The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1922-01-27

Commission are thoroughly reviewed
in the report Of the special committee
appointed by the Executive Commit
tee Of The American Legion of Mon
tana. Just submitted to the State or
ganization.
The affairs Of the Veterans Welfare
Commission came before the Helena
Post of the Legion some months ago
on official charges made by T.. y.
Toomey. attorney for the State Kali
road Commission and a member OF 1ne
Post. A committee consisting OF j.
n Bonner. Helena; John Mahan, Mis-
soula: ". H. Newcom, Miles City and
L. J. Molumby, Great Falls was named
TO INQUIRE into the charges and pres
ent their report to the State body.
The report handles the charges as
follows:
Charge 1-"That the Veterans Wei
fare Commission of Montana is now,
and for a long time past has been en-
ploying female stenographic n clefl-
cal help in it's regular administrative
force, almost to a total exclusion OF
honorably discharged soldiers and
sailors land their widows) of the mil
itary forces of the United States, not
withstanding the provision of Chapter
211, Laws Of Montana, 1921, giving
such persons preference in every pub
lie department"
Findings-The Committee finds that
the Veterans Welfare Commission has
employed in the office of said Com
mission, eight persons; two of whom
are ex-service men; n of who is a
sister Of an e%x-service man; one OF
whom is the wife of an ex-service
man, and three women who had no i'm
mediate relatives in the service. We
find that the Veterans Welfare Com
mission at different times employed
throughout the state between % and
81 persons all of whom were eX-ser-
vicemen.
In regard to the employees OF the
Commission, the Committee finds that
only one man who was an ex-service
man called at the office of the Com
mission inquiring for a position as a
stenographer and that he did not call
this matter to the attention of any of
the Commissioners. The report con-
siders the special case Of a woman
employed as assistant to the Secre-
tary of the Commission at a salary
of 5000 per month. This woman, it
is said, had no immediate relatives in
the service. This woman, it was stat
ed, was retained in her position be-
cause of her ability and knowledge OF
welfare work. However, the report
states:
ut is the belief. of your Committee
that these requirements could have
been found in a man who had seer ser.
vice in the Army or Navy after hi
had first been given a month or two
Of training in the office and it is thu
belief of your Committee that tn,
most pertinent reason for the Com
mission not having supplanted tn
present occupant of the position o
Assistant to the Secretary wa be
cause of her peculiar fitness for sal,
position, together with her sympathe
tic understanding Of the men and hel
untiring efforts in their behalf"
Charge 2-"That the Veterans Wei
fare Commission of Montana has ad
vanced large sums of money to thu
State Department of The American
Legion of Montana, and one or NOR,
locals Posts of such organization, TO
purposes not apparent on the face o
such official records, thereby adm,
the American Legion out of the publ
treasury"
Findings-That cash advances wer
made to Legion officers for specis
trips incidental to indirect relief, an
the same appear under the geners
head of "American Legion" in tn
Commissions books and reports. Ths
the salary of the State Adjutant an
one stenographer is now paid from tn
Welfare Fund and formerly the salar
of the War Risk officers. That or
member of the Butte Post is bein
paid from the fund as a field worke
in Butte. That there is no evident
to indicate any direct or indirect d
nation of money to finance any loo.
post.
~S"Au W tHc dDOVc, the reDO1
explains that the Legion, as the on
big organization of ex-service NE,
was chosen as the proper vehicle t
make contact with the disabled SC
diers, and that a few officers of tn
Legion were placed on salary as "fiel
workers.. being preferred to veteran
with no connection, because of tn
aims and objects of the Legion bein
identical with those of the Welfar
Commission"
Charge 3--"That the Veterans We
fare Commission has from time t
time paid the expenses of n or NOR
OF It's members and employees to tn
National and States convention of tn
American Legion, out of the Veteran.
Welfare Fund, for reasons not appar
ent on the face Of official records"
Findings-We find that the Com
mission paid the expenses of one O
more of its employees to each of tn
convention of The American Legion
both State and National, and that a
the State conventions they paid tn
expenses of one or more of the work
ers in the office of the Veterans Wei
fare Commission.
We find the Commission has Snen