Evening star., 1924-01-08
FEWER employees,
: LESS LAWS URGED
VETERAN BUREAU
O'Ryan Would End Legal Red
Tape, Cut Workers 1000
and Raise Pay.
WASTE IN INSURANCE
AND TRAINING CLAIMED
Also Proposes to Stop Duplication
of Work in Washing
ton Office.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Codifcation of all laws under
which the Veterans Bureau is ad-
ministered into one act.
Fewer, more efficient and bet
ter paid medical officers. y
Reduction of waste in hospitali-
zation.
Further reduction by 1000, with
In next few months, in the per-
sonnel of the bureau, especially In
district offices.
Increase in salary to director of
Veterans Bureau. with six COM
petent assistants at salaries of
s12, 900 4 year each.
Duplication in Washington Office
to be reduced, thereby eXpediting
consideration of claims.
Adjustment of the practice of
splitting hairs in considering
claims of men wounded in action.
Waste in vocational training
should be studied
Authority to reinstate insurance
should be limited.
These are among constructive rec
Lamentations for greater economy
and efficiency In the Veterans
Bureau, while affording to the coun-
try's heroes a more sincerely helpful
humanitarian care, recommended by
Maj. Gen., John F. Organ of New
York, counsel for the special Senate
committee which has been investi-
eating the bureau, especially the
rIS oh nf - p
former director.
Praise for Gen. Hines.
Contrasted with the fraud" and
corruption" and Conspiracy" to ex-
ploit the disabled war veterans for
personal loot which Gen. Organ
in his report charges against the
Forbes administration, are greatly
improved conditions under the ad-
ninistration of Gen. Frank T. Hines.
Some reforms already accomplished
and listed in the O'Ryan reports are:
Budget system established: better
supply system. salaries ana number
OF doctors, dentists and nurses ma
terially reduced; forty subdistrict
offices abolished, about 100000 saved
in rentals and $1,500,000 in salaries;
dental work bill cut from $6,000,000
to s3,000,000 a year, hospital abuses
being corrected.
But there is still room for extern
sive improvement, according to the
report which Gen. Organ has sub
mitted to the Senate committee. His
findings and recommendations as
made in the 30,000-word report are
summarized as follows:
Has 10000 Employees.
There were 10000 persons employed
IN the Veterans Bureau at Washing
ton and in Its district and subdistrict
offices through the country on March
I, 1923, and at that time there were
$4,000 disabled men in hospitals,
$4,000 receiving vocational training
and 1SO,75O receiving some measure
OF compensation.
Gen. Organ and his investigators
received more than 1000 complaints
from veterans regarding cor1pensa-
tion claims.
1t is difficult even for a trained
lawyer to understand the laws under
which the Veterans Bureau Is ad-
1ninistered. The average veteran
with a claim needs legal assistance.
fication Of these laws into one act
after Congress passes certain amend
atory legislation believed necessary
by Organ.
Need of Better Pay.
Fewer, but more efficient and better
paid. medical officers are needed in the
bureau. The country should be divided
into four territorial departments. each
headed by medical administrator
vested with ample authority to correct
local abuses and to administer dis
cipline.
The medical rating section of the
CONTINUED on Page 2, Column 81