The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-05
Home Service II. C.. Business
Local Chapters Work.
Soldiers Relatives Lose Time
Writing Elsewhere.
LOCAL CHAPTER EFFICIENT
One of Twenty-Three in Divi'
sion Complimented.
Three Hundred Cases Now Be.
ing Worked On.

The home service section of the To-
peka chapter OF the American Red
Cross has been advised by division
headquarters at st. Louis that all cor
respondence regarding allotments
must be handled thru the chapter in
the county in which the case arises.
In Shawnee county that chapter is the
one here in Topeka.
Many people becoming anxious. ac-
cording to Mrs. C. w. Seely. executive
secretary of the home service section.
about the allotments from their rela :
tfves in the army or navy, write direct
either to st. Louis or to national head
quarters in Washington. In either
case, says Mrs. Seely, the people who
do this lose far more time than they
imagine they are gaining, for the let
tiers in each case are referred back to
the chapter in the territory from
which they originate, which in the
case of Shawnee county is the chap
ter here in Topeka.
Local Chapter Efficient.
The chapter in Topeka has been
designated as one of twenty-three in
the southwestern division with whom
associate field directors and home
service agents may correspond direct.
According to a recent letter received
by Mrs. Seeiy from Alfred Fairban nix.
St. Louis, the home service chapter
here is highly efficient and capable
Of giving careful and immediate at
tention to all cases arising within the
precincts of Shawnee county.
The homo service chapter here. says
Mrs. Seely. is now working on more
than 800 cases. 1t is equipped and
ready to handle many more than that
| number should the necessity arise. But
| people must recognize the fact that
! they will obtain better and quicker re-
suits If they go direct to their local
chapter without bothering to write to
Washington or St. Louis, for in this
case the letters are simply returned
to Topeka and have to start out again
from the office here, and in this way
a great deal of very valuable time IL
| lost to the questioner, and an addi-
tional burden in the way of routine is
placed upon the Red Cross force all
along the line.
| Work Growing Rapidly.
The thing is becoming so vast now
| almost as large a proposition as the
army OF which it is almost a part
that people must learn to follow the
regular channels in going after any in.
formation they desire. 1t may look
IKE lot of unnecessary red tape, but
| it is so big now that everything mus
| be done Systematically and then. saw.
Mrs. Seely. the Red Cross is prepared
to give results quickly and authorize.
lively.
| People are not generally aware thai
the Red Cross has special form
known as Form 296, thru which al
| allotment cases must be handled, II
any results are to be obtained. The
local chapter offices are the only
places where these are obtainable, sc
! people must learn to go direct to theii
Red Cross headquarters and take The
| things up in the official routine way
| Miss Helen Brigham is assisting Mrs
Seely, executive secretary of the home
service section. The work is fast be.
coming too large for Mrs. Seely tc
handle alone and the addition of Miss
Brigham to the staff will greatly
facilitate the work of handling the
large amount of correspondence rela.
tive to allotments and insurance, with
which the work of the home service
section is mostly concerned.