Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1920-01-08
Provisions For All
Injured Service Men
REPUBLICAN CONGRESS PASSES
BILL TO CARE FOR MEN WHO
NEED ASSISTANCE NOW

uncle lea mas Just nnlSneQ uln-
ner with his niece and nephew and
was seated in the front room read
ing the evening paper when Jack
came up, pulled the paper away and
very seriously said Uncle Ted,
was over to see Tommy Smith this
afternoon and took him some goodies
to eat. feel so sorry for him. His
father is 80 years old and his moth
er can't get out of bed because OF
rheumatism. They haven't any
money and l don't know what will
happen to them. Tommy had
good job before the war but now he
can't do that work and he gets only
little bit of money from the gov
eminent"
well, Jack" answered his uncle,
II guess you haven't heard what
the republican congress in Washing
ton has done to help such fellows as
Tommy Smith. They have passed
bill which will help the Smiths
TO get along without outside help.
This new bill means more than
just helping Tommy Smith. 1t
means helping thousands of fellows
like him."
How much will Tommy get?"
THE men who were wounded in
the war; answered Uncle Ted, "are
under this new bill grouped in four
classes. That is, those whose in
juries are total temporary, total per-
manent, partial temporary and par
tial permanent. Tommy was gassed
and he has been very sick ever since.
He may get we'll and he may not.
Therefore, he comes under the
group whose injuries are known as
total temporary. Under the old bill,
which was passed when the demo-
Gratis had more men in congress
than the republicans, Tommy got
only $50 a month. That is, be-
cause he was not married, and,
therefore had no children, he re-
ceived $40 a month and in addition
$40 a month for his father, who is
dependent upon him, and $40 a
month for his mother, who is also
dependent upon him. That made
the total of $50.
"Now this did not seem enough
for these men and boys who had
given the best part of their lives to
help lick the Germans and who had
come back crippled for life. The
great soldiers and sailors organf-
cation, the American Legion, of
which / am a member, felt that
these men should receive more mon
ey from a government as wealthy as
ours, as did many of the big men
in congress at Washington. So
one man in particular, Representa-
tive Burton e. Sweet, republican
from the state of Iowa, made it his
Job to take what was known as the
War Risk Insurance act and rewrite
it so as to give these men as near
as possible the amounts of money
they should receive, or at least en-
ough so that they could live. Too
much cannot be said for the fine
work Mr.. Sweet did on this bill. He
worked early and late until he had
what he thought was the best bill
possible and which since then has
become to be known as the Sweet
bill. Under this new bill Tommy
gets $50 month instead of $50,
besides $40 for his father and $40
for his mother, making 500 in all
that he will get each month from
now on instead of $50 month as
before"
did the American Legion think
this bill was all right" asked |
Ruth.
"The Legion not only thought his
bill all right, but at the big conven-
tion in Minneapolis some months |
ago, it was resolved that the Legion |
would help with its influence to see
the bill made law. 1t passed the |
house of representatives last Sep |
TENDER but because of the peace |
treaty and other bills it did not pass |
the senate until December 10th. !
But what makes me so glad about |
the whole matter is, that the demo.
Gratis have been saying that since
the republicans got control of con-
gress they hadn't made or passed |
any bills to help the soldiers or
sailors. They can't say word now |
for with the passing of this bill,
which was written by a republican
and made law by a republican
congress the wounded men are CIV
en- enough so that they will not have
to get out and beg to keep from
starving to death. 1t is so far
ahead of the old bill that there is no
comparison.
"How about the fellows who have
wives or children?" asked Jack.
Il
Jack, comparing the old bill and the
new. have told you about how
much Tommy gets each month UNI
der the new bill and of course all fell
lows in his fix get the same. Under
the old bill, fellow who Is mar
ried but has no children got $4,000
a month. The new bill gives him
$50 a month. II the fellow has a
wife and one child he got $55 under
the old bill and now he gets sos.
Under the old bill, the fellow who
had a wife and two children got $50
and il he had wife and three or
more children he got SIS. The
new bill gives that man 500 a
months. II the fellows wife is
dead and he has child living he
got $40 month under the old bill
with $40 for each additional child
up to two. The new bill gives him
$50. with SIS for each additional
child up to two. Now in all these
cases, lust as in Tommy's case IL
the fellow has a father or mother
or both of them dependent upon
him he gets $40 month for each.
Another thing the new bill does is
to give every man who needs a
nurse to be with him at all times.
$40 a month more besides whatever
else he may receive"
Chow much will Fred Jones get"
asked Jack. "You know he lost
both of his legs"
Erred Jones'" answered Uncle
Ted, because he has lost both Of
his legs is considered totally and
permanently disabled and he will
get 800 a month compensation. II
he has insurance he will get $3.50
in addition to the 500. That