The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1922-01-27
VETERANS WELFARE BOARD IS
PRAISED BY LEGION PR0BERS

it advisable ana ola expenu Ine 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, D. c., to urge upon Con-
gress the immediate passage OF an
Act which, in their minds, was neces-
a r. to the proper handling of the
disabled problem.
In comment the Committee states
the delegates to Minneapolis were sent
to the convention after consultation
had been had with the Governor of
Montana and his approval given. 1t
was through this delegation, it was
said, that the War Risk Bureau was
urged to establish an agency OF per-
sonal contact with the disabled men
of the state, The government, it is
stated, as a direct result of his delega-
TONS work, adopted a plan of plac-
ing II men in Montana to give their
full time to getting in contact with
the disabled men. Additional work for
the disabled men was performed at the
other conventions, the report says:
At Washington, especially, the report
finds that the delegation, through con-
ference with the War Risk officials,
secured ratings in state cases so that
more than $4,000 came Immediately
to the different disabled men in Mon
tana.
As to the turning over Of state funds
to the Women's Auxiliary, the Com
mittee states "no organization in the
state has done more for the welfare
and care of the disabled men. Their
good work has been limited by the
funds at their disposal. 1t is the
belief of your committee that the Vet
GRAMS Welfare Commission could do
nothing better than to financially as
sist these ONE in their work." The
Committee finds that part of the mon
ey turney over to the Auxiliary by the
Commission was used to defray the
expense of some of the delegates to
the Women's Auxiliary convention.
Charge 4-"That the Veterans We'll
fare Commission, so far as the ex-
animation of the claims for which
there are receipts in the State Audit
or's office show, expended about $685.
O43.58 for soldier relief at a cost of
about $52,873.78 or 1898 percent of
such relief"
Findings-Your Committee finds
that it is practically a 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 contemplated
by the legislature was in the form Of
actual cash, the charge might be cor
rect. 1t is true that the Commission
has sole authority to divide the entire
appropriation Of 100000 pro rata a.
, mong the 10000 veterans of Montana
!, giving each $500, if it is so desired, il
: which cas- the Commission would no
3 be open to this criticism. It could no
: have been condemned for what it di
e do, but certainly would have bee
open to the severest criticism for wha
it did not do. The Commission, W
find, did do far more than merely Civ
: out temporary relief, and we find tina
r this temporary relief went entirely t,
disabled veterans and amounted t.
$1O9,422.17.
: In explaining the percentage of &C
3 tual direct relief and expenditures, tn
report states that the indirect relic
e could not be estimated in dollars an
r cents. They cite work done in gettin,
+ laws passed and other indirect meth
DDS which redounded to the benefi
G Of the disabled men.
Charge 5-"That the Veterans We,
e fare Commission has not filed itemiz
Il ed receipts in the office of the Stat
d Auditor in support of claims for e,
Al penses beyond blanket receipts, show
le ing a total sum for a given gener;
It expense, such as supplies travelin,
d etc., in contradistinction to the ordir
airy method in which state funds a,
handled whereby receipts must /
lie shown for every expense item in G,
cess of $1.5O."
n Findings-We find that althoup
e itemized receipts are not on file in IL
D. office of the Auditor, or on file wit
al the Board of Examiners, that the We
Grams Welfare Commission has Ike,
It itemized receipts on file in it's W O
flee. We find that the Board of E,
aminers, in accordance with authorit
conferred upon it by a general statut
has passed a regulation limiting IL
expense of travelling within the stat
d aside from the railroad rate, to for
IS dollars a day, prohibiting the use {
takes in cities where a street car sy.
e tenn is in operation, and prohibiting c
e the charging against the state {
Montana tips and other purely person
al expenditures, and requiring receipt
o for each expenditure of over 81. so.
We find that it was the n
e custom of the Commission to reouir
e all of its employees to submit a detail
ed statement of expenses. Mr.. Pc,
(secretary of the commission) frank
admits that he, as far as his W ey
penses were concerned, was lax in thi
r respect, and that he has not filed dc
e tailed accounts of his expenses in trav
cling and has not preserved recent
: Of all items.
Your Committee finds that many O
the ltemized claims are not clear O
their face. Several include Joint par
TIA expenses of two or more employ
+ eeS; other indicates the evcbapra ~