Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-30
CARE OF VETERANS
WILL Be COMBINED
!. IN UNIT TOMORROW
New Administration includes
Pensions Organization and
National Homes.
WORKERS AFFECTED
WILL TOTAL 35, 1863
Temporary Employees Due to Lose
Jobs Under Consolidation
Still Undetermined.


up under the reorgani5ed veterans ad-
mnistration tomorrow morning. while a
few temporary" employees of an unde-
termined number will And their tours
Of duty ended.
Under direction OF Gen. Frank r.
Hines, administrator Of veterans af-
fairs. three organizations. the Veterans
Bureau, the Bureau of Pensions and the
Bureau of National Homes, will become
more closely consolidated and co-ordi-
mated and will disappear as separate
entities. High ranking officers will find
themselves with new titles and rear
rangement OF functions. but for the
most part at the same desks and in the
same Offices.
Col. George E. Ijams. who will take a
new and responsible post. today sent out
to employees Of the expiring Veterans
Bureau letter Of appreciation for their
service.
35,76S Workers Affected.
The number of temporary" employees
who will complete their work for the
Government today was said to be rela-
lively small. but had not been totaled
These employees understood their tenn
porary tour Of duty was to close at the
end OF the fiscal year today. officials
explained. The exact number was not
disclosed.
The personnel making up the veter-
ans administration includes 29,177
from the Veterans Bureau, 6,043 from
the Bureau of National Homes, and 549
from the Bureau of Pensions. These
figures include all temporary employees
and 1850 so-called member employees
of the national homes, veterans who are
employed part-time
The new officers and their response
bilities beginning tomorrow morning will
be: Assistant administrator In charge OF
medical and domiciliary care. construc-
ton and supplies, Col. Ijams: assistant
administrator in charge Of pensions and
compensation. Maj. o. w. Clark: as
sistant administrator in charge OF
finance and insurance. H. w. Breining;
executive assistant to the administrator
A. D. Hitler: solicitor Of the veterans
administration, J. O'C. Roberts; medi-
cal director, DR.. C. M. Griffith; special
counsel on insurance claims. Nal. Will
liam Wolff Smith: director of national
homes service, Col. C. w. Wadsworth;
director OF construction service, Col. L.
H. Tripp director of the service of SUBJ
sistence and medical supplies, Mai. J. d
Cutter: director of the pension service
E. w. Morgan; director of the compen-
sation service. George E. Brown: direc-
tor Of the finance service. Maurice Col
Inns; director Of the insurance service
H. l.. Mccoy.
Claims Show Big Increase.
In q review of the Veterans Bureau
work, Col. Ijams said, in part: =
Tn addition to the bureaus norma
activities which have developed over q
period of years. its gigantic responsible
tiles have been increased by two entirely
new and unusually extensive obliga'
tions-the rendering of service to vet
Grams entitled to the disability allowance
BENEFITS provided by the amendment Of
July 3, 1880, to the World War Vet
erans' act and to additional loans or
adjusted service certificates, authorized
in the amendment Of February ~, 1881
to the adjusted compensation act.
In the short space Of IL months the
bureau has received and Is currently
handling approximately SO per cent as
many claims for disability allowance as
have been received for disability COM
penSation in almost II years. Within
six months Of the adoption Of the dis
bility allowance amendment applica-
lions for the benefit had been filed In
numbers far exceeding all estimates
The half-million mark was passed be-
fore June -
100000 Loan Benefits.
The record established in dispensing
the adjusted service certificate loan
BENEFITS authorized under legislation
passed on February ~, 1881, according
to the Veterans Bureau director, was
equally impressive.
During the four months since these
increased loans were authorized" Col
Ijams said, applications have been re-
ceived from 2,070,l62 veterans and
checks totaling $793. 421 .60325 already
have been sent to 1905, 500 of them.
THE past years experiences" he
said, reveal two very significant facts
The Governments relief activities fol
veterans are growing very rapidly, and
in addition to the new burdens result
ing from legislation passed during the
year practically all of the bureaus
operations since July 3. 1880. have ex-
ceeded those for the same period of the
previous year, and In some instances
preceding year"
35,0o0 Vets In Hospitals.
"At> this time the bureau is caring
for. approximately $4,000 veterans r
hospitals. In fact, that Is about oul
constant hospital load. To provide thi.
care, $40 hospitals were being utilized
IS Of which are under bureau super
vision; 43 are under the supervision
Of other Government agencies, 202 be-
ing civilian and State Institutions"
The year ending June 80, 1891,
Col Ijams concluded, has been un
Questionably the most notable periot
Of the bureaus existence, and in thu
successful accomplishment Of Its great
est undertakings We are not unmind'
full of the numerous factors that hav'
contributed SO helpfully to this re-
suit"