Evening star., 1925-12-08
HINES SAYS BUREAU
NEEDS $314,%5,0DO
Veterans Body Activities Es'
timated in Report of
Director.

Excluding expenses necessary lor
| the ad iusted service certificate tund
| and for hospital construction. an ap-
! preparation of S3l4 .965 900 is estimated
in the annual report made public TO-
day of Director Hines as necessary
i for all Veterans Bureau actlVltles
during the fiscal year 1926-21.
This figure represents a materiai
reduction in the appropriation Tor the
current fiscal year. provided pro,
portionately smaller amount is asked
for administration of the adjusted
service act, as was the case TINS year,
when 10000. 900, compared with sloo',
600. 900 last fiscal year. was allotted
for that purpose. Current approirid
tionS, including that for the adJusied
service fund, total S405.713,559.
In an introduction to his report. Dl-
rector Hines said that during the last
fiscal year "aS over no other period
has the service of the United states
Veterans Bureau been brought to the
disabled veteran"
Extension of Service.
INSPIRED by a broad policy of de-
centralizatiop of authority and made
possible through the provisions OF
liberal legislation" he said, this eX-
tension of service to the disabled Is
the outstanding accomplishment or
the year in the administration OF vet
erans' relief
Complete decentralization of bureau
activities was described by Mr.. Hines
as goal founded on the theory that
only through bringing the activities
of veterans relief closer to the men
they serve can there obtain the direct
action considered essential for the
proper consideration of the merits or
individual cases and necessary for the
expeditions adjudication of claims.
The spread of authority to the
field was accomplished, the report
showed, by substituting 54 regional
Offices for IA district offices and con
solidating subdistrict offices with the
regional Eleven suboffices were in
operation June 80. 1925, but the hu-
reau planned to reduce this number
to eight by December 81. these eight
to be at Springfield. Mass. Albany.
y. Y; Syracuse, n. Y: Scranton, Pa;
Harrisburg, Pa; Columbus, Ohio;
Lexington, Ky. and East st. Louis,
H.
Six new hospitals We're opened dur
ing the wear with a net increase of
4794 beds. and the report said all con-
struction under the ST, 500. 900 author
lied in 1924 was expected to he com
pleted during the next fiscal year,
No hospitals were closed and, wherever
feasible, radio equipment was installed
for the patients amusement.
Expenditures Decreased.
Total expenditures for all veterans
purposes amounted to S393. 755 .S51. a
decrease of S2I 1852 $40. compared with
the previous year. This was attrib-
uted chiefly to the decline in the num-
Der OF men undergoing vocational
Nv
pended for this purpose. as against
| S1O6. ,45O in 1924.
In connection with its guardianship
| system for the protection of bene
| fciaries Of veterans. a relatively new
phase of activity. the report disclosed
| that guardianship supervisors had un
| covered many cases where guardians
have not functioned in an efficient
manner and have not accounted Tor
| the bureau" Forfeiture of bonds and
| in some cases. criminal proceedings
| resulted. the report said
Legislation was recommended pro.
! viding some means to take care OF vet
Grams, who. because of their physical
| condition. could not be inducted into
Vocational training prior to July l last,
the last lawful date for induction, and
| for those cases where progress has
been, or Will De, so TetdIueu do " ~ z
vent completion of training before
next July /. when all training activi-
ties are required by law. to end.
Recognizing that many yearly re-
newable term insurance contracts are
| held by veterans incapable of earning
full livelihood. and that conversion
of these into the higher premium. ordi-
| nary life policies by July 2. 1926, as
required by law, will be Impossible
because Of financial inability, consid-
Grafton was being given, Director
Hines said. to a short-term policy at a
| premium rate less than the ordinary
life plan.
However" he added, "the continu-
apce of insurance on a premium basis
less than ordinary life rates neces-
sarily results in a higher premium
later. and in view of the fact that the
average age of veterans is now 80, the
selection of legal reserve Level pre-
! MUM insurance should not be post
poned longer than few years.