-in-law. uncles, aunts
nephews and nieces are added to the
permitted class of beneficiaries pro.
Nided for by the old act.
There are many benefits that the
disabled man and his dependents are
entitled to under the new law thai
were not permitted him under the
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