Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-01-19
VETERANS WELFARE .
BOARD IS PRAISED
BY LEGION PR0BERS
CONTINUED From Page One)

pOSls OIL SuCH OlSuliAdLiul, AoA PuA,
poses not apparent on the face of sucl
official records
Findings-That cash advances wer'
made to Legion officers for specia
! trips incidental to indirect relief. ant
head of American Legion" in the com
missions books and reports. That thu
| salary of the state adjutant and ont
stenographer is now paid from the wei
fare fund and formerly the salary O.
the war risk officers. That one mem
Der of the Butte post is being palt
from the fund as field worker il
Butte. That there is no evidence t.
indicate any direct or Indirect dona
ton of money to finance any loca
post"
In regard to the above, the repor
explains that the Legion. as the one
big organiza ton of exserylce men. wa
chosen as the proper vehicle TO MAKE
contact with the disabled soldiers, ant
that few officers of the Legion Wer.
placed on salary as field workers,
being ''preferred to veterans with NJ
connections. because of the aims ant
objects of the Legion being identlca
with those of the welfare commits
sion"
Expenses of Delegates
Charge 3-'That the veterans wei
fare commission has from time to timt
paid the expenses of one or more Of
its members and employees to the ma
tionaI and state conventions Of
the American Legion, out of the vet
erans' welfare fund. for reasons moi
apparent on the face of the officia
records"
Findings-"We find that the com
mission paid the expenses Of one OIL
more of its employees to each of the
conventions of the American Legion
both state and national. and that al
the state conventions they paid the
expenses of one or more of the work
ers in the office of the veterans vel
fare commission.
I'VE find the commission has spent
the sum of $500 in helping to assist
an organization known as the WON
ems Auxiliary of the American LIE
gion. ..,
We find that the veterans vel
fare commission advanced cash to pay
the expenses of four delegates to the
Minneapolis convention of the Amer
lean Legion.
Fer Cleveland Convention
I'VE find that the next year, IN or
der TO have a full representation oil
Montana delegates at the Cleveland
convention, the commission adopted &
similar policy and spent the sum OF
$500 to defray the expenses of the
the delegates to the convention.
We find that in 1921 the commits
sion paid the expenses of two members
of the commission and one employe tc
the convention held at the city OF
Kansas City.
We find that during the month oil
December. 1920. the commission founC
it advisable and did expend the sum OF
$3.50 to defray the expenses of five
Legion men familiar with the prob
lens of disabled men to the city OF
Washington, u. C., TO urge upon con-
gress the immediate passage of an act
which, in their minds, was necessary
to the proper handling of the disabled
problem
Had Governors Approval
In comment the committee states
the delegation 10 Minneapolis was sent
to the convention after consultation
had been had with the governor OF
Montana and his approval given. II
was through this delegation. it was
said, that the war risk bureau was urg-
ed TO establish All agency of persona
contact with the disabled men of the
state. The government. it Is stated
AS a direct result of this delegation
work. adopted a plan of placing II mer
in Montana TO give their full time &c
getting in contact with the disabled
men Additional work for the disabled
men was performed at the other con-
yentions, the report states. At Wash
ington. especially, the report finds that
the delegation, through conference
with the war risk officials. secured
ratings in state cases so that more
than $4,000 came immediately to the
different disabled men in Montana.
Praise Women's Auxiliary
As to the turning over of state funds
to the womenS auxiliary, the commit
tee states mo organization in the
state has done more for the welfare
and care of the disabled men. Their
good work has been limited only by the
funds at their disposal. 1t is the be
f, lief of your committee that the vet
Grams welfare commission could dc
nothing better than to financially as
sist these women in their work"
The committee finds that part of the
money turned over to the auxiliary
by the commission was used to defray
to the women's convention.
Charge .t-"'rhat the veterans well
fare commission has. so far as the ex-
animation of the claims for which
there are receipts in the state audi
tors office show. expended about
S10S. 043.5S for soldier relief at cost
of about S52.S73.7S. or 1893 per cent
of such relief"
Money for Relief
Findings-''lour committee finds
that it is practically physical impos.
sibility to draw the line between what
is usually called overhead and what
might be called soldier relief. If the
only form of soldier relief contemplate
ed by the legislature was in the form
of actual cash the charge might be
correct. 1t is true the commission ha6
sole authority to divide the entire ap-
preparation of $1,000 pro rata among
the 10000 veterans of Montana. Civ
ing each So, if it SO desired, in which
case the commission would not be oper
to this criticism. 1t could not have
been condemned for what it did do
but certainly would have been oper
IEnAF AnvEpTvSuNn