Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-10-06

the year Of placing as many cases as
possible upon a permanent rating
basis, in order to insure beneficiaries
of a reasonably constant income and
to avoid the expense to this Bureau
: and inconvenience to beneficiaSies en-
| tailed through examination. Exam
nations for permanent ratings were
made whenever possible by a board
Of three physicians, at least one of
them being a specialist in the major
disability of the claimant. Subsequent
re- examinations, except under a
change in condition of the beneficiary
are discouraged. AS a consequence
of this policy permanent ratings
during the. year increased from 73-
AT to 103,417, or from 40.S percent
Of all active awards to 4S.9 percent"
The General spoke at length on
disqualification and reported that the
hospital population of 22,600 at the
beginning of the year to a maximum
in February of 3O,750 but, June 80.
there were $500 patients in all hos
pitfalls.
Vocational Rehabilitation
"In the field Of rehabilitation an
intensive campaign was waged to
insure that all claimants who had
not previously had the opportunity
and were eligible and feasible for vo-
cational rehabilitation were offered q
final opportunity to enter training
before the last date for induction,
June 80. 1925. During the fiscal year,
and particularly during the month
of June, the various pending loads,
which at the beginning of the year
numbered 1890, together with sew
eral thousand new cases uncovered
in the course of the final campaign,
were disposed of. From this number
approximately 1000 new inductions
were effected"
THE Bureau would have been in
an indefensible position If it had per-
mitted veterans who entered at a late
date to take courses which could not
be completed and which would leave
them with insufficient training to in
sure employability. The policy adopt
ed gives to each man all that the.
law allows, and will render him be-
fore June 80, 1926 employable in
some occupation even though not in
the one nearest his heart"
Regarding insurance he said: "In
anticipation of the expected necess.
ity for conversion by. July 2, 1926. rec
quests are being received for insure
ance at a lower premium than the
the fact that many of our term in
surance contracts are with disabled
veterans incapable of earning a full
livelihood, and that in other instance
es conversion will be impossible be-
cause of financial inability at this
time to meet the higher level rates,
L favor effecting for these cases a
further extension of protection at
premium rate less than that called
for under the ordinary life plan. It
is to be borne in mind, however, that
the continuance of insurance on a
premium basis less than the ord:-
nary life rate necessarily results in
a higher premium later and, in view
OF the fact that the average age of
veterans is now 33, the selection of
a legal reserve level premium insur-
ance should not be postponed longer
than few years. This question is
now being studied with a view of
prviding insurance at low premium
for a period of five years and legal
reserve level premium thereafter,
with the privilege of exchange on
any anniversary date during the
first five years to any policy on a
higher premium basis under such
conditions as may be necessary
through the application of recognized
insurance principals"
Commenting on guardianship he
said:
st Is a common occurrence to ind
a guardian who has pretended to
function for several years and who
has received thousands of dollars
without submitting any report to the
probate court" These conditions he
said are being corrected. He paid
tribute to the Legion for the service
1t had rendered the Bureau.