The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-05-12
WAR R|SKH
BY COMMITTEE.
Parker investigators Say b.
reau Has Wasted Money and
Mistreated Veterans.

Wilful waste Of funds and mis-
treatment of wounded ex-ssrviee
men is charged against the Bureau
Of War Risk Insurance in q re,
port issued today by the Parker
Commission, composed Of civilians
and ex-service men In the business
and engineering professions, which
has just completed . thorough in
vestigation Of that bureau, the
Public Health Service and the Fed
erai Board for Vocational Edu-
cation.
CHARGES MONEY WASTED.
The commission charges that money
was wasted on building and equip
nient. which could have been saved by
appA,ation of q budget system. It
charges that "too high salaries ara
paid to directors and assistants who
are not qualified for positions" and
who were promoted from clerks
without any business training or sx-
perience."
Lack Of executive ability or adssia-
istrative ability Is charged against the.
heads of branches of the service, re-
lack of supervision, and lack of rec
ords of correspondence. mo record
was kept of the correspo ndencs and.
II was months before an ex-service
man received . reply to bis letter
the report states.
mo record was found for the
amount OF stationery used" 1t
charges. "No doubt there we're mil
lions Of dollars wasted in stationery
for the three departments. which
could have been eliminated"
RAPs DEPARTMENT. HEADS.
Twenty per cent of the girl clerks
had been telephone operators In small
towns before the war and were not
lifted to be stenographers and typists
Without special training. It was
found.
Department heads were unused 20
handling money in large amounts and.
in an effort to cut down expense the
only thing they thought Of was to
cut down the disabilities of the wound
ed men. the report alleges.
wounded men undergoing treat
ment have been unable to eollecs
their disability payments from the
war Risk Bureau, the report
charges, with the result that the
majority Of men are nom three to
six months behind In their pay
ments and some a. much e. eight
months behind.
There are more than 10000 in
this department (War Risk, where
from 5000 to 5000. Including de-
partment heads. should handle this
work." the report continues. This
condition has been allowed - exist
for political reasons"
The physicians in most cases are
Just out Of college. and have had very
little experience. IL they were able
II would not help the boys cases for
the cases are all mixed up-overseas
men and men who remained on this
Side. medical records gone from hos
pitfalls and convalescent camps, and
overseas records that do not belong
to- the ex-service man. but to some
other man who was In the same ward
at the base hospital
BLAMEs WAR DEPARTMENT..
This condition can be traced clear
to the War Department, for there are
thousands of records in boxes and
crates that never have been opened
since they were shipped from France
The whole idea seems to be to
hold on to the boys money instead
OF paying them what belongs to
them.
The report also charges that men
who were disabled overseas have
been disconnected from the service
without receiving their disability pay.
which they have been unable to col
lect
This condition il said to apply
especially to the Providence Hos
pital and to the United States Public
Health Service Hospital at Mt. Alto.
at both of which the men are de-
clared to be far behind in their dis
ability payments.