Evening star., 1923-01-28


and Senate, respectively, to
consider legislation affecting
the veterans of the world war Is
being considered seriously. Tho be-
hind-tfe-scenes motive Is to provide
a closer legislative hold upon the
United States Veterans Bureau.
which Is now disbursing annually
funds far in excess of what the Con-
stitution contemplated should ever be
handled by an independent establish
ment of the government not presided
over by a cabinet member.
This proposal was made at a repuo-
lican conference last Monday In the
form of resolution presented py
Representative Royal c. Johnson OF
South Dakota, representing the ex-
service members of the House. Ac-
tion was thwarted by the absence OF
quorum. A petition is now being
circulated for another caucus which
is to be held early this week.
The ex-service men and their or
ganized comrades in the House are
urging the resolution for standing
committee of seventeen on veterans
legislation on the ground that nifty
two bills affecting the veterans are
awaiting hearings in committees OF
the House and Senate, while Congress
is getting ready to adjourn for nine
months. They stress that the ma
jority of these bills 'are slumbering
in the interstate and foreign COM
merce committee of the House. which
has not had a public hearing on vet
erans' legislation since 1921"
Others prominent in the republican
councils are ready to support a reso-
luton for such a committee on
broader grounds, pointing out that 1t
is the general policy Of Congress to
have standing committees on special
of a continuing character,
that it was only by chance that the
world war veterans legislation got
into the jurisdiction Of the House
committee on interstate and foreign
commerce, and that that committee
already is In charge OF other legisla-
tion Of Importance sufficient to monop-
olize its time.
Committee Burdened with Bills.
During the war when it was found
necessary to create a marine war risk
insurance bureau to function in the
Treasury Department this bill proper
~ was considered by the committee on
interstate.and foreign commerce, be-
cause 1t related to marine insurance.
Then later, when 1t was found desir-
able to establish war risk insurance
bureau for soldiers and sailors the
committee on interstate and foreign
commerce was also given jurisdic-
ton Of the bill because OF Its former
Jurisdiction over the marine insur-
ance bill.
Another reason assigned was that
William Gibbs McAdoo. then Secre-
tary of the Treasury, foresaw the
political potentialities of having this
soldiers bureau under his wing In the
Treasury Department 1t was charg-
ed the other day on the floor Of the
House that Mr.. McAdoo Is now get
ting lists of veterans with a view to
his (denied) candidacy for the presi-
dency in 1924.
Then the soldiers relief agencies
grew until nearly every department
had one or more, and they were
functioning separately. These were
all brought together under the law
establishing the Veterans Bureau as
an Independent establishment in
August, 1921. The scope of the Vet
erans' Bureau Is extraordinary for
an. independent establishment
Creation OF veteranI Bureau.
The bureau Of war risk insurance
was abolished by the act creating
the Veterans Bureau and the powers
and duties pertaining to the director
Of war risk insurance were trans
ferred to the Veterans Bureau, to-
gether with the functions, powers
and duties conferred upon the federal
board for vocational education by the
act Of June 81. 1918, and all person
mel. properties. ETC., of the United
States public health service, as pre-
scribed and provided in g. written
order of the Secretary of the Treas
ury on April -, 1921. relating to the
transfer of certain activities. Eff
fective May /. 1922, those hospitals
of the public health service having
to do with the care of ex-service