New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-11
Legion Will Fight
For Civil Service
Priority for Vets
Chairman Ward Calls ON
Ex-Service Men and Citi-
zens to Pass Amend
ment TO the Constitution

Veterans of New York state are de-
termined in their campaign for favor
able vote in November for Amendment
L, providing for civil service prefer
ment for ex-service men and women.
The committee directing the Lesion's
fight for the success of this legislation
IS under the direction of Thomas F.
Ward jr, of Brooklyn, and associated
with him in the work are the follow
ing:
Thomas Cannon, past state COM
mander of the United Spanish War
Veterans; William F. Deegan, vice
commander of the New York Depart
ment, American Legion; James M. Kier-
nan, state commander of the Veterans
of Foreign Wars; Timothy ]. Moynahan,
state commander of the United Amer
lean War Veterans; Ralph Bell, vice.
president of the Civil Employees Asso-
citation of World War Veterans, and
Miss Ray Sawyer, head Of the Legion's
Auxiliary in this state.
In his call to Legion post to help In
the campaign Chairman Ward says:
This is the time for action. 1t Ia
suggested that each post organize a
preference committee and that this
committee get in touch with other
veteran organizations in it's community,
SO that coordination will result. Lee
gionnaires should ask civic, patriotic
and fraternal organizations for q hear
ing on the measure and urge them to
pass resolutions favoring the bill.
Our opponents are canvassing che
entire state in an effort to defeat the
bill, and it is absolutely necessary that
veterans get busy"
Chairman Ward also appealed To &hn
public for support for the measure in
the following statement.
Now that the ex-soIdiers are not to
be allowed the bonus, for some time at
least, those who are in the civil service,
or need jobs of that type, should be
given preference over the men who did
not go to war. The people of this state
nave always. when they had an oppor-
tunlty, voted to give the ex-service man
ali the privileges and prerogatives
winch gratitude for service demands,
and on November they are going to
be given the opportunity to vote on
this question. Civil War veterans al
ways have had this preferment, and We
feel sure that the people will vote
Yes on proposition No. /, which will
aid the World War and Spanish War
service men in this regard
1T will be tragic if the service men
are led to believe that the country is
wholly ungrateful and that New York
S'a1e ponticians are aDle TO keep them
out of the preferment which soldiers
and sailors have always enjoyed I'm
employment is hitting the veterans
hard and we cannot believe that the
average citizen of this state does not
favor giving state and municipal Jobs
to men who have proved that they
realized the responsibility Of citizen
ship by shouldering gun"
In an effort to carry their mes
sage to the voters of every section Of
the state the committee has assigned
John J. Hannigan, of Fire Depart
ment Post of the Legion, to tour the
entire department. Hannigan left New
York on Friday afternoon and will
speak in q different town each day.
On Friday he addressed meeting at
Newburgh and yesterday he spoke at
Poughkeepsie.