The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-08-24
G. |. BILL OF
RIGHTS
CRITICISMS
BY HAROLD L. CAMMER
LID Legislative Service

The G. I. Bill of Rights was enacted
to provide for the basic needs of re-
turning soldiers. 1t is divided into
five parts, which will be examined
here.
disqualification
Main criticisms leveled by veterans
at disqualification feature of law are:
too many technical distractions; hos
pital facilities are few and inadequate
and at too great distances. Labor and
veterans organizations have proposed
provision of facilities not only in hos
pitfalls under control of veterans adj
ministration, but in public and private
hospitals generally, preferably in vi
cinity of a veterans home.
Education
Educational facilities are available
without restriction to veterans who
entered military service below 20
years of age and to veterans over rs
whose education was interrupted by
reason of entering the service. Sub
sistence allowance is also provided.
This has been criticized by veterans
is $50 per month to a veteran with
out dependents, SIS to veteran with
dependents Criticism has also been
leveled at Interpretation of veterans
administration, which apportions the
maximum amount of $500 according to
the calendar year, making it impossi-
BILE for veterans to take an intensive
refresher or retraining course COM
pressed into a shorter period, for
which the charge is often as great
as ordinary tuition charge for full
year.
Bills have been introduced to in
crease basic subsistence allowance to
$50 and $S5 a month CHR. 9749).
Senator Pepper introduced S. 1176,
which provides $40 for one dependent,
500 for two dependents, $125 for
three and $3.50 for dependents in ex-
ces of three, leaving the basic allow
ance of $50 as now in the law for
veterans without dependents. Senator
Morse has s. $50 eliminating age
limit, permitting any veteran regard
less of age to obtain educational bene-
fits.
Loans
Title III provides for loans to pur-
chase homes, farms or for business
investments, veterans administration
guaranteeing 500 of such loans but
not in excess of $4,000. However, the
veterans administration investigates
each application with the same con-
servatism as banks, instead of facili-
tating the granting of loans in the
spirit of the law Major criticism di-
rected against this provision therefor
is in the restrictions placed upon the
applicant by the veterans administra !
ton which, as the American Legion
states, 9" has made it all but i'm |
possible for veterans or lenders to
complete the loan" Veterans are
also compelled to pay appraisal fees
and make advance payments and if |
the loan is rejected these payments
are lost.
Bills seeking to relieve these condi- |
lions and at the same time reduce
the interest rate from 10 to 2qo have
been proposed. Senator Johnson has
S. 113S, to increase the time during
which loan may be applied for to
five years after separation from the
services or termination of war, which
ever is later, instead of present two
year period.
Employment of Veterans
Title w creates veterans placement
service board to cooperate with
United States Employment Service in
Al ont xyofn
The act does not deal with problem of
restoring a veteran to his old job.
This phase is dealt with in Section
of Selective Service Act as interpreted
by Memorandum 1904 Title Nv ,
therefore gives the veteran nothing
more than unemployed now receive
through U. S. Employment Service
Absence of substantive right to en-
ployment is the most glazing omission
in what is called the G. |. Bill of
Rights. The only important bill deal
ing with this fundamental problem of
employment is Murray Patman Full
Employment Bill which in last analy-
sis provides the only legislative assur-
ance of employment to veterans. How
ever proposals have been made to
guarantee employment by the govern
ment to any veteran unable to find
employment in private industry. Such
a bill would in no way conflict with
the Full Employment Bill in fact
would help bring recognition of duty
of government to guarantee employ
ment to all ready, willing and able to
work Y
Unemployment Compensation
Title V provides for compensation
to the unemployed veteran for a pc
riod not exceeding 50 weeks at the
rate of $40 per week, if totally unem-
ployed. Such benefits are payable if
unemployment occurs no later than
two years after discharge. Criticism
of this provision is directed at the 4
inadequate payment and the limited
time during which such payment is to
be made. Senators Murray and Wag-
ner have introduced S. POI, to provide
additional S. for each dependent up
to three. Proposals have also been
made to provide for the payment dur
ing the entire period of involuntary
unemployment. This is reasonable, II
as veterans should not be penalized
for failure of reconversion plans or for
delay in the passage of the Full EN-
ployment Bill.
Other criticisms are directed against