The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-02-14
AVOID DELAYS FOR
VETERANS CLAIMS

Recently considerable publicity has
been given to tn statement that final
decisions on the claims of disabled
ex-Service men were not made In the
district office of the u. S. Veterans
Buerau, but had to be sent to the cen
trail, office at Washington, and that
this procedure involved a good deal
Of anxiety and delay. This statement
is misleading and is the cause of some
misunderstanding. One of the out
standing policies of the u. S. Veter-
ans Bureau Is the decentralization of
it's work and authority. This results
IN a closer personal contact with each
beneficiary of the bureau in its deal
ings with them, and in reducing to a
minimum the time necessary to settle
their claims.
The II. S. Veterans Bureau, which
was created less than a year and a.
half ago TO take owe the duties of
three separate government bureaus,
by eliminating duplication OF work
and division Of authority, has been
able to render more prompt and eff
cient service to the disabled soldiers
than was formerly the case. The bu-
reaus WHICH were consolidated to form
the U. S. Veterans Bupreau were the
Bureau of War Risk Insurance, the
rehabilitation division Of the federal
Board for Vocational Education, and
the disqualification section Of the T..
S. Public Health Service.
Fourteen district offices and about
40 sub-district offices were located
throughout the United States, with
numerous travelling agents and field
workers, so that no ex-serviee maj
would have far to go to get IN con-
tact with an official of the bureau.
The states of Minnesota, North and
South Dakota and Montana constitute
District 10. C.. D. Hubbard, district
manager, has offices in the keith
Plaza Building, Minneapolis. There
are sub-district offices at Fargo, St.
Paul, Sioux Falls, and Helena. Claims
may be filed with any of these Of
fees.
There is ATTACHED to the district Of
flee a staff of medical officers and
claims examiners, an auditor and dis
bursting officer. Through these, a
mans claim, if supported by sufficient
evidence, can be rated, examined, al
lowed, and his initial compensation
check issued to him with the minimum
Of delay. Cases have been adjusted
in a single day, though this is excep-
tOHal. 1t is difficult to see now more
prcmt and localized service can be
rendered than under the present pro-
cedure.
There are only four relatively small
classes of cases that must be sent t.
the Washington office for adjudica-
ton: ~ All claims of ~ex-service
men who are employees of the Vet
Grams Bureau, (2) all cases of men
who are rated as total permanent dis.
bllity, (3) death claims, (4) cases
that have been disallowed in the dis
tTct office which may go to the cen,
tral office board of apeals for further
consideration, upon the soldiers re
quest.
We hope to make it plain to oul
readers that the district office in Min
neapolis is authorized to make an!
award to the soldier tht the csc ma.
Justify up TO and including temporar,
total disability, and its decision i
final unless APPEALED to the central of
flee. In the case of an award of TEN
porary disability by the district of
flee that decision will continue unit
final action is taken by the centrs
office board of appeals on the cues
tion of making the rating permanen
and total.