Evening star., 1932-12-07
.S127,O)0,OOO SAVED
ON VETERANS BILL
Various Pay Restrictions
Provided in II Proposed
amendments.

The new veterans economy bill pre-
sented to Congress today by Presi-
dent Hoover is estimated to save more
than $127,00 900 by restricting the
payment OF compensation disability al
lowance. pension, hospital per diem
pay and emergency officers retired pay
in various ways
If passed by Congress the effect of
the bill, which was included by the
President in his budget message, would
amend the World War veterans act in
II particulars, which, in brief. are as
follows:
With certain exceptions, the amend
ment~ would prohibit allowance, COM
pensation, retired pay under the emer-
gency officers retirement act, pension.
disqualification or domicihary care ad-
ministered by the Veterans Admins
tration to any person making a Federal
income tax return Of Sl,500 or more If
single and $500 or more If married,
with $400 additional for each dcrend-
ent. and to any person receiving Fed
eral, State or municipal salary above
the same limitations.
far-reaching section of the pro-
posed new bill. expected to save more
money and affect more men than any
other proposal provides that no dis
ability allowance" (which Is payment
for disability not connected with war
service) shall be payable to any for
mer soldier, sailor or Marine who is not
totally and permanently disabled.
Present Disability Pay.
Under present law, disability allow
ance is payable to any honorably dis
charged ex-Service man who entered
the service prior to November IL, 1918,
and served 80 days or more during the
World War. and who is suffering from
a disability of at least IS per cent de-
gree, not the result Of his own willful
misconduct. Under present law such
disability allowances are being paid at
the following rates. IS per cent dis
ability, $12 a month: SO per cent dis
ability. SIS month; rs per cent dis
ability, $24 a month, and total disa-
bility. $40 q month. There are about
100000 men receiving these allowances,
costing the Government a total Of about
$10O,O0O,000 year.
An amendment designed to effect uni
formity among veterans of various wars
receiving free treatment or subsistence
In Government hospital or home,
provides that no such person shall re-
ceive more than $40 month If with
out dependents. If the veteran has de-
pendents, provision Is made for pay
ment to such persons of the difference
between the $40 and the amount to
which the veteran would otherwise be
entitled except for the provisions of the
amendment. Under present laws Civil
War veterans, Spanish-American War
veterans and World War veterans are
governed by widely different regulations
regarding their pay while receiving
such free treatment and subsistence.
Another provision would terminate
the $50 month statutory awards for
arrested tuberculosis, six months after
the approval of the proposed change
or five years after the date of arrest"
whichever Is the later. Upon termina-
ton Of the $50 per month payment,
compensation would be awarded In ac-
cordance with the rating provided by
law for apparently cured tuberculosis,
/ which would be permanent partial 25
per centum or s25 per month.
/ Emergency Oficers' Pay.
An important proposed change in the
law affects the pay of emergency officers.
1t would provide that no person shall re-
ceiye such retired pay unless he served
Tor period Of 30 days or more between
April 8, 1917, and November IL, 1918;
and actually contracted q disease or
suffered an injury as the result of and
directly attributable to his war sery-
ice before July 3, 1921, or, regardless of
length OF service, contracted a disease
or suffered an injury in service between
April 8, 1917. and November IL, 1918.
Under this proposal those cases would
be excluded where the disease or in
Jury did not result from a causative
factor arising out Of and in the course
OF active military or naval duty within
the periods specified. Also, there would
be excluded under the amendment the
cases OF those officers who had relief for
service connection" under the World
war veterans act of 1924 as amended.
en- the presumption of Soundness" or
presumption of service connection" of
the act, or the regulations issued by the
veterans Bureau or the Veterans Ad-
mlnlstration in accordance with such
act, which deem that certain chronic
constitutional or analogous diseases ex-
lsting within year of the discharge
are service connected.
Another section of the bill would
stop the payment of $265 per diem for
period OF travel and observation in con-
nectlon with physical examinations.
/ Six-Month Restriction.
Cutting our certain retroactive nav
ments, another section would prohibit
payments of increased or retroactive AL
lowance, compensation, or pension by
reviews Tor a period Of more than six
months prior to the date of administra-
i've determination or date of applica-
tion Tor review. Under present practice
claimants are able to get thousands of
dollars back compensation, over a ne
riod OF years. Under the Amendment
proposed, claims disallowed for long
PERIODS OF time, If allowed would be
payable SIX months from the date of
determination. Retroactive adjustments
would be restricted to period of six
months
Men who enlisted after the arnistice.
November II, 1918, would be deprived
o1 Dement'S Of the World War veterans
acI, under another section of the new
Diii, pnt these men would not be denied
tne right to have their claims consid-
ereo under the pension laws Under
present law compensation now Ia pay-
aple for disability incurred In service
between April 6, 1917. and July 2, 1921.
ana compensation also is payable as an
| accrued right, under the war risk IN
surance act, to a small group of vet
Grams who enlisted before and after
these dates.
| Government Insurance.
| Revival Of Government insurance
would be restricted under an amend
ment to sections 3O5 and 3Os of the act.
Thls Is designed so that no additional
| payments would be made except TO
those persons actually receiving paw
| ments on the date of the passage of the
amendatory act, or in those claims
where. prior to the date of passage. It
nao been determined by the Veterans