Evening star., 1946-08-01
Presidential Approval
Held Sure on Terminal
Pay for Enlisted Men

Congressional leaders expect
President Truman to sign with
out hesitation the bill they sent
him last night making all en-
listed personnel of this war
eligible for terminal leave pay,
largely in the form of bonds.
House members, who were over
whelmingly in favor of paying en-
listed men in cash, for their unused
furlough time, took the Senate's
bond plan reluctantly, amid hints
that the 1947 session may make the
bonds negotiable.
AS the bill now stands, all
amounts under $50 will be paid in
cash, while larger claims will be
met with flve-year bonds, bearing
az per cent interest. The bonds
will be in s25 multiples, so that if
a veteran has $166 coming, he would
get $3.50 in bonds and SIG in cash.
Total Cost Three Billion.
Representative Thomason, Dem
ocrat, of Texas, estimated $166 would
be about the average payment. Out
of total estimated cost of nearly
So, ,000, 100000, the small cash pay
ments will aggregate about $685.
100000.
The bonds would be dated from
one month following a mans dis
charge, so that a veteran who got
out in 1914 would have to-wait only
three instead of five years to cash
his bond. In the meantime, the
only purpose for which the bond
could be used would be to pay
premiums to the Veterans Admin
istration on Government life in
surance.
In addition to claims of less than
$50, cash would be given to those
who were discharged prior to Janu-
ary l, 1943, and to the estates OF
deceased veterans.
Time Runs From 1899.
All enlisted personnel who have
served at any time since September
8, 1899, in the Army, the Navy, the
Coast Guard or the Marine Corps
would receive the payments, pro-
vided they had accrued furlough
time at the time of their discharge
Payments would be at the rate of
two and one-half days a month, less
furlough time actually received. But
no one could be paid for more than
100 days, regardless of how much
time he had accrued.
The amount of pay would be COM
puted at the rate of base pay and
longevity pay received at the time of
discharge. To that would be added
a minimum of 10 cents a day for
subsistence and, in the case of per-
sonel of the first three pay grades
with dependents, another $1.25 a
day for quarters allowances. The
first three pay grades include mas
ter, technical and staff sergeants in
the Army and chief, first and second
class petty officers in the Navy.
Officers Now to Get Bonds.
Up to now officers have been re-
ceiving terminal leave pay in cash.
but under this bill all will be treated
alike.
The appropriation to carry out
the terminal leave bill has passed
the House in a separate deficiency
bill, and will go before the Senate
today.
Here's how the legislation would
operate in the case of a buck pri-
vate, paid $50 month and having
20 months of service:
At the rate of two and one-half
days of furlough time for each
month of service, he would be en-
titled to so days of furlough, which
does not include regular weekend
passes. If he had actually been
given Today furlough during his
service period he would be entitled
to pay for the remaining 40 days
he didn't receive.
Since the Army pays its men by
the month and for pay purposes
every month has thirty days, he
would have coming to him one and