New-York tribune., 1922-02-01
Fish Plans Cut
OF 200 Million
In Bonus Cost
..egion's Committees Told at
Albany Amendment Fa-
voring Insurance Feature
Would Aid Federal Bill
Reports on State Payment
Executive Chairman Recon-
mends Legislature Find
Way to Raise Money


censat;on and an increase Of the same
.mount in the twenty-year. paid-up In
,urance policy in the veterans COM
oensation bill row pending in Congress
we're advocated by Representative am
ilton Fish ir at 0inner Of committees
Of the State American Legion in the
Hotel Ten Eyck here tonight Mr..
Fish also advocated an amendment to
ne proposed bill which would exclude
from any benefit former service men
eho paid a tax on an income Of $4,000.
Mr. Fish said that under this ar
rangement only the man who was un-
Employed and down and out financially
would accept the cash bonus. while the
others would prefer the paid-up in
surance feature. The plan, he said
would reduce the number Of applicants
for cash compensation to minimum
and would cut incidental expenditures
for the next two years from 100000 j.
800 annually to 100000 900
Refers to Watson Charges
He called upon the American Legion
70 Offset by clear-cut statements the
-harge of Senator Watson. of Georcia
that American soldiers were hanged in
France without trial MIR. Fish declared
that if such unfounded charges are
permitted to be published broadcast
The time would soon come when an ex-
service man would no longer care to
disclose the fact that he was a mem
Der of the A. +. r.
Colonel c. W. Wickersham. of the
Legion's State decentralization Com
n,ttee, told of the need for new hos
pltals, particularly for tube rcular and
mental cases.
There is no government hospital
for tubcrcular or mental cases IN the
State Of New York said Colonel
Wickersham. The consequence is that
hundreds of men have been sent to
other places in various parts of the
country from Arizona to California or
10 makeshlft hospitals like the Fox
Hills Hospital.
AS means for caring for these mon
| would suggest that Legionnaire be
assigned to look after the welfare of
avery man II government or contract
hospital, one Lcslonnalre to each man
Il would be the duty Of this Legion
raire TO see that the mans compensa-
don was correct ard kept intact: that
received the proper disqualification
I'd, m brief. do everything possible
tr the good OF his patient. This is
lr duty. and every man should be
kad of the opportunity.
Reports Prepared
There are more than 1000 still IN
ke hospitals of Now ork as result
b war service, and there are thousands
bho arc What We call out patients;
That is they gre not confined in a hos
sital. but report there regularly for
treatment"
To-day eleven state committees Of
kie Legion met and prepared reports
which were made TO the executive com
mittee. These include the hospitalza-
'ion, welfare. civil service and lcgisla-
tive committees.
The executive committee, OF which
Samuel Aronowltz is chairman. recon
rended that some form of legislation
he adopted to the end that veterans
would receive a state bonus in accord
snce with the vote of the people. The
committee announced that it would be
unWise for it to tell the Legislature
how to raise this money. but said that
an amendment to the legislation pro-
vding for bond issue would cause q
delay of three or four years and by
that time tho necessity would have
passed. The committee urged the en-
actmert of legislation which will pro
Woe for 4 bonus in 1922.
Local Bureaus Favored
Colonel Wickersham. in his report to
the executive committee. recommended
that the present form Of rating the
disabled service men by the Veterans
Bureau be changed TO permit the ad
ninistration of the compensation by
local bureaus He said that the average
application took five months to be
acted upon. He urged that q repre-
sentative OF tho: Veterans Bureau. y
member of the Legion and phys ian
be assigned to each branch and en-
powered TO act Immediately. This board
ri three men. he maintained, should
have the power to fix the rating of 2
disabled man and his compensation
should be governed accordingly.
State Commander William +. Dee
gan. in addressing the executive body,
declared that 64 per cent Of the male
former service men and that, according
10 Director c. R. Forbes, the remainder
were political appointees. A resolution
offering the veterans cooperation 20
Director Forbes in cleaning out the po-
'ltcal employees of the I'd District,
which includes New York, New Jersey
md Connecticut. was adopted.
Charles Pope Caldwell. chairman Of
he veterans mountain camp commit
.ee. reported that he had received Sill
go in cash and had promises Of ST.
400 more re SdlN that so lar as tne
money was concerned the camp was now
a reality. The executive committee
voted to go ahead with the purchase of
the camn. which will be used for tuber-
cuiar patients and will be in the Sara
nae region.
Next Convention in Syracuse
The conventions committee reported
That tie next state convention would
ne held in Syracuse on September 21
22 and %. At the same time it is
planned TO have reunions Of the 77th,
2ith and 18th divisions.
The evening session was devoted TO
dinner to the Legionnaires who are
members Of the State Legislature.
National Commander Hanford Mac
Nlder and Colonel Theodore Roosevelt
who were scheduled to speak, did not
appear. Commander Deegan spoke on
the ability of the State Department to
take care Of itself on matters pertain
ing to the Leg stature. and said that
there were too mary people who were
taking it upon themselves to use the
Leg!on's name without the official sane
tion Of the New Yo''k State Departm ent.
The next executive committee meet
ing will be in Buffalo March 25.