Milford chronicle., 1934-03-16
Abstract Of Address OF Edward Il. Hayes, National
Commander, The american Legion, March II, 1884

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mated $2l, ,092,205 a year, he said
this was of greatest importance in
that it is a confirmation from the
highest source that the LegiOn's re-
quests have been not only just, but
would not interfere with the Presi-
dents Recovery Program.
However" he continued, they
do not restore to the rolls a single
service disabled World War veteran
who was cut off by operation of the
economy act. They do not restore
any hospital treatment not hereto
fore authorized by administrative
instruction. They do not cover the
I Legion's program"
lie said the Legion feels this pro-
gram should be written into the
basic law; that payments to the
service disabled must be restored;
that this action should not be left
to mere regulations, with instruc-
tions pertaining thereto hinging up
on the judgment of individuals whose
Interpretation since March, 1888,
have left thousands of serYice-dis-
abled without deserved payments"
w CoAiAhhNN Wv
cost of the LegiOn's four point re-
habilitatiOn program now before
Congress, the national commander
said, was issued before hearings
had been held OH the proposed legis-
iation sponsored by the Legion, and
without the Legion having the Op-
pOrtunity of testifying before the
committee.
"The only inference that can be
drawn from the statement by Mr..
Hines" he asserted, lis that the
amount of expenditure incident TO
the LegiOn's program would he pro
hibitiye. II is mathematical Ger
tainty, according To Hines own fig
ures, that the estimate is far i'll PX
cess of the actual expenditure that
will be incident to the, LegiOn's four
point program il il is established
by legislation.
within recent memory" he add
ed, while the Joint Investigating
Committee of Congress was cOnsid-
ering veterans expenditures, the
same General Frank 4. Hines, in
his official capacity admitted of rec
ord before that committee that his
estimates as to veterans eXpendi-
lures were in error approximately
two billions of dollars Il year. The
original estimate made by General
Hines was in executive session and
the correction showing his approx
mately two billion dollars per an
mum error was not made until the
country had been misled by the orig
inal estimate"
lie said mathematical determina-
tiOn eIsily demonstrates the accu-
rate amounts. and that the Hines
statement does the unfair thing of
projecting the estimate over u five
year period.
lie said official representatives of
the Legion in Washington, the day
the statement was issued. including |
National Commander Hayes. Ray |
Kelly. chairman of the LegiOn's |
National Legislative Committee, and |
Earl V. Cliff. vice-chairman OF the /
LeeiOn's National Rehabilitation !
Committee. checked the figures given !
as an estimate by Hines. "They are .
entirely inaccurate and excessive |
because the estimates contemplate |
a greater amount of expenditure
than the difference between the to-
tai amount spent last year and the !
amount provided for this year in
compensation and disqualification"
he explained.
The national commander said the
usage of five year figure could
Dniy be intended to mislead. by hav-
ing a large number Of millions OF
lUllars painted to the public as be-
ng the total cost of the LegiOn's
program. The cost estimate from
he Veterans Administration is
headed. "Est:mated Cost of Four
Point Program Proposed by the
American Legion, ETC." and ends
Up with the statement: Total, !
;603, ,OOO. 900" The Legion estimate
If the cost is not 10 exceed $50
1000. he said.
Mine people out of ten" MIR.
Iayes asserted. reading this Vet
'rans' Administration guess. would
conclude that the Legi0n's bill ,
would cost $603 .00O.00O year.
Should such an idea become general
10 amount of denial would erase il {
rom the public mind A careful ,
eading of the Veterans Admins !
ration statement shows that the
ost for one year is estimated at {
ll3,200. 900. But this is followed
" an estimated ilve-year cost Of |
603. 900 900. Statements of this I
haracter. issued on the day the l
eterans title of the Independent {
lflicers Bill was before the House I
Dr consideration. can only be con- 4
trued as an effort on the part Of !
he Veterans Administration to dis 4
redit the LegiOn's conservative
lur point bill, and to create an err !
DneOus impression as to its cost d
I the public mind" II
MIR. Hayes said that last year SER I
ice connected compensation cost [
lSi .6i6.00O. This year. he con- &
nued. the Veterans Administra- q
on stated service connected COM Il
ensatiOn would cost $IIS.972 .O00. s
lat il they restored all payments of q
srvice connection the cost could |.
nj exceed $66.274, 900. The LeeiOn's a
,ur point plan would not restore h
! who were receiving service con-
acted compensation. Those who "
llisted after Nov. IL, 1918, are not 81
cluded. There were about $4,000 N
these. Some of the presump- d
yes would not be included, il the y
,vernment could show that their d
was not due to their SER n
ee. There are other instances
herein expenditures would not be pl
scessary under the LegiOn's four Is
lint nlan III