Evening star., 1942-06-09
Congress Votes Bill
To Aid Dependents
OF Servicemen
Senate Agrees to Roise
Pay Of Soldiers, Sailors
To $50 Monthly
z, the Associated Press.

men had congressional aSSur-
ance today that their financial
needs would be taken care Of, in
moderate way at least, by
Uncle Sam and his fighting men.
House passage late yesterday of
legislation embodying the general
pay provisions of bill previously
approved by the Senate put both
branches on record in favor of the
same scale of payments.
Meanwhile, the Senate agreed, So
to 20. to raise the minimum monthly
pay of servicemen to $50, effective
as of June l, That measure prob
ably will reach the President late
this week.
The only important difference be-
tween the Senate and House bills
providing for compulsory allotments
was the proviso in the Senate bill
which broadenS the definition of de-
pendency to include more than
merely financial support of depend
entS.
EdmiStOn FavOrS Change
tary Affairs Committee said they
had been given no opportunity to
conduct hearings on this provision
and could not urge its approval
without knowing more about it, no
amendment of the House bill was
introduced.
Representative Edmiston, Demo-
nf MI
sored the bill, told the House, how
ever, that the provision should be
included in the legislation and said
he hoped the House members of the
joint conference to which the bill
will go will include the Senate pro-
vision in the bill
Without debate, the House aban-
doned lower benefit rates recon-
mended by the committee in favor
of the Senate's scale, which was
higher.
Members of the committee. who
have gone on record as being op-
posed to the disruption of estab-
lished families. told the House the
scale of payments provided in the
legislation purposely was kept mod
crate to prevent local boards from
getting the impression they could
draft family heads Unfortunately
The scale calls for $22 reduction
from the servlceman'S pay, to which
Federal allowance of S28 would
be added for a wife Sl2 for the first
child and $40 for each additional
child.
Class A Reductions Mandatory.
In all cases involving class A"
dependents-wife or children. or
both-the deductions and allow
ances are mandatory:
Allotments and allowances for
"class B. dependents, such as par
entS, brothers and sisters, provide
for SO deduction from the service
mans pay and Federal additions of
SIS for one parent, S25 for two par
ents and S5 for each dependent
brother or sister. Those deductions
ale optional with the serviceman.
In cases where a man has de-
pendentS of both classes and elects
to contribute to both. his total de-
ductions would be s27 monthly, of |
which S22 would go to the class A"
group and SIS to those in class B."
main unchanged.
Affected by the bill are depend
ents of men up to and including |
the rank of line sergeant in the
Army and third-class petty officer
in the Navy.
In the action voting minimum !
monthly pay of soldiers and sea-
men the Senate also raised the pay .
of f1rst-class privates and second /
class seamen to $54
The pay raises were accomplished .
by adopting a motion of Senator |
La Toilette, Progressive. of Wis /
consin, to return the pay bill to
conference with instructions to &C
ceDt the amendments previously
written into the measure by the
House.
Austin Urges Lower Scale.
In effect, the Senate thus rejected |
compromise reached by the Joint |.
Conference Committee, setting the
minimum pay at S46 and that of the |
second lowest rank at $50. Pre- |.
viously the Senate had voted to
make the pay S42 and S48 in those
classes.
Senator Hill. Democrat. of Ala |
bama said the conferees would meet |
today to carry out the Senate's in
structions and would report the re-
vised bill to the Senate when it |
meets again Thursday.
In debate yesterday. Senator |
Austin, Republican. of Vermont |
urged adoption Of the lower scale.
and Senator Gurney, Republican, of .
South Dakota observed that the .
folks at home would not like to !
see Congress go hog wild on this |
proposition"
Democratic Leader Barkley said .
he believed the S46 figure repre- /
sented a fair compromise" but !
Senator Lee. Democrat, of Okla
homa declared that the increased |
amount would serve as "a concrete |
manifestation of our appreciation
of the sacrifices of the armed |
services"