New Britain herald., 1923-09-14

stats RamInanuff 70 "a IA PERSONAL
touch with posl officers. IN mnasr
aFs This has beea attempted ~ lao
meetings OF posi- commanders and adz
jniants. Topics and policies OF inter-
esi HeRa discussed. such contact is
vital and necessary for our success,
nfoFilhalelY, il Is moi always epn-
kenienl for an post officers 10 attend
such meetings-eilher because of lack
ol interest financial embarrassment
az personal reasons Whereas II com.
Reient, able and Interested men, will
ing 10 make sacrifices, we're elected as
district ehairmen, and il they accept
Z ed the duties OF lhe office as well as
The name, aud embarked upon cam
nalgn % organize their district, Yanf
post officers would In the course of a
Jew months become acquainted, AT
least, with their neighbofing fellow
posi- officers, elasF iiaisen would be
maintained. interest aud pep stimulats
ed, and in short, organization perfect.
cd The Legion is not honoring men
/ by election 10 efIlee, merely 10 affix
a lillr TO their name, Duties fallag
all offices, and If any man accepts
sEsh office, no matter how high or
how low, without clear understand
ms Of It's responsibilities and de.
mands, knowing full we'll he will do
nothing but bear the title and khirk
The work expected Of him, such ono
has failed mlsefahly 10 comprehend
Inc meaning of service. and knows not
The word duty.
United siafes Veterans, bureau
Tho departments ISOLATION with
THIS branch OF the federal government
mas been of a most cordial and nieas.
ant nature, There has nj all times
during the year been sincere eoopera.
lion. II II indeed gratifying to have
hs The responsible heads of the district
and snh-distrlet men OF the ealibre
and ability possessed by the present
incnmbents. The district manager,
Major Lent. and here In Connecticut.
tho sub-distriet manager. are both ar.
dent Legionnaires who understand
and appreciate the noble ideals and
purposes OF the Legion.
Early last fall there came TO the
attention of state headquarters the
Information that 1t was planned to
remove Connecticut from District
No. and make IL part of District
No. ]. with the district office In Bos-
ton. In the opinion of your com
mander and executive committee such
a move would have been disastrous
from the standpoint of service to orr
disabled comrades. Our program OF
disqualification and rehabilitation
would have been corrupted In the
event of such transfer. and the con-
fusion incident thereto, the possibility
and probabiltysof files being lost or
mslaid would have been detrimental
and demoralizing. For the first time
in several months the bureau under
the new management of Major Will
liam Lent was functioning smoothly.
The hitherto chaotic condition of the
files had been removed and prompt
courteous service was being adequate
ly rendered 1t seemed imperative
therefore that such move demanded
q vigorous protest. Accordingly, your
state department did protest and in
manner that left no doubt as to our
As a result of conference
held in New York with federal officers
representing the director general of
the bureau and Joe Sparks national
chairman of the rehabilitation COM
mittee, Connecticut's position was
clearly understood and it was defin-
itely decided that we should remain
a part of District No. 2.
Put Incompetent Man Out
"Coincident with this protest an
other of equal Importance but of a
different character was made. For
some time past there had been in
charge of Hospital No. Al, at Alling-
town, Conn, man who had appar-
emily no conception of the duties of
the patients under his care. He had
refused cooperation with
the sub district office at New Haven
and with the Legion: he had been
guilty of several acts of disloyalty
and incompetence, was overbearing, |
and tempcramcntal For
titled with specific charges we de-
that he be removed as COM
mandant, and because of this protest
and demand the gentleman in ques-
ton was transferred and removed |
from Hospital Al.
1--WE likewise took issue with the |
central office in the matter of it's in
sidious methods employed to incum-
Der the district manager with favor
ties Of the appointive power. We be-
lieve that the district manager should |
be let alone and uphamrered by I'M
due influence in the selection, main
tanning and controlling of his own |
in the matter of appointments to |
offices and positions in the Veterans |
bureau, | have carefully refrdined |
from giving official approval of |
in the Legion. The organi- |
iation should not be used for the pro-
motion of the candidacy of any per-
son seeking public office or personal
nrefermuit. Even though a sympa
.hetic feeling for a comrade might |
create within one desire to comply |
with such request, there is the afur-
her. fact that If such official legion
oacking were extended to one com
ado, for a certain position within the |
Veterans bureau, or elsewhere, an
1ther comradc could not be refused I
he same fraternalstn on a request l
made for assistance in reaching, per-
laps, the identical position. ! do not /