Connecticut western news., 1922-01-19

of the American legion, Connecticut
 department, to cooperate with the attorney-general of Connecticut, rep resenting the state board of control, in defense of said act creating said state fund for the aid of Connecti- cut soldiers, sailors and marines of the World war, and the issues raised in said writ and complaint"
 The meeting of the executive com mittee was a long one and it is said that the efforts to discredit Treasurer Butterworth in his handling of the relief fund were roundly denounced. Members of the legion expressed themselves as particularly incensed over alleged attacks on the work of the organization published in a Hart ford paper and said to be fostered by state Comptroller Harvey P. Bissell. Comptroller Bisse1l has vigorously opposed the granting of a salary to the legion treasurer by the state board of control and has refused to act on the advice of Attorney Gen eral Frank Healy who is a member of the board of control, and also has refused to obey vote of the board authorizing the payment of the salary. Comptroller Bissell voted against the other three members of the board-Governor Lake, Treas urer Gilpatric and Attorney General Healy-saying that he would not pay out the salary money unless ordered to do so by a court.
 The American legion executive committee also authorized the publi- cation of a statement issued by Treasurer Butterworth, Judge Willi- am J. Malone and Morgan G. Bulke- ley, jr., wherein the treasurer says that for nine months the administra- tion of the fund was carried on with the use of his office and furniture rent free. The statement also de- clared that at present the legion is handling between 500 and 600 cases weekly in this state and about twenty cases in other states. AS many as 2,8OO cases have been handled in a single week, says the statement. There is now a central office staff of four besides the treasurer and the work is done in one room and half of another. For nine months of last year $2O0,000 was distributed to of former service men at an expense of per cent of the amount disbursed in spite of the necessity for making an investiga- tion of each case. "We will be glad to have our record correctly pre- sented to the public," says the com mittee in this statement.
 Malone and Ellsworth
 Commander Seymour has ap- pointed Oliver Ellsworth of Portland and Judge William J. Malone of Bristol to act with him as the com mittee to engage counsel in the le- gion's case against the temporary injunction restraining Treasurer But terworth from collecting a salary for his work in connection with the fund.
 At Comptroller Bissell's direction two state auditors are at present go- ing over the books of the legion office in New Haven and on Saturday, Treasurer Butterworth said that he the fullest investigation into the administration of the fund.
 A Legion Fight
 ''This is to be legion fight from now on," declared member of the executive committee after the meet ign Saturday. "Treasurer Butter worth has borne the brunt of the op- position to the legion and it's activi- ties up to now and has had to meet rotten insinuations, but now we want it understood that this opposi- ton is drive against the American