Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1922-10-06
THOUSANDS OF COMPENSATION
CLAIMS ADJUSTED BY IT
FOR THE VETERANS.
MARkHAM'S CASE IS TYPICAL
Seaman In Navy, Discharged Because
OF tuberculosis When He Had But
One More Hitch" TO Serve, Rescued
From Disaster by the Bureau.
BY JAMES p. noRNApAY


the public. However, should the aver
age citizen become interested In the
case of a disabled veteran who has
had difficulty In obtaining justice, he
probably will learn of the Legi0n's
Washington service bureau, because a
large portion of the difficult cases find
their way there in the end.
A report recently made to the Lee
gfon's national headquarters In Indian
apolis showed In cold figures some Of
the things this branch Office of the
Legion had accomplished for the serv-
fee man during the present calendar
year. These included 4,961 compensa-
ton claims adjusted, bringing back
pay TO disabled veterans of 1884, 239
and 279 insurance claims paid depend
ents Of soldiers, $4S9,314, besides mis-
cellaneous sums, bringing the amount
paid out to service men and their de-
pendents through the efforts of this
Office of the Legion to total Of $685.
O43 In less than eight months.
Typical of hundreds of these cases
is that Of Harley Jasper Markham,
seaman, an elisted man in the United
States navy since 1908. AS his terms
of enlistment expired Markham re-
enlisted four times, until he had only
one more "hltch" to serve to be retired
on half pay with the accompanying
perQuisites for the remainder of his
life.
In the meantime, Markham had
saved his money, so as to go into bust
ness when he had completed his serv-
ice. But he had not counted upon i'll
ness wrecking his plan. During the
early part Of 1873, the exposure to
which he was subjected began to tell
on Markham, and he broke down.
He Could Not Re-EnIist.
He was taken out of active service
and sent to the hospital at FIT. Lyons,
Colo. where medical examination on
July IS, 1918, showed that he was suf-
fering from pulmonary tuberculosis.
He remained at the hospital year and
recovered somewhat, but on August
~, 1919, was discharged from the serv-
dee over his protest. He attempted to
Fe-enlist. but was denied this because
of his tuberculosis. Markham found
himself at loose end. Although his
fife's occupation had been taken away
from him In this arbitrary manner, he
made the best of bad job, and deter
mined to live In the open, as the surest
WAY of restoring his health lost In the
service of his country. He purchased
Ia live stock farm at Stanton. Kan.
For short time things looked as II
they were coming Markham's way.
His condition improved, he married
and his farm prospered. But as time
went on, the health he had regained
lby his own efforts after his govern
Iment had cast him adrift gradually
began to leave him. His farm ran
down, he became involved In debt, and
his wife became Ill. In the spring of
1921. Markham was forced to spend
the greater part of his time In bed.
AT this time he learned from the Kan
sas American Legion that he was en-
Titled to hospital care and compensa-
tion from the government to support
his wife.
In reply to his application at Wash
ington, Markham was ordered to
Hutchinson, Kan, for examination In
June, 1921, where his condition was
diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis,
advanced stage, and he was advised
to enter a hospital Immediately. Mark
ham declined to do this, as he could
not leave his sick wife without means
of support, and told the doctor he
would not go to the hospital until his
claim for compensation was allowed
How the Service Bureau Saved Him.
Finally on August 81, 1921, Mark
hams claim for disability and compen-
sation was allowed. but based on only
a 10 per cent disability rating, 1t enti-
tied him to only SO month accrued
compensation since his discharge two
years before. The Kansas Legion and
the American Red Cross tried to get
this compensation Increased without
success.
On April 1s, 1922. Louis DeLane,
service officer In charge Of the Lee
gion's washington ONCE, succeeded In
getting Markham's disability rating in
creased. and on that date he wired the
TT. Bayard hospital, where Markham
had been transferred, that the govern
ment had forwarded Markham a check
for s542.70 as back compensation pay.
But DeLane was not satisfied. He
kept pushing the case, with the result
that on April 26 temporary total
disability rating was awarded by the
veterans bureau and check for ac-
crued disability pay was forwarded
Marian for $2,01794 just In time to
take up his loan, which came due on
May l, and save his farm.
Post Offices Becoming Fewer.
That there has been a gradual
decrease in the number of most
offices In the United States Ia re-
veaIed in statistics compiled by tho