Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-09-28
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS CON
SOLlDATiON OF THREE
FEDERAL BUREAUS.
BELIEVES INTERESTS OF
VETERANS BETTER SERVED
Committee Report Complains Of In
adequate and Improper Care Of In
valid Veterans Thru Present OPP
GRAFTON of War Risk and Vocation
al Training Departments.
by E. G.. Dougherty.l

Washington, Sept. 2S.-Consolida-
ton of the bureau of war, risk iusur-
ance. the federal board for vocation
al education and the United States
public health seryice-three separate
bureaus of the government ! that
former service men in Iowa and 9th
ef states have TO deal with-is rec
commended by the National Legisia-
tive Committee of the American
Legion in the report IL will submit to
the national convention of the or.
ganization at Cleveland this week
The recommendation is made in
the interest Of efficiency. the com
mittee believing that the foiitler SER
vice men have been victims too
long OF government red tape.
The report OF the committee gives
particular attention to the hospitali-
cation of sick and disabled soldiers.
saying that an insistent campaign
should be wuged to make congress
realize the necessity of immediately
passing bill appropriating $4,000
COO for the erection Of new hospitals.
II occurs TO the committed" the
report says, THAI it is a crime to
have men suffering from neuro-
phychiatric diseases. In many in
stances brought about by undue
emotional or nervous strain at the
front nerded with the criminal In
sane, or placed in institutions run for
Profit, or in the poor house"
In that rh1nfpr NJ tha rapn,t
hitting to the consolidation of the
three government divisions. the com
mlttee says that there is great dis
satisfaction on the part OF former
service men and women because they
are obliged inttaking up with the
government questions OF compensa-
tioh. medical treatment and voca-
tional education, to communicate
with three distinct branches of the
government. The same evidence re-
CURED to satisfy compensation
claim, the committee points out. is
needed also to satisfy an application
for vocational training or medical
tretment and care.
The committee recommends that
the rehabilitation section of the fed
ne transferred to the treasury de-
partment. as the bureau OF war risk
and the bureau of public health are
already thefe.and BY having three as
sistant secretaries OF the treasury
at the head of each department, ii
would greatly facilitate the task of
soldiers getting action on their re-.
quests. For these three bureaus there
could he built up one payment sec
ton which would handle the admin
lstrative and financial duties. The
three assistant secretaries could con-
solidate and coordinate the work of
their bureaus and thus handle the
entire problem of re- education. hos
rltai treatment compensation. al
lowance and insurance with q mini
mum of red thpe and inconvenience
to the former service man, the re-
port points out.
In discussing disqualification. the
committee says that 10000 beds will
be needed eventually for the treat
ment Of sick and disabled men. The
government has only 10000 beds to-
day and is farming out" approx.
mately fifty per cent of its patients
to private institutions The commit
tee predicts that 10000 men will be
entitled to treatment for neuro-
psychiatric diseases and that even
trally $4,000 men will be given COM
pensation and treatment for tuber-
culosis.
The government" says the report.
now has tuberculosis cases on coun-
ty farms, boarding houses. state in
situations and SO on. No tubercular
patient would be satisfied in an in
stitution of this character, nor is it
conductive to return to health.
THESE men are entitled to the pest
treatment in the best hospital the
government can purchase. lease or
build"