, 1922-02-02
Legion Commander RE-
VIEWS ACTIVITIES Of YEAR
PAST COMMANDER BRIMMER MAKES INTERESTING
REPORT OF ACTIVITIES OF LEGION DURING
The PAST YEAR. LEGION TOOK PART
IN MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST

" camping 6louhu LUZ oNtT ii year
and finally One was provided.
/ am also pleased to call the Posts
attention to the Women's Auxiliary
of the American Legion which was
Gently organized in this city. This
chapter should be of great assistance
to the Legion.
In brief, ! wish to call the atten-
ton of the members of this Post to
the activities of the Department of
Wyoming. We have had an effective
Legislative program urging both
upon Congress and the State Legisla-
ture, legislation of benefit to the ex-
service men and women and to the
community and the State. Our State
Convention at Thermopolis last Aug
ust passed a resolution petitioning
the State Legislature to modify and
amend the existing provisions of the
Workmen's Compensation Act to in
crease the allotments and monthly
! pay provided therein. The Ferris
Bill. which give to all honorably
discharged veterans a preferential
right to enter all homestead lands
opened by the Government becomes
void February 18th, 1929. The
Thermopolis Convention passed a
resolution asking hat Congress ex-
tend the provisions of this law for
five years. At the instance of some
of the members Of the Wyoming
Delegation. a similar resolution was
passed at the Third Annual Conven-
ton at Kansas City, with The result
that the National Legislative Com
mittee is now urging upon Congress
"a bill designed to extend the opera
ton of this law for another five
year period.
When the land of the North Platte
Project at Torrington was opened for
entry last September, the entry fee
was $500 per acre. Prompt and eff
fective action by the Wyoming Legion
secured from the Secretary of the In
terror a reduction of this entry fee
from $500 to $40 per acre. and the
land was over-subscribed by ex-serv-
ice men more than three times.
The Department Commander has
secured for the Stale of Wyoming a
re-visitation of the "Clean-Up
Squad. This squad will revisit the
state In January or February, 1922.
Again and opportunity will be ex-
tended to the ex-service men to pre-
sent their claims and to be examined.
The National Service Division at
its Washington office is daily ex-
pediating the settlement of compen-
sation claims, vocational training
claims medical and hospital claims.
reinstatement and converting insur-
nce and all matters relating to al
lotments, liberty bonds, bonus claims.
and travel pay. 1t receives some five
hundred cases a week and closes as
many as three hundred and fifty of
them. During the past year, eighteen
thousand individual claims have been
handled by the Service Division.
These eighteen thousand claims in
volve amounts a~ggregating $4,50S,-
698.52. In eighty per cent OF the
claims handled by the Service Divi-
sion. 1t has been possible to secur
settlement within twenty-one days
from date Of receipt.
The Service Division has not only
handled individual cases which could
not be adjusted by local officers, but
has shaped a broad general policy of
caring for the disabled. based upon
Its observation of the Nationwide
situation. Backed with the authority
Of the entire Legion organization. is
recommendations have found weight
In Washington and have resulted in
vastly increased efficiency. Its rec
ords showed the necessity Of addi-
tional funds for hospital work and
the Division heads were instrumental
in securing an appropriation OF six
million dollars for use by the United
States Public Health Service.
The American Legion is not in pol
tiles. Its position in political con-
~troversies Is neutral and nOn-parti-
san. We are on record in favor of
policies and are not Interested in po-
litical differences as they arise in
different sections of the country.
However, 1t does not mean that the
Legion should copy the ostrich and
bury its head in the sand until the
ballots have been counted. On the
contrary. the Legion's concern in the
welfare of the community demands
that every Post display an active and
intelligent interest in every political
campaign.
Relative to the position of the
American Legion and organized
labor, I wish to call attention to the
statement made by Samuel Gompers
early In the history OF the Legion.
when he said II see no reason why a
member of organized labor should
not join the American Legion" The
American Federation of Labor at Its
National Convention held at Denver
In June, 1921, requested its Pres
ident. Mr.. Samuel Gompers to send a
representative Of the Federation to
the Third National Convention Of the
American Legion. Mr.. Gompers I
chose as this representative, Mr.. J
George L. Berry, President Of the In
ternational Pressmen's and Assist
ants Union OF North America. Mr..
Berry in addition to being the Pres
ident Of an International Trade
Union, 10 a member Of the American
Legion and one Of its founders. hav-
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