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Show CRITICIZE PRACTICE OF WAR BUREAU WASHINGTON". Deo. 14. The practice of the war risk Insurance bureau in calling call-ing upon soldiers' dependents for refunds where investigation showed that improper allowances had been made, was criticized today by Representative Tread way of Massachusetts, Republican, at a eommil-ta eommil-ta hearing on an amendment proposed by him to correct it. Soon after the war started tho bureau, Mr. Tread way said, made many allowances which it found later were not fully justified. In such cases dependents were asked to return re-turn the money, and when this was not done, the amount was taken from the soldier's pay. 'This has worked a great hardship upon thousands of families," Mr. Tread-I Tread-I way said. "When they received the I money they understood they were entitled to it and did not hesitate about spending it. Now when the government asks it back, they are not able to pay it, I received re-ceived a letter today from a mother whose son is In a hospital in France. She had been ordered to refund the money the bureau had paid her. The only way she could do so. she said, would be by going to work, and this she is physically unable to do." |