The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-04-11

vi < 1I ~ III h18N - AAA LftaIGa1 y
Vets Bureau a Big Department.
Shortly now the senate committee
with Major General John I. OtRyan. as
its counsel will start its Investigation
into the past transactions Of the vet
erans' bureau in an attempt to deter
mine what was wrong, and prevent, by
publicity of the facts, any wrong do
ing, Intentional or otherwise, in the fu-
ture. 1t is only today that the new
director of the bureau, Col. Frank T.
Hines, can be said to have settled him
self into the seat of authority and to
He has been a busy nan for two weeks
getting his bearings.
The veterans bureau has under its
spending control" an appropriation
for the current ear of S400.0 900.
Thirty years ago this sum would have
paid the running expenses Of the Uni
ted States government. There are thou
sands of paying jobs in the bureau
and In its branches. It has been a
h%oney-pot for men seeking sweets. The
politicians, it Is charged, unloaded
of their favorites on the back of
the bureau and the politicians, ire
spectiye of party, did much more than
attempt t. secure jobs for the faithful
jobless. Many of them, it is said, used
their influence to secure first consid-
GRAFTON of claims for ex-seryice men
whose friends had pull.
NyIN- lzIN Il TrnEaa. F---.A-
! general counsel of the veterans bu-
reau, shot himself and passed out. he
carried part of a story with him. the
| story of the attempt of the greatest
bureau of the government to carry on
efficiently when beset on all sides with
political and personal endea ors to
make the organization function quick
ly for the favored few, to the exclu-
sion of the claims of the deserving
many.
Victim of Politicians.
The writer of this does not believe
i that the former general counsel was
implicated in any way in any transac-
tons savoring in the least of dishon-
esty. He was the victim probably,
as others with him were and perhaps
still may continue to be, of that per-
nicious habit of American politicians
and of others, selfish but powerful.
of using the influence of place to dis
turb orderly business procedure.
1t is pretty we'll known that many
of the complaints from service men
throughout the country that their
cases have not been given considera-
ton are based on the fact, and made
insistent thereby, that certain of their
comrades who happened to know some
one In a high place had secured quick
" the consideration which was denied
or delayed in its giving 20 others no
less and perhaps more deserving.
There are hints that the inyestiga-
ton of the deeds and perhaps the
misdeeds of the veterans bureau will
disclose instances of graft. One ZEN
lures to predict that disclosures of
graft on any great scale will not be
forthcoming.
The fact remains, however, that the
veterans bureau, while it has done
much work, has not done it as it ought
to have been done, nor as it would
have been done If the politicians had
kept their hands off. 1t lever may be
disclosed because the investigating
committee cannot 90 into hundreds of
individual cases, but a minute exam
ination of the records today probably
/ would show that men not deserving
compensation have been given 1t, and
that men who do deserve 1t thus far
have been refused it. The tendency,
1t Is charged, has been to give as
much heed to the influence back OF
the case as to the case itself.
Favorites Get Jobs.
Originally too many favorites of the
politicians were given jobs in the vet.
Grams bureau. There seems to be
danger today that another kind OF
favoritism, possibly, may be shown
j, which will hurt the work of the bu.
reau and keep bad the conditions.
Naturally the ex-service men desire
that places shall be gwen to their COM
rades. There is a sentiment back OF
this and sometimes sentiment is dan
gerous to good public service. A vet
eran who is given a job because he is
a veteran, without any regard to his
ability, can make just as much trouble
in a government bureau as an incapa-
bic who has been given a place
through political influence. 1t is some
thing TO be able to say that the lead
ers of the veterans are beginning TO
realize this, and that before urging the
appointment of a comrade for a place
they are assuring themselves that he
can fill it.
The veterans bureau spends Its
own money. II seemingly is the be-
lief of the more conservative ex-serv-
ice men that it would have been bet
ter to have left the funds under the
control of the Treasury department
where it originally was lodged. The
selection of hospital sites and the
erection of hospitals not only are left
TO the officials of the bureau, but they
virtually have the last word of what
| shall be paid for them.
Sand Blast Cleans Tubes.
copd blast fer cleaning boiler tubes