The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-12-22
VOCATIONAL
TRAINING

One of the outstanding features of
the late "Clean-Up Drive" conducted
by the Veterans Bureau, during which
time approximately 5000 persons were
interviewed in the 10th District, has
been the laxity on the part of some of
the claimants interviewed in supply
ing essential information required in
the adjustment Of their claims. 1t is
therefore,, deemed expedient that
claimants should be advised through
accurate publicity: to supply the ne
cessary additional information re-
uuested OIL their cases, SO that the
same may be finally adjusted.
An application for compensation Or
vocational training must be properly
executed and filed before the bureau
IS authorized to consider the claim.
BY properly executing the application
is meant that the claimant must an.
swer the questions asked, must sign
his name, and have the same ack-
nowledged before someone authorized
to take acknowledgements, and in adj
dition to this must have the signatures
Of two persons who are acquainted
with the claimant as witnesses.
The second, and most important
feature, is that the claimant must sub
nit an honorable discharge from the
United States military or naval
forces or a certified copy thereof. The
certifcation should be made by an Of
fetal empowered to acknowledge
oaths. 1t IS of the utmost import
ance that a claimant, in order to re-
ceive consideration; be able to trace
his alleged disability to the service, or
at least that he prove that his condi
ton was aggravated because Of his
having been in the service. It there
fore follows that in a very large num-
Der of cases connection with the SER
vice must be proved by affidavits of
those who were associated with the
claimant while he was in the service
or by those who knew of his physical
condition previous to his entrance into
the service, during the time he was
in the service, and after his discharge
from the service. Affidavits of for
mer companions in the service are
very desirable, but if it is impossible
to obtain these, other affidavits will be
deemed sufficient if they cover a per-
iod of time between the date of the
claimants discharge and the commenc-
ing of the alleged disability sufficient
to show connection with the service
It is of the greatest Importance that
these aflidavits be furnished upon re-
quest and that the claimant comply
with all requests made by the Bureau
A great deal of criticism has been
made of the alleged dilatory actions
of the government in adjudicating
some of the claims that have been fill
ed Investigation of these complaints
has shown in vast majority of cases
that the particular case under discus
sion has been delayed because of the
failure of the claimant to supply es
sential data which has been requested
It is recognized by the Bureau that
in a certain number of cases wherein
the claimant has made requests to
furnish information: the request is
not fully understood. In case of this
character, it is advisable for the
claimant to communicate with the
nearest office Of the Veterans Bureau
or with the Red Cross, where matters
will be explained to him and the pro-
per papers executed.
The Veterans Bureau is making a
strenuous efforts to get in contact with
every former service person who may
have a claim for compensation or vo-
cational training, and in asking the
full cooperation of all interested to
the end that the benefits allowed un-
der the law may be taken full advant-
age of.