Connecticut western news., 1922-01-19

urer of the American Legion, Conn
 ecticut department, and as treasurer, I was to disburse this fund. My own
 office has been devoted to this work and I continued to use it. Our first aid was given in the last months of
 1919. The work steadily grew and for many months one assistant and l conducted the centra} office alone, developing or organization "mOnE the posts anl our policies, and per forming also the duties of treasurer for the legion. For nine months no rent was ever asked of the state or r2id, none was ever asked of the legion; no furniture except a file was purchased as we used mine. The committees around the state used their own offices or the posts facili- ties-they gave their time and ser vices generously. The growth in the work has been enormous, the care given requiring many and incessant activities. All kinds of cases are handled including tuberculosis and
 
 widows and children and the aged and dependents of many sorts. All are handled as individuals and help is prompt. No one is a humber" or "file of papers" to us but always a comrade Or his dependents in need. Each case must be studied and the right course though out. Money does not do it all. Morale is often gone along with hope. We encourage, we hospitalize, we find employment.
 Just now we are handling between five and six hundred cases weekly in more than sixty different localities with about twenty cases in other states, and we have handled as many as twenty-eight hundred cases in a single week. Int meant a study of twenty-eight hundred cases, it meant twenty-eight hundred checks and that records be made of each of the twenty-eight hundred cases, as we always keep records and notes of each case. It meant constant con tact with the many committees in reference to each case and that the committee maintain touch with each case. We seek compensation for those who claim it of the government l for which there is maintained a ser vice activity. We are introducing a policy of orders for food, clothing, and shoes in order to achieve greater economy and efficiency and we are interesting the women's auxiliaries to help us and we have always worked ! closely with the U. s. P. H. s. and l with the Red Cross.
 It takes from seventy to 200 men all about the state to handle this fund as the needs vary and only in the larger cities where all, or most, , of some mans time is needed for this 1 purpose is a small weekly allowance | made. No others than soldiers would 1 do this-none but soldiers could do it as we'll. Such service is not bought with money.
 Our central office staff has now in- creased to four besides myself and we have one room and one-half of another. For nine months of this year (1921) we distributed two hun dred thousand dollars to thousands of comrades (the state having made another appropriation for us) at an expense of per cent of the amount The investigations and the activities connected with these cases were enormous. There has been some one of my force working in my office every night and mnay Sundays and there has been no extra pay ments therefor.
 We have made reports in detail every three months to the board of control, and I and my associates on the committee have frequently appeared before them to consult or advise. We will be glad to have our record correctly presented to the 1 public
 Need of Salary
 The future occupant of this office 1 must, if conscientious, devote all his ' ,ime-a good long day and some this work. He should be I l soldier selected for his fitness and lot because he sought the office by og rolling or scheming or criticising. It is because we must have some one 1