Evening star., 1946-08-09
VA Assures Veterans
New Law Won't DELAY
Subsistence Checks
BY George Beveridoe


. interruption of subsistence pay
ments to veterans affected by edu-
, cational and on-the- job training re-
. visions signed into law yesterday by
! President Truman.
: The new law places wage ceilings
Of 5000 month for married vet
terans drawing subsistence allow
ances while attending schools or
: participating in on-the-job training
and limits combined incomes of
single veterans to SITS a month
H. v. Stirling, the agency's edu-
cation chief, told a reporter that
no subsistence checks would be held
i. up pending revision of Veterans
Administration rolls and that for a
time monthly checks will probably
! continue to be sent for the same
amount.
Repayment Planned.
Our aim" ne declared. lis to
notify each veteran that if he is
drawing allowances that will put
his income above the ceilings, he
will be charged with owing the
excess to the Government, and that
. 1t will be his responsibility to pay
lit back"
p, He added, however, that the gov
eminent will not expect immediate
payment that would cause hard
ship
Veterans Administration reported
that A recent survey of 10000 lob
= trainees found that .26 per cent
were drawing wages of at least $3.50
- month in addition to subsistence
: allowance. and that 6 per cent of
the number received wages of 5000
: or more
: Another provision Of the act in
creased standards of on-the- Job
8 training programs designed princi-
pally to aSure that veterans receive
= adequate training and that they
j have reasonable assurance" of A
corresponding job when training is
completed,
+. To Check on Standards.
. Mr.. Stirling said employers pro-
grams will be surveyed and that
allowances will be stopped in cases
where training does not meet stand
ards. In the main, however. en-
forcement of the standards will be
the responsibility of state agencies
. charged with granting approval to
programs
A large majority of programs
already meet the Standards" Mr..
Stirling said and we feel certain
many more will get in line now by
. While the act imposed the CELL
Ing restriction. it. liberalized edu-
cation regulations to permit stu
dents to work full-hme and still
draw subsistence allowances for
part-time school work.
- Four Billion Cost for Year.
: Veterans legislation signed into
law yesterday by the President will
cost close to $4,000, 100000 within
the next year.
Based on Veterans Administrs-
ton estimates for increased pen
sions and other definite appropria-
tons. cost of the measures will
total a minimum of S3,852973, 900.
This includes more than $500 .Ooo.-
900 to be paid in added pension
benefits this year and continuing
as increased expenses in following
years.
In addition, no estimates hapei
heen made for the amount Veterans
Administrator Bradley has been au-
thorlzed to grant States to admin
lister educational and on-t1e- lob
training programs Amounts will
be determined from requests and
need" budgets submitted by the
States.
Other legislation signed by the
President included:
. /. A 20 per cent pension increase
for nearly 100000 veterans of both
world wars and for 100000 depen- !
dents. Estimated 10 cost 1898 500. 900
for the first year, the increases
will become effective September /.
Authorizes Hospital Pensions.
The act also authorized payment
Of full pensions to veterans hos
pltalized in Veterans Administration |
facilities. Most of the patients for
merly were limited to $40 of the
full monthly payment during hos
pitalizaIon
2. Authorize ton to organize can
teens" in Veterans Administration
Hospitals similar to the post ex-
changes operated by the Army and
Navy. Congress provided a $4,000
900 revolving fund for the purpose
~Canteens and lunohrooms in vet
,erans' hospitals heretofore have been
operated as private concessions.
3, Resumption of payment to
about 10000 veterans living in
enemy occupied countries during
the war, for whom benefit payments
were stopped in wartime.
4. Legislation providing for award
of medal and an honorable dis
charge lapel button for men who
served during the war in the mer-
chant marine.
). Grant of re-employment rights
for wartime merchant mariners sim
liar to rights of those in the armed
forces.
g. Authorized for the Federal
Works Administration to expend
s75,000,000 for additional temporary
facilities at colleges training vet
Grams under the GI Bill of Rights.
7. Grant of full pensions to some
10000 veterans who were disabled
during peacetime service.
s. Removal of ceiling limits on
pension payments to dependents OF
veterans. Affecting about 1000
cases, the act will allow full payment
of benefits to widows and children of
veterans, regardless of the number
of ienen6entS