Evening star., 1942-05-17
Senate May Increase
Fixed AI|ofmenfs 10
Service Dependents
McNutt's Plan for Aid
In Needy Cases Likely
To Be Dropped
By ]. A. O'LEARY.

BY J. A. O'LEARY.
Allotments to dependents OF
men in the armed forces may be
placed on a uniform rate sched-
ule by dropping the plan to al
low the Federal Security Agency
to add indefinite amounts in
needy cases.
This change was reported to be
under consideration in Senate cir
cles last night, as a Military At
fairs Subcommittee awaited a new
draft of the bill early this week.
Members were not ready to dis
close details until the redrafting is
completed, but it is understood that
if the proposal to have the Federal
Security Agency study individual
family budgets, to determine where
the fixed payments should be aug
mented, is abandoned, then the fixed
allotments are likely to be increased.
Not Approved in House.
The Senators reported decision
would be second rejection of the
recommendation of Federal Secur-
ity Administrator McNutt that he
be permitted to give unfixed addi-
tional allowances to dependents in
hardship cases. Mr.. McNutt ap-
peared before the House Military
Affairs Committee on the same
problem and outlined his program,
which met with no expressed ap-
proval there, either.
Under the original bill a wife with
no children would have received $40
from the Government, plus $40 al
lotted from the husbands pay. The
Government also would have paid
$40 for each dependent child.
If the Federal Security Agency
found that these amounts fell short
of reasonable subsistence, it could
make additional flexible payments
after studying the family budget in
particular cases.
1t is indicated now that if the
flexible plan is eliminated the fixed
payment to wife probably would
be raised from $40 to $50, but it
has not been determined whether
the soldiers share would be held
to $40 or increased.
May Depend on Pay Bill.
It was pointed out that the
amount the soldier would be called
on to contribute toward a $50 total
payment to his wife is likely to de-
pend on how the House and Senate
finally settle their differences in the
separate pay bill now in conference.
In that bill the Senate voted to
raise buck privates from $21 to $42
a month, but the House went fur
ther and made the new base pay
rate $50.
The conferees are awaiting some
indication of the administration S
wishes as between the S42 and $50
pay levels before reaching a deci-
sion.
The Senate subcommittee han
ding the family allotment prob
lem is expected to have a revised
bill ready to submit to the Mill
tary Affairs Committee by Friday.
Better to Leave Some at Home.
Those who lean toward keeping
the family allotments on a uni
form fixed scale argue that if dis
cretionary supplementary grants
were authorized local draft boards
would not know definitely how much
a married mans family could count
on before taking him into the serv-
ice.
On the other side it is argued that
If only uniform basic allotments are
provided there would be hardship
cases which could not be corrected
without the flexible Federal secur-
ity feature.
Advocates of the uniform allot-
ment schedule take the view, how
ever, that in cases where the fixed
payments would work a hardship on
a wife or children, it would be bet
ter to leave the men home to do
defense work than to call them for
military service.