Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-10

Of premium remittances received
monthly during the fiscal year was
approximately $40, 900, and the amount
OF insurance premiums received
monthly was more than $3.50 900"
That offsets part of the annual bud
get for veterans" by about s52 900 900.
The director states: The total
amount Of premiums received on ac-
count of yearly renewa BILE term in
surance to June 80, 1925, was $432,-
953,777. The total income
from United States Government life
(converted) insurance from premiums
and interest investments as of that
date was S1sS,138.666.77."
SO what might appear as big part
of the budget, measuring the esteem
in which the veterans are held" may
be only the contraCtual obligation Of
| the greatest insurance enterprise In
the world, on which the benefciaries
are paying coSts-or a large share of
present costs-scientiffcally calculated
by insurance actuaries as ultimate
| complete reimbursement through the
| premiums.
| President Coolidge stated in his
| message that the organizations OF
| ex-service men have proposed addi-
| tional legislative changes"
| which he advised Congress to give
| careful though sympathetic consid-
Grafton" He recommended few
changes in present laws, however.
The proposals of the American
| Legion and other service organiza-
| tions are such as have been con-
! sidered at the national convention OF
| the Legion and studied by the COM
mittees OF all service mems organi-
/ cations. They are embodied in bill
| introduced yesterday by Representa-
tive Royal Johnson.
| X
While there We're $50 proposals
| submitted to the American Legion
convention committee. these were con-
| densed or rejected until only 20 were
| Endorsed, and of these 20 only 6 or
will be actively urged upon Congress
The special proposals covered in the
pending bill are as follows:
l. Creates a permanent Veterans
| Bureau medical service and transfers
the National Home for Disabled Vol
| unteer Soldiers at Dayton to the con-
| troll of the Veterans Bureau and
makes it available for World War vet
! Grams. The doctors now serving In
| the hospitals of the bureau are loaned
from the United States Health Serv-
| ice, or employed under civil service
|
not taken by old, experienced physi-
clans as successfully as by young
! graduates fresh from medical text
! books. The pay is unattractive, ex-
| cept to beginners. and the service
| loses an average of one doctor every
| 20 hours.
| 2. Eliminates the misconduct"
| provisions barring certain veterans
| from compensation or medical atten-
| ton.
3. Authorizes doctors at their dis
| erection to recognize service incur
| renee or aggravation" Of disease
where historic evidence is lacking
4. Further relief for tuberculosis vet
| Grams with a permanent rating of so
| Der cent disability for arrested cases"
since all arrested cases are liable TO
be revived by even slight causes. It
is argued that peace of mind through
| knowledge that the patient is sure
| Of $50 month during life will be of
great help In maintaining courage and
strength for self-help.
5. Removal of time limit for claim
ing compensation. The present law
| outlaws all claims not filed before next
June. This puts a penalty on self
| reliance of veterans who have strug-
| gled to sustain themselves but are now
breaking down. 1t applies especially
! 10 NOCilondl training Tor veterans
who, heretofore, have not been
| physically able to train. The direc-
| tors report shows that because Of
| the reduced number taking training q
saving Of S46,oo0,ooO was made last
year. Some veterans are now recov-
| ering strength and want to rehabili-,
| tate their self-reliance, through learn
| ing work that is possible even with
/ partial handicaps.
| 6. The present law does not au-
thorize "out-treatment" of veterans,
but all who want medical care must
| go into a hospital, even though their
disease is in it's early stages, where
| 1t could be arrested without confine-
ment Of the patient in a hospital.
! This out-treatment would economize
board Of patients and hospital ca
! pacity.
tCopyTiSht- 1885. by Paul Y. Collins.l