Evening star., 1943-10-01
Benefits
Continued From First Page

any more D.rmful to a soldiers
morale than knowing he had to con-
tinue making allotments to his wife
after he heard she was unfaithful
Most men have an inherent faith
in their wives" Gen. Gilbert re-
sponded. Making allotments is only
harmful to the morale of the ones
who are worried about their wives. y
The general insisted it was up to
the civil courts rather than a mill
tary body to remove a soldiers re-
sponslb'lity 10 support his wife and
added that the American Bar AS
Soclatlon agreed with him.
Initial Federal PAYMENT.
But If a soldier is on Guadal-
canal, he can't get a divorce from
a falthless wife" Representative
Thomason, Democrat, of Texas, de-
clared.
Gen. Gilbert responded that I'VE
have many men alleging their wives
to be unfalthful when they are not" "
Admiral J. O, Richardson, ex-
ecutlve vice president of the Navy
Rehef Society. who testified earlier,
voiced approval of provision in the
Senate approved bill which calls for
an initial payment of family allow
ance made entirely by the Govern
ment as soon as possible after man
is inducted
The only practical way of admin
lstermg the law. he said, was giving
fiat allowances not based on the
need OF a particular Individual but
applicable TO all the wives and chill
dren OF serVICemen He was answer
ing suggestion that some form of
means test be applied so that only
actually dependent wives would re-
celVe benefits.
Gen. Gilbert told the committee
that 100000 dependents are now
receiving allotments from service
men, and that it would take six
months to revise the payments if the
increases are approved by Congress.
Complaints Received.
Gerald MonSman, representing
group of organizations that give free
legal advice to servicemen, told the
committee yesterday that his associ-
alton had received complaints from
soldiers and sailors who protest their
wives aren't entitled to financial
support. He suggested that draft
boards or some other agency be
authorized to review such cases.
Contending that 35 per cent of
the conscientious objectors have de-
pendants, Paul French, representing
national service for religious OBJ
JectorS, urged that the money earn
ed by the objectors be sent to their
families. These earnings are now
held in special Treasury fund
though there has been a proposal
that the money be used for foreign
relief.
Objections to the scale of increases
proposed in the bill were registered
yesterday by spokesman for the
C1O and by Charles P. Taft, direc-
tor OF Community War Services for
the Federal Security Agency.
Higher Scale Urged.
Tom Owens, a member of the CIO
Legislative committee. told the
military group the question involved
is shall the Government of the
United States afford the wives and
children Of is front-line fighters a
minimum of decent living?'
The present scale of payments,
under which wife with two chill
dren receives S72 monthly, docs not
afford even minimum decent stand
ard" MI. Owen said, nor would
the proposed $79 in the Senate bill
be adequate.
At present the payments are $50
for wife, $l2 for the first child and
$40 for each additional child. The
Senate bill would raise these figures
to $50, $l8 and $11. Mr.. Owen asked
$55, $35 and $50.
Mr.. Taft objected to the proposal
in the Senate bill to grant sl8 for
the first child and only $11 for each
additional child. He argued that
surveys had shown the scale should
be reversed, saying the cost of living
increases with each additional child