Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-31
Board Will Have Authority to
Act on.Pleas From
Decisions.
CHIEF TO BE DIRECTLY
RESPONSIBLE TO HIM
General to Be Left Free to Devote
Time to Administra-
tive Duties.

One of the most important admins.
trative changes in the history of ths
Veterans Bureau has been undertaken
by Brig. Gen. Frank T. Hines, tn;
! director, it became known today
through which he intends to be relieved
from the consideration of appeals from
decisions rendered in cases adjudicateC
under the various veterans acts.
Director Hines has caused to be es-
tablished division of appeals, under
chief directly responsible to him. /;
Is contemplated that when the division
has taken over the work Of consider
ing and acting on all appeal cases Gen
Hines will be free to devote himself al
most entirely to the broad field of adj
miniStrative activities in which the
bureau is interested.
Division Gets Authority.
The immediate effect of the change
is to delegate to the division of appeals
the authority for final action on an
peals from decisions rendered in cases
adjudicated under the war risk insur-
ance act, as amended; the World War
veterans act, 1924, as amended: the
World War adjusted compensation act
as amended. and the emergency officers
retirement act.
The work of the Veterans Bureau in
individual cases and claims arising out
OF the application Of these various acts
constitutes about 30 per cent Of the de-
tailed work Of the bureau. Heretofore
Director Hines has been the final au-
thority on all cases appealed from de-
cisions Of regional Office or organi-
cation unit in the bureau
In delegating to one division the
authority for acting on the appeal
cases. Director Hines is represented as
having brought together in one sphere
various related functions and at the
same time to have accomplished an
arrangement through which he will be
freer to interest himself in the con-
struction and administration of Gov
eminent hospitals. the care ofepatientS
and the realm of legislation designed as
aid to the bureaus thousands OF de-
pendents.
General Order Promulgated.
The division of appeals, as described
in general order promulgated by
Director Hines, is to consist of an office
of the chief, an advisory group and a
board of appeals comprising five appeal
sections.
The chief of the new division. r.
L.. Jarnigan, has been established in
the Veterans Bureaus central Office.
and all the activities of the new d.
vision have been centered on one floor
Of the bureau. Jarnigan is responsible
to Director Hines for all appeal SUI
pcrvision."
The advisory group, which heretofore
has acted in that capacity to Gen.
Hines, consists of chairman, who is
the chief Of the division. Mr.. Jarnigan;
a chief legal advisor, George H. Lynch,
and chief medical advisor, T. B.
Cracroft. The function of the group is
to make and sign decisions or rec
concentrations on all appeals in cases
properly before it."
Five Sections Set Up.
Five sections of the board of appeals
are set up. the first in the bureau here.
and others in New York. New Orleans,
Chicago and San Francisco. THE ac-
tivities of this board" said Gen.
Hines general order. shall be to con-
slider all appeals from a decision made
by a regional Office or organizational
unit in central Office authorized to
make initial decisions on cases adjudi-
Gated" under the various veterans acts.
Existing procedure with reference to
appeals continues in effect except in so
far as modified by the machinery of
the new division. Officers of the
bureau who have been brought within
the scope of the change contemplate
that its operation will result in uni
formity of appeal regulations and, more
to the interest of thousands of veterans,
expedited action in all cases.