Evening star., 1933-06-19
VETERANS BOARDS
|. TO REVIEW CASES
EARLY NEXT MONTH
viii Be Set Up in Effort to
LiberaIize Economy
Law SIashes.
EXACT DETAILS LACKING
ON SERVICE DISABILITIES
Burden of Proving Source of In
jury to Be Put on
Government.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Plans to set up boards early in July
to review cases Of veterans whose dis
abilities are presumed to have orig
mated in the service were being laid
today by the Veterans Administration.
to carry out the Roosevelt program for
liberalizing benefits to former soldiers
from the reductions made by the econ
omy law.
Veterans Administration officials.
who have worked almost constantly
since Friday to prepare the program
attached to the independent Offices sup
ply bill by Congress. smilingly explained
they have been too busy yet to get
down to exact details
Uncertain on Procedure.
They could not say whether the re-
viewing boards would be set up in each
State or by areas, or what the pro-
cedure would be, other than to express
the opinion the boards would auto
matically review each presumptive case
before the veteran was dropped from
the compensation rolls, rather than
each veteran having to apply for q
review.
The law provides that, on the boards
10 De set up by the President, the ma
jority Of members shall not be en-
ployes of the Veterans Administration.
They will determine, in reviewing the
so-called presumptive cases, whether
the veteran shall be granted the pre-.
sumption OF service connection for his
disability or ailment
Under the law of 1924, voided by the
economy act, several types of diseases
were presumed to have originated in
Army service, such as tuberculosis and
neuro- -psychiatric troubles. In review
ing the cases, doubts will be in favor
of the veteran and the burden of prov
ing the trouble not Of service origin Is
on the Government.
Payments May Be Extended.
By the terms of original regulations
authorized under the economy act most
presumptive cases would have been cut
from the pension rolls July /, but the
nperall1ng provision passed in the
closing days of Congress provided they
snail receive Is per cent of the amounts
being paid March 20, when the econ
omy act became effective, until October
81. unless the board shall decide the
case earlier, with q provision that
President Roosevelt may extend paw
mentS after October 81 on cases rend-
ing before the board.
Administration officials said they as
sumed their agencies would determine
the need OF Spanish American war vet
Grams for pension allowances under the
llberal1zed provisions, but were not posi-
tive, as this was among details yet to
be worked out.
Provides for Pensions.
The hberalizing law provides that
veterans of the Spanish-American war
Boxer Rebellion and Philippine Insur
rectlon campaigns, who served 90 days
or more, were honorably DISCHARGED and
are So years OF age or over and so per
cent disabled and in need, shall re-
celve a pension of at least SIS a month.
The question of the need Of a vet
eran is to be defined by the President,
but the Veterans Administration ex-
pected this task would be assigned to
It's agencies. Officials indicated con-
slderation in determining need probably
would be given the percentage of dis
ability.
The newly provided fund of $1,000
600 for maintaining regional Offices of
the Veterans dministration-many of
which were to be closed under the old
economy law-has led administration
officials to believe it would not be
necessary to close any, thus providing
easier access to veterans for taking IN
cases.