Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1921-02-26
the 10000 now In hospitals, 1900 are


en- to refuge In almshouses anu J"i'S
Many have died, and if immediate ~
lief Is not Forthcoming, more WIZ
die destitute, without proper heur
cal care, without compensation VIII
which to obtain 1t, abandoned by lhe
country they served. All this Is az
tributable directly to the manner III
which the government has admins
tered the affairs of the disabled
"The bureau of war risk insurance
is responsible for the payment oil conf
pensation and for medical and nos
pltal care of the man. Logically, this
would involve establishing contac'
with the men at the time OF theit
discharge from the military or naval
service 1t should then determine the
existence and degree of disability ano
compensation on this basis.
due to the Capitalization Of he
bureaus forces in Washington, Il is
practically impossible under the pres
ent law to establish contact with the
man entitled to these benefits. Inc
disabled man is placed in the position
of a man injured In industry VINO
must sue the company. He must car
~ on an involved and technical CORE
spondenee. 1t is usually months at
ter he is dropped from the pay rolls
Of the army or navy before he is tax
en- upon the pay roll OF the bureau
even though his service discharge
shows a definite degree of disability
On November 26, 1920, $4,000 cases
were pending in the bureau awaiting
definite adjustment of compensation.
Thousands are suffering and many
have died as result Of this neglect
'"The federal board for vocational
training will accept the evidence Of
the bureaus medical files granting
compensation as proof that man is
entitled to vocational training. The
bureau, hoWsvef, Will not accept the
evidence that the Board has awarded
training as proof that man is en-
titled to compensation.
If the veteran is receiving COM
pehsation and wants training, usually
he must take another physical exam
nation, administered by the board to
determine whether the claimant has d
vocational handicap emitting him to
training pay, or merely a eompens-
able disability granting him training
only. Ii the veteran is not receiving
compensation, due to delay by the
bureau, he must be examined by the
board, to determine his eligibility for
training, as we'll.
training pay, his compensation stops
and he is shifted from the pay roll of
the bureau to the pay roll of the
board. The board, which was created
as training agency only, has be-
come a compensating agency as well.
Many men have been kept on the pay
roll of the board, not as a training
solely, but as measure of
financial relief which they were en-
titled to, but unable to obtain from
the bureau.
When man is dropped from train
ing he is supposed to be dropped from
the pay roll of the board and taken
up by the bureau. On both shifts
there is delay. The average length
Of time for man to be dropped from
the bureau pay roll and taken up on
the board pay roll is about three
weeks. The average time required
for the second shift back to the bu-
reau pay roll is two months. No pro-
vision is made for the mans main.
.enance during these interims. In the
majority of cases a man must under
go new physical examination before
The bureau will again pay him COM
pensat0n. In other words, he must
again prove his claim.
'9rhe position Of the United States
public health service is peculiar II
took It's place in the rehabilitation
scheme poorly equipped for the work
t was to perform, but was apparent
y the best medical governmental
agency then available. 1t acts as AN
agent both of the bureau and the
BOARD, but is responsible to no au-
.hority common to both board and
bureau, because there is no such au-
hority.
I'm view Of this condition the re-
thing about the present re-
mobilization program Is that it has
what little 1t has. Such
progress as has been made is a tribute
% the sincerity Of the men In the bu.
'eau, the board ant the public health
service who generally have made the
,est of an impossible situation.
'grhe best Of this impossible situa.
ion, however, has been insufficient
llways. This is particularly true re-
,arding disqualification.
'Of the 10000 men now in hospitals,
500 are in institutions which are un.
1t because suitable hospital facilities
ire not available"
The Legion AYERS that $1,000 beds
ire needed at once. Of this number,
800 are necessary for transfer of tn,
'ercular patients from present unsat~
sfactory hospitals, and 5000 for
ransfer of neuro-psychiatric patients
rom the inadequate lodgings which
hey occupy now. The number Of tu-