The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-03-13
At The National Capitol DAILY WASHINGTON LETTER Digest of Who's Who and What's What
 
NEA Service Yritcr
DAILY WASHINGTON LETTER


 Washington Over the country. the misery of broken men and of others very, near the breaking point s being poured into the ears of the Veterans bureau officials who have been directed to give first preference under the new bonus loan law to ex- soldiers who are In distress. Many lies also are being told. There are men. avid to get more money into their immediate possess sion than they ever had before at one time, who frame hard luck stor- les so that they may have imme- dite action on their application for loans.
 And there are women, fearful of losing their only insurance protec- tion as represented by adjusted com pensation certificates, who call the regional offices of the bureau to ask whether their husbands have pledS- ed those certificates for loans and to urge that sGch loans be withheld.
 Oustide the offices turk salesmen --often automobile salesmen hoping to sell a veteran second hand fiiv- yer for $35 or $50 or to take advant- tgoy of another mans natural desire to trade in his old car for new one.
 'sN Life, "Misflts' Crowd In.
 And forward aitl all it's strength come those whom time has proved the morons and misfits of life-ma an who. apart from the able victims of hard luck--are unequipped mental ly or phyically to stand the first in roads of depression on the ranks of the employed and who have not saved money.
 Men with few hundred dollars 10 their names were not in the lines D e yu na6 .Arrfn nI nf6 at the outset.
 All that, at least, Is the altogether human but not quite happy picture which one gathers from officials of the Veterans Bureau who have ob- served and listened to the applicants in Washington Aside from the nor- mai influx to the local regional of flee, there have been many veterans applying who were stranded at the capital or came from nearby points because they had made original loans from banks which turned their cer- tncates over to the eVterans bureau here.
 An official of the bureau who for awhile listened to as many as 150 stories a day from veterans who insisted their need for cash was ur- gent is inclined to be somewhat cynical. He thinks only about a third of the men now applying for loans are really in need.
 Face Loss of Homes.
 "The principal reason given for preference is that the borrowers are about to be dispossessed of their homes or are back in their rent and have been given notice" he says. "Often this Is the result of unemployment, but not always.
 There Is also large group which tells of sickness in the family. of badly needed operations. of wives who must go to the hospital and of wives who are about to have or have just had babies.
 There Is class of poorly. dressed men who have gone without work for three or four months, now food ing the city, who are anxious to get money so that they may return home. realizing that they will be better off there than in this strange city. We are moving them along as fast as we can. Of course we also get this same story from men who have been here for years. f
 We aren't getting the white-col- lar crowd. Those of that group who have applied for loans have been content to send in their applications and await their turns. Among them are quite few who are borrowing money on their certificates at Az per cent to liquidate loans. which they have made from private sources at 6 per cent and more."