Evening star., 1921-07-24


| their cases have to be presented to
Washington. going fhe long wa,
! round from one bureau to another.
All Of this duplication and conflict
Of authority has tended to confuse
| the veteran and has added enormous.
ly- to the expense Of caring for the
veterans
Proposed Consolidation.
1t Is to cure just such conditions
that. the Sweet bill was drafted and
is about to become a law. In the
first place. the bill provides for con-
solidating into one bureau the bu-
reau Of war risk insurance, the re-
habilitation division of the Fedora,
Board for Vocational Education, and
SO much of the public health service
| as relates TO the examination, assign
ment to hospitals and welfare of the
! former service men. AS the bill
passed the House. ii provided this
veterans bureau should be under the
/ Treasury Department, with its di-
I rector an assistant secretary of the
/ Treasury. at a salary of $4,000. The
Senate, however, determined to make
f; the bureau an independent establish.
: ment, directly undr the control of the
President, with. however, a director
receiving the same salary as that pro-
| vided in the House bill. In this
one bureau Will be consolidated.
therefore. all N. agencies. which
have been in ......ict over cases oil
the veterans. s. hoped that mass
] of red tape H... ,e cut immeditely.
/ and that til. .-....essIng delays In
allotment. a..o" -.ice. compensation
and insurance ..-....s will be brou yht
! to an end.
RcEIJnai . SubOficers.
! While centraIl.I .on Of authority in
Washington l.. piaLned. the bill
makes provision Tor decentralization
! in the field 10 make Il possible more
! speedily to aid the ve.erans. Pfori-
| sion Is MADE Tor fourteen regiona,
| offices and not TO exceed l4U sub
\ offices throughout the country. Al
these regional Offices all the work
/ Oh RECEIVING dppilNabioiASr ASoa 49,
complains. hoIa.ne examinaloiI.',
passing on az. "a. Us Ind o.her routih
! work will be dom. -..iu inves iga .io.is
| will be mad Iur .Ae proper aid eA-
: peditious discrimination OF compei.-
/ satIon and ti.s \. t-sses cia ms anu liiN
/ furuishi.. y. ,-..i GaIe and voca-
tIopal train.... u-her dement's l.
| which TIL H. .s.ce meh may b.
| en- ,it.rd uu. operation OF the
law tacu Regional Offices
Will be a.... ..e,y complete Ia.
| itself Iur -..ss
| The sU.y.. .-.,lIrmore. Will bt
auxiliary ~ ~e-oha. olices ah~
Will have II"ers Is may Ia
! de.egaIeu ~ the director,
! except to i... .r. lisa .on and li-
surance a,w.. ....u 20 grant Noca-
| tional tra,-..-S.
In this way. ,ne veterans bureau
will be decea,raI.Zed, except for the
! general aun,.nisii...on and final ac-
| counting The original records of al.
! activities colcer.,ed, however, will
remain in Washington. while copies
or working cards are kept in the
| regional and suboffices
In each regional Office the men In
charge will be responsible for main
! tanning proper and economic service,
examinations for awards, for making
| payments, for disqualification, voca
tional training and all other matters
involved All questions. SO far as
| 4 r.l ,f hn nj
of origin. near or in the presence Of
the men concerned. doing away with
many of the intermed ary steps now
required Appeals will be possible
from the regional Offices to the
Washington headquarters. IL neces-
sary, subject to final review by the
director Of the bureau.
The central office of the veterans
bureau will be located in the Airing
ton building here, and 1t is expected
that it will house completely all the
Office activities.
y Rights OF Service Men Extended.
The Sweet bill also enlarges the ex-
listing rights of the former service
men. 1t provides. for instance. for
the first. time, for medical care and
Treatment of persons suffering from
an injury contracted in or aggravated
by the service to. some degree less
than 10 per cent reduction in. earning
capacity. Under the existing law the
bureau of war. risk insurance can give
no medical care or treatment to those
not entitled to compensation, and it
can give compensation only to those
persons having at least a 10 per cent
disability. Although the Sweet bin
grants no compensation for disability
less than 10 per cent, 1t does au-
thorize the veterans bureau to grant
medical aid and treatment to persons
who suffered any disability in the
military service. although the dis
ability be less than 10 per cent. Pro-
visions are made in the bill, alEo.
amending the law relating to the re-
instatement Of war risk insurance.
The Sweet bill, it is expected, will
do much to relieve the situation
which has arisen regarding the veter
ans. 1t is likely that it will be the
only soldier relief legislation at the
present session, except for possible
further appropriations for hospitals,
ETC. The soldier bonus bill will not
be taken up again, in all probability,
until the regular session Of Con-
i gress next winter. and even then 1t
1 nay be postponed.
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