New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-09-13

AuAA hAetuA4aH etsAs
GapGaiA haaaigan neat addressed
the convention. SAYING
1T Is indeed great homer % be
privileged To address eonNenlien Of
| the American Legion. especially enc
/ In the state OF Connecticut. u Is also
a great pleasure 10 greet 50 many Of
ny good and loyal friends assembled
here for the convention, ! an here
taday as a representative OF the Unit
ed States Veterans Bureau IN eannees
fiieut and In view Of the fact that you
Mill have the privilege Of listening 20
Major Lent, our worthy district manz
ager, on saturday, | Will eenfne my
remarks. II yen will bear with me for
few moments. "a outlining briefly
what the Veterans Bureau is doing
| In Connecticut,
To-day We have elase on 10 100
, men pursuing vocational training, We
have rehabilitated over 400 men who
are now carrying on in competition
with the normal worker, they having
been trained 10 overcome the handi-
cap of their disability in new lines OF
endeayof. We are furnishing 70 those
h1sdnith III INC fFfNiuE iuePleet haA1
and medical treatment. Recently our
able director. General Hines. ordered
that there be consolidation of the
sGhdistriet offices throughout the
country. believing as he did, that
considerable sum of money was being
spent IN the wrong direction. As a
result of said order. the Hartford and
New Haven anhdistriet offices were
consolidated and the snbdlstriet office
placed IN Hartford with snbstations at
New Haven. Bridgeport and Water
hurry.
Explains Consolidation.
II am going to attempt TO explain
TO you what effect the consolidation OF
offices has had In Connecticut and en-
deavor to convince You OF the wisdom
OF the change suggested by General
Hines. In the first place. the CONSOLE
Gation meant the placing of the ad-
ministrative functions of the bureau
under one roof instead of under two.
This change necessarily meant the
transfer of many of the office force
from New Haven to Hartford. but
am pleased to say that two-thirds of
the New Haven office force are now
giving 100 per cent service in the
Hartford office. They caught the spirit
and have made il possible for us to
render a type of service TO our dis
ahled. under the consolidation plan,
that has exceeded our fondest hopes.
Under the able leadership of Ma
jor Lent. the organization has been
whipped into such shape, that, though
there are fewer In number of person.
mel, we are rendering to those. whom
we are privileged to serve, far bet
ter service than was possible under
the old arrangement. There has been
no impairment of the service, but |
rather an increase in the efficiency of |
the service. We have follow-ur nur-
ses in the field as in the past. train |
ing officers supervising the training |
of the men both in institutions and in |
training as in the past, and |
we have adequate medical facilities.
AT the time of the consolidation,
which occurred about three months
ago, there were 70 men in process of
induction into training. Today. we
have less than IL men waiting induc-
ton into training and In several of
these cases, we are waiting for other
districts to accept them for training
within their districts. We have sup,
Piled some 80 or more men with |
tools and equipment and we have re-
habilitated 10 men during the 30 days
that has passed since consolidation.
II am here to report progress, not
u, hat
will make is that we will give to each
and every claimant fair and square
1eal / might go on at length show
ng you further advantages Of the
plan, but these few facts
presented to you, believe, will con-
tince you that the change was step
il the right direction and that our dis
lbled ones have been greatly bene-
tied by that change. In dollars and
tents, there will be a considerable
,aving, but this is not to be compared,
With the improved service that it is
possible for us to render, under the
consolidated plan.
Invites Cooperation.
I'm closing, I want to invite you
members of the American Legion to
continue to render the splendid spirit
# cooperation that you have mani
ested in the past; go out and crystal
ize the spirit of cooperation with the
bureau amongst the public. Assure
hem that the U. S. Veterans Bureau
oday, from General Hines down, is
of people who have a heart
interest in the disabl Tell them
hat we invite criticism that is con-
tructive. We appreciate the assist
nee your organization has given us
n the past; we are deeply interested
Il the work that you are doing and
SIX for a continuance Of it in the fu-