Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-26

4
bership committee, room 420
District Building, 1880 pm.
Atkins of the Department of the Dis
trict Of Columbia, the American Legion,
who was appointed Assistant Engineer
Commissioner of the District in Sep
TENDER, 1926, received orders during the
past week from the War Department,
transferring him to duty in Alaska as
engineer officer of the board of road
commissioners for the territory. He
expects to leave the National Capital
May Is and proceed to his new post
via the Panama Canal
During his term of duty in this city
he has proven to be one of the most
popular engineer officers assigned to
the District government. Shortly after
his assignment here he was elected a
member of Vincent B. Costello Post and
in 1928 was elected commander of that
post. Last August he was elected de-
partment commander and was chair
man of the delegation from the Dis
trict of Columbia to the eleventh an
nual national convention, at Louisville.
KY, from which city he came to Wash
ington.
Department Comdr. Atkins is a major
in the Engineers Corps of the United
States Army. He was appointed to the
West Point Military Academy from
California and was commissioned a sec
ond lieutenant. Engineer Corps, in June,
1915. In 1917 he was promoted to a
captain and in 1920 made a major In
France he served with the 14th Rail-
way Engineers, after assisting in the
organization of that regiment in Bos-
ton. He participated in important rail-
way construction in France and was
assigned to other duties. and when the
armistice was signed he was detailed
as an instructor in the Army Engineer
ing Bridge School in France. Prior to
his assignment in this city he was en-
gagged in f1ood-control work in Louis
vile, KY.
During the past two years he has
been engaged in the purchase of 81
100000 worth of property in the terri
tory between Third and Sixth streets,
Pennsylvania avenue and City Hall,
where the new Municipal Center is to
be located. AS chairman of this special
purchasing board he has established a
with the owners, and in many instances
at big saving to the District. He was
selected by the District Commissioners
as chairman of the extraordinary Police
Trial Board. which recently exonerated
Assistant Superintendent William S.
Shelby and Lieut.. Edward j. Kelly of
charges of inefnciency made by for
mer grand jury. He succeeded Harlan
Wood as department commander at the
annual department convention last Au-
gust and has actively served the Legion
up to the present time. He has been
q popular Legionnaire and it is with
regret that he leaves his associates in
the organization.
Madison L. Hill. department finance
cfhcer, who was severely injured New
Year eve in downtown hotel, has been
removed from Emergency Hospital to
ward B. Mount Alto Hospital, and is
slowly recovering. He may receive visit
ors at the hospital.
So much favorable comment has been
made by officials of the Beterans' Blu
reau medical service and construction
division OF the recent demonstrations of
talking movies staged at Mount Alto
Hospital that American Legion officials
are now insisting upon the early install
lation of talking m5tion-picture equip
ment in all hospitals under the super
vision of the Veterans Bureau. Director
Frank T. Hines has instructed the con-
Struction division to prepare Specif1ca-
tions and solicit proposals for equip
ment to be installed at Mount Alto, and
IL is practically assured that as the nee
esSary funds can be found the sound pic
ture equipment will be extended to other
hospitals of the bureau Watson B.
Miller, chairman of the national re-
Mobilization committee of the American
Legion, is sponsoring the proposition
and is urging the Army and Navy to
inaugurate similar installation programs
In the hospitals Of these two depart
mentS, wherein large numbers of World
War veterans are receiving treatment.
Chairman Miller also announces that
the conference of the national rehabili-
t2tion committee of the American
Legion, to be held in this city Febru-
airy /. 2 and 3, will be the largest at
tendance in the history of the commit
tees activities. Legion rehabilitation
officials from nearly every State in the
Union will be present and many States
will be represented by groups of dele
gates. A large quota of the rehabilita-
ton officials of the American Legion
Auxiliary from the various States have
accepted invitations to participate in
the conference.
1t is planned to hold day and evening
sessions during the three-day period,
and meetings have been arranged with
President Herbert Hoover at the White
House, Frank T. Hines, director of the
Veterans Bureau. and the chairmen of
the congressional committees charged
with the consideration Of veteran legis-
lation.
The time limit having expired on
January last for adjusted compensa-
ton, the national legislative committee.
through John Thomas Taylor, vice
chairman Of that committee, is en-
oeavoring to have the time extended
to 1870. Five bills have already been
introduced to amend the adjusted COM
pensation act, and the feature of one
OF the acts proposes to make the GER
tincates payable on demand to veterans
reaching the age of 60 years.
The records show that up to January
l, 1880, exactly 3,440,634 certificates had
been issued and that since that date
10000 applications for loans had been
received, In amounts aggregating $15,-
oOO,OOO, and that to date ,684, 900 loans
had been made, amounting to SI59.447,-
777. These loans are made from the
united States Government life insur-
ance fund, which is the accumulation
OF the premiums of those policy hold
ers still carrying Government life in
surance. In the Senate as we'll as the
House of Representatives bills have been
introduced to extend the time.
Arrangements for the Tenth National
Convention of the American Legion
Auxiliary, to be held at Boston, Mass.
october 6, Z and 8, will be begun early
next month, when Mrs. Gwendolyn w.
Mcdowell, national secretary, will have
a conference with the convention COM
r1ittee. Mrs. Franklin L. Bishop. past
national president, is chairman Of the
committee. The auxiliary session will be
held concurrently with the Twelfth Ma
tional Convention of the American Le-
Fton.