The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-05-16

Senu the DOiluScS Out idstci.
Forty-five thousand veter-
ans, many of them needy
and jobless, are waiting for
their bonuses.
And Hervcy Lindley. ad3utant Of
Rainier. Noble post. American Legion.
nays tina; the distr tressfui veterana' un-
employment problem would be great
iy relieved had bonuses been paid
promptly.
Thess facts were discovered by The
star. in investigating the snail-ihe
pace Of the bonus dispensing.
Any reputable bank would have
paid all the bonuses within three
months. at the longest. Tho great
state OF Washington Is going to lum-
ber along and take one year to give
the war heroes their due.
WHY
Tom swaie. state commander Of the
American Legion. doesn't know.
Neither does IAndiey. adjutant OF the
states largest Legion post Both are
trying to find out.
AUDITOR DOESN'T BLAME
THE BOYS FOR HOLl-ERlNG"
The Star went To State Auditor c.
W. Clausen TO lind out.
Ciauscn says:
Il don't blame the boys for hoilcr.
ing Maybe I would too. But I'm
paying the bonuses just as fast as !
can. A great amount Of money must
be dispersed and can't afford TO
make mistakes must be cereful
and slow"
The Star asked Clausen how many
extra employees he had hired TO han
die the bonus.
Twenty or thirty" he re
piled.
MIR. Clausen. wouldn't II be posi-
bic to double or triple that force7
There are thousands of vets who
could do the work and who are now
jobless. The law allows you to en-
ploy as many persons as you wish.
doesn't it?'
Yes. but
Here Clausen injected the two IN.
MENSE blockades that are damming
the stream OF payments.
I. Every warrant must be sign
I'd. Only three men are allowed
by state Law TO sign them. They
are signing ss many rs they can.
9. Every application must be
checked with the Veterans Wei
fare commission loan list. There
Is only one list Only two men
can work on the list nj the same
time. They are working rs fast
ms they can
But, Mr.. Clausen. the average
number OF warrants mailed per day
is 2To. with multiple signature
writer one man could sign all the
warrants in a short time. couldn't
hc?"
SURELY EXPERT FILERS
COULD DO 1T FASTER
And surely, two men In eight
hours can check more than 210 appli- |
cations to discover IL the vet has Dor.
rowed from the welfare commission.
III the men doing II now can't. |
surely expert filers can. II they
can't, couldn't another list be made?
You are allowed to employ as many
persons as you wish"
I'VE have only one multiple sign.
er"--Ciausen defended his two STUN
bling blocks--''and this bonus work
in in addition TO our regular state
work. And 27o a day is the most
we can get out day. have told
you why. A lot Of money is con.
cerned. / must be careful"
The Star was then referred to Ar.
chic Tweedy, in direct charge OF the |
work. He presented his side thus:
"One-thlrd OF the applications must
be returned or the applicant commu.
nicated with. This causes great de-
lay.
Some county auditors were slow |
In getting applications to us. And 1
then again. when they sent in sew
eral thousand at once. we didn't |
know which ones they had received
first or which last. AS far as we
were concerned. they were all re.
ceived the same day, That Is why |
some men who applied on the same |
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