The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-23
FORBES TOLD HE GAN TALK LATER
Public Hearings Of 0rganiza. ton Management Open
 Before Senate Body

WASHINGTON Oct, A6s--fSheEp p objections by Charles Forbes of Seattle, former director Of the vet . erans' bureau, marked the opening today of public hearings before the Senate committee Investigating the ' operations of the bureau. MT. Forbes declared that he had come 5000 miles and from sick bed to assist the committee and to defend his integrity, and insisted that he should be given the right to be heard Tn reply to statements con- corning his administration.
 "rrhis matter is going all over the country" he said, land unless l can make reply 1t will be assumed that 1 am sitting here without offering any objection"
 Senator Reed. republican, Pennsyi- varia, chairman of the committee that neither he nor any other par ticular individual is lon trial' and that at the proper time he would d be given ample opportunity to "eX- 2 plain, object to or contradict" any i statements presented in the hear ! ings.
 The former director interrupted 2 several times during the day, how ever, and there was a rather stormy scene near the end of the session. ~ Q O
 : Worked only Few Hours.
 Brig. Gen. Frank T. Hines, re- tired present director of the bu- reau, had testified that Francis B. Smith had been employed apparently as a consulting architect in connec- ton with Liyermore, Cal, hospital project at Q salary of s4,Soo a year olly a few hours. His service be- ], gan on August g, t922, and was . terminated on April ,, 1928. the di- rector said, after his attention had been called to the matter by Maj. Gen. John F. ORyan of New York. general counsel for the committee.
 "yVho employed Mir. Snith?' in- quired a member of the committee.
 T employed him. shouted Mir, Fcrbes from his, seat at the end of the long counsel table. He was a consulting engineer making s25.oo0 year and was consulted on nu- merous occasions"
 General O'Ryan declared he would be frank In saying that it was simply @ case of giving this man q job.'
 There was another objection by MT. Forbes when General O'Ryan began inquiry of Director Hines as to whether it had been a practice when a division officer of the bu- reau was transferred, for him to take "his friends in his staff with him.
 Forbes On His Feet.
 You will have to shut down on this man." General O'Ryan declared to the committee in objection to MT. Forbes interruptions. Meantime MT. Forbes was on his feet.
 "All we hear here Is aocut what General Hines has accomplished In
 
 the table. T hold that I have &C., complished as much es he claims to have accomplished"
 Thts brought another and em- phatic warning from Chairman Reed, and Mir. Forbes said he would abide since all the testimony seemed to be directed at the former director, he ought not to have to sit quiet.
 Director Hines was on the wit ness stand throughout the day and was questioned about. conditions Tn the bureau by General O'Ryan. who has been making an inquiry into that subject since last March. The director told of conditions as dis closed by three weeks survey flee on last March 1. and of steps taken to bring about changes.
 Abuse In Detail WoriS.
 Among other things. the director testified. that there had been great abuse in connection with detail work for former service men. There have been charges Of fraud in connection with this work, he added. and many of the papers in connection with the cases have been turned over to the department of justice for investiga- ton. He declared that 300.00O bills for dental work came in during one lN0t nt AN4 -A for this work mounted to s6.000.o0C a year. Director Hines told the com nittee that on personal investigation he had found the discipline in the bureau hospitals very bad. He recited one case. that of the Drexel hospital, where SJ per cent of tho patients were outside of the hospital enclos- 'ire as late as 10 ?. m. There had been no inspection of hospitals other than by doctors connected with the medical service, he testified, but an inspection division has been created
 Discussing the practice in han ding claims before the central board of appeals, the director said that men with congressional "pull' could have their cases advanced for hear ing irrespective of the merits of the case. This has been ended. he as- serted. by his order that the cases should be taken up in the order oi their merit. More than 1900 claims were pending when he took charge the witness said. but by July they had become practically current.
 General Hines told of delays in an. swing letters from service men ana said this had been 0 cause for fire. quent complaint. Also he said tha, often q sufficient statement as tc why claims were disallowed had not been made in letters to applicants In this connection he recommended that Congress rewrite the war risk insurance acts In simple language SC that the man could tell for them selves whether they could get ben. efits under the law.
 Illegal compensation has been al lowed in many cases, the director continued largely through errors of Judgment as to the meaning of the law.
 PROBE BODY ASKS