The Glenwood post., 1920-01-17
uacle Tets Iet 1lne s,sr,,s
cuzrs.t 1vsaas 1sr - uAi,ss,.
and 0rew1-uDa xso
soaprms AND
1RB SWEET BIIL

WOUNDED sonpa11s AND
1RB DWKEf BnL
Uncle Ted had just finished dinner
with his ntsce md nephew sad was
seated in the front room reading the
evening paper when Jack came up,
pulled the paper away aad very scri-
ously paid: "Uscls Ted, was eves to
see Tonmy Smith this afternoon and
took him same goodies to eat. feel
30 sorry for him. Before he went to
war aud was gasssd thiags wees bad
enough for them. His father il eighty
yearS Old and his mother can't get out
of bed because Of rheumatism. They
haven't any money and don't know
what viii happen to them. Tommy had
q good job before the war but now he
can T do that work and he gets only
little bit Of money from the govern.
ment.'
"Well, jack" answered his uncle,
"I guess you haven't heard what the
Republican congress in Washington
has done to help such fellows as Tom
my 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. It means helping thous-
ands of fellows like him.
Chow much will Tommy geti"
The men who were wounded in the
war;" answered Uncle Ted, care, un-
der this new bill grouped i'll four
classes. That is those whose injuries
are total temporary; total permanent,
partial temporary and partial perma-
nent. 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 in
juries are known Is total temporary.
Under the old bill, which was passed
when the Democrats had more men in
congress than the Republicans, Tommy
only got $50 month. That il, BE-
cause he WAS not married, and, there
fore, had no children, he received t30
a month and in addition 80 month
for his father, who is dependent upon
him, and 80 for his mother who 10
also dependent upon him. That made
the total amount of $50.
"Now this did not seem enough for
these mon and boys who had given the
best part Of their lives to hslp lick
the Germans and who had come back
crippled for life. The great soldisns,
and sailors organization, the American
Legion, Of which am member felt
thst these men should receive more
money from the government a. wealthy
as ours, as did many Of the big men in
congress at Warrington. So one man
in particular, Representative Burton
E. Sweet, Republican from the state
Of Iowa, made it his job to take what
was known ~ the War Risk Insurance
act and rewrite It 70 - to give these
men ~ near ~ possible the amounts
Of money they should receive, or at
least enough 70 that they could live.
Too much cannot BE- said for the fne
work Mr.. Sweet did on this bill. II,
worked early and late until he had
what hs thought was tie best bill pos.
slbas saa wAisA siaes thSn has come
to be known q the Sweet bill. Under
this new bin Tommy gets 40 month
instead Of w, bssidss 4io for hi,
father and 80 for his mother, making
900 in ali that he WIN IT each month
from now On instead Of $50 q month
~ before"
"Dd the American Legion think
his bill was all rghti" asked Ruth.
"The legion not only thought his
bill all hight, but At the big convsn.
tion in Minneapolis some months sro,
it was resolved that the legion would
help with its influence to SEQ the bill
made . law. It passed the House Of
Representatives last September, but
because Of the peace treaty and other
bills it did NOT nas. tho ..r.t. ,..,,