The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-09-17
CONGRESS PASSED
 MANY BILLS, ALL
 AIDING VETERANS

] The last session of Congress was an historic one to veterans. Ernest Lincoln, Acting Manager of the Alaska Regional Office of Veter- ans Administration, pointed out that before it's adjournment recently the 18th Congress had passed more legislation directly affecting veter- ans than any previous session of Congress. Without exception these bill were all signed by President f Truman.
 Following is a summary of the new laws enacted to provide further CT benefits for former service men and women.
 l. National Service Life Insur- ance was liberalized by providing endowment policies and addition i al permanent forms of insurance from which veterans may select in oonverting their temporary term in- surance. Lump sum settlement in cases of death and the removal of restrictions on beneficiarieS were also approved
 | ?. Automobiles costing up to $500 will be provided to veterans of World War II who have been crip- pied as a result of amputations or paralysis. The VA will pay the cost of the car. including special equip mcnt or attachments necessary for the veteran to operate it.
 On-The-Job Training
 g. The VA was given authority to exercise tighter control over on- the job training. The act prohibits payment of subsistence allowances to veterans if they are earning more than $200 a month while studying or trainng under the G. I. Bill. Veterans without dependents are limited to earnings of $l75 monthly. The bill establishes standards for on-the job training, and allows the VA to reimburse the Territory for supervision of job training.
 4. Disability pensions were in creased 20 per cent for nearly two million veterans of both World Wars and approximately 100000 de- pendents. Veterans of the Spanish American War, the Philippine h. Surrection and the Boxer Rebellion who served TO days or more and whose monthly pensions have not already been readied to $75 or more will also share in the pension in crease. Minimum monthly pay ments to their widows was raised from $50 to $40. The new law also permits the VA to make full pay ments to veterans without depen- dents while they are hospitalized in VA institutions. Formerly, pay ments to these single veterans were reduced considerably while in VA hospitals and homes.
 Terminal Leave 5. The terminal leave bill af- fecting nearly all former enlisted personnel provides that payments will be made by the war, navy, and treasury departments. Appli- cation blanks, when they become available, will be obtainable at any 1 postoffice.
 6, Authority and funds were granted by Congress for setting up canteens in VA hospitals and other installations. In these canteens to bc operated with a minimum of profit, patients, dependents and en- ployees will be enabled to purchase numerous articles and service not now available.
 '. Retired officers of the armed forces, Public Health Service and Coast and Geodetic Survey may be employed by the VA without jepar- dizing their retirement privileges.
 disbursements
 8. Persons who lived in enemy occupied countries during the war and did not receive payment of benefits from the VA may now be reimbursed in full, providing they can prove they were not disloyal to the United States. Heirs of de- ceased beneficiaries also will be paid on prooof of loyalty to this ! country.
 i Lincoln said that more detailed 1 information on new veterans legis- lation may be obtained from the VA contract office in the Goldstein Building or at the Contact Offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks or Ketch- ikan. He requested persons eligible for pension increases not to make inquiries to the VA, because these i increases will be applied automati- cally and the requests for informa- 1 tion will only result in slowing down