The pioneer-review. [volume] (Philip, Haakon County, S.D.) 1920-current, 1921-10-20
THE BONUS BOARD
HARD AT WORK

The Pioneer-Review has two let
ters from ex-service men in Haa-
kon county, inquiring whether we
can give them any information
about the progress of the work OF
the state bonus board. Evidently
two boys would like to get their
money before winter sets in, and
this is only natural and very hui
man desire. We have made some
investigation, and can report that
the board is well advanced. 1t is
no small task, but the present sit
uation is encouraging.
A total of 23,7OO claims had
been filed on Saturday, October s,
leaving only approximately 1900
unified. New claims are just drib-
bling in now, so that Col. Ray be-
lieves these 1,200 will be in their
places on the files together with
the few hundred that may still
come in, which will permit trans
fer of some of the personnel Of
the department over to the investi-
cation and pay departments.
There is no intention to increase
the force at Pierre, and no need
Of it, Col. Ray said, the whole aim
being to shift the personnel so
as to keep the work as evenly di-
vided as possible. The danger of
having one department swamped
and another idle has thus been a.
voided.
During the week ending Satur-
day, October 8, the examination
department., starting with $50
claims left over from the previous
week, drew 1900 more from the
filing department, approved 766 for
final payment, turned over 657 to
the investigatin department and
had 237 unexamined claims on hand
at the end of the week October s.
During the week previous, ending
Saturday, October 1st, the examina-
tion department drew 1.750 claims
with 1,025 already on it's hands
which had been carried iover from
the week ending September "a;
making 2775 to handle. Of this
number it approved for final pay
ment only $50, passed 1885 on to
the investigation department, and
at the close of business on Octo-
ber l, had $50 on hand unexamin-
ed. Two thirds of the number of
claims handled by the examina-
tion department that went to the
investigation department.
1 Briefly stated said Col. Ray,
"a comparison between the last
two weeks work in the examina-
tion department should answer de-
finitely and clearly the carefully
planned attack recently made on
the conduct of the bonus board,
and should show clearly the inn
provement brought out in that de-
partment by the change of person
mel which brought out unfavorable
comment from a few newspapers
of the state who were evidently
seriously misinformed as to the
situation
Last week, ending October s,
the examination department hand
led thoroughly an average of 237
claims per day, which is fully up
to our expectations. Nearly one
half of the claims so far filed have
been approved for final payment.
At the meeting Of the board in
Pierre we shall probably make
some transfers of the personnel,
from one department to another,
because of the fact that the filing
department is catching up with
the accumulation and can there
after do its work with a smaller
force, while the heavy work of
investigation is just getting start
ed. The pay department also will
be getting started soon. Our whole
plan has been to make the differ
ent parts interchangeable, with
each member of the force capable
of serving in any capacity, al
smooth running business organiza-
tion The force will not have to
be increased.
In all 22,70O claims have been
filed. Of these 1925 have been