Evening star., 1945-01-07

IN other eitieS and what 4 COM
mittee 81 experts recommended
here, the Districts new information
center for veterans ana war workers
appears TO be wholly inadequate to
meet the needs Of the people 1t has
Been established to serve.
An investigation yesterday dis
closed that the center was opened
with almost entirely unframed per-
sonael, that there Is general but
unvoiced criticism Of It, that the
quarters are too crAmped for privacy
and that veterans leaving there
sometimes have to visit three or four
other places to get all the inforn1a-
ton they need.
Even center workers admit they
would have preferred at least two
weeks to get ready before they faced
the questions Of the men depend
ing on them for . head start into
civilian life.
Proposals BY Passed.
In setting up the center, the Com
missioners virtually by-passed the
recommendations made by the Com
mittee on Services to Veterans and
War Workers, which was set up In
June and abolished in December.
At its final meeting, the commit
tees executive group, headed by e.
G. Graham, passed resolution re-
grettins that the Commissions
have been unable to see their way
clear" to accept its recommends
tions and reafnrming its belief in
the validity and soundnesS Of It's
recommendations "As being those
best suited to meet the needs Of this
important community obligation to
both veterans and released war
workers"
The Graham committees proposed
center was based largely on what Is
being done In New York, where q
thousand or more veterans q week
are given information, advice and
service. The New York center ID
supported by both public ana pri-
vate funds.
The center visualised by the
Graham group and actually In
operation in New York aimed 1T
centralizing as much information
and counseling Is possible 30 that
those seeking assistance could get
the maximum that could be given
at one spot.
New York Plan Praised.
To facilitate this. 1t was sug-
gested the Commissioners might
follow the New York plan by hAv-
ing representatives OF all the
agencies assisting veterans on regu-
lar full or part-time duty. In that
way, veterans with 4 number of
questions to ask-as most OF them
do-would be able to 60 from desk
to desk rather than from one end
Of the city to the other.
All the interested agencies have
offered to loan representatives to
the center, but 30 far representa-
tives Of only one agency-Selective
Service-have been on duty and
they will not be there regularly
from now on. According to the
present plan. the representative Of
another agency viii be there next
week, mainly to acquAint the paid
and volunteer intervitwers with his
agency's services.
Maj. Ennalls WaseamAn, who Is
directing the center Is . volunteer,
said one representative OF each
agency couldn't possibly answer all
the questions covered by his agency.
This possibility WAS discussed by
the Graham group. 1t was learned,
and spokesmen for the various
agencies agreed that the Representa-
tive Of each group would make 1t
his Job to keep posted On al his
asency's rules and regulations to
answer all the questions that might
arise.
Most Questions Quite Simple.
The New York center discovered
from experience that between 30
and 40 per cent Of the men who visit
the center simply want information
that can be given by 4 well-in-
formed rtceptionist. The rest Of
the men need something more
they can't decide whether or not to
60 back to school or they need q
temporary loan to get home Or
they have tried again and again
to get q Job without success or they
can't get used to living at home
again or present one Of q hundred
problems.
The Graham group wanted skill
full interviewers backed up by spe-
cialists from the agencies and ad-
visory groups Of businessmen ana
vocational experts. Now on duty at
the center are two women who used
to interview volunteers anxious to
participate in the war effort, for
mer receptionist at Civilian War
Services and q fourth paid worker