Evening star., 1946-01-06
Veterans Center
Is Eliminating
|DeIaysin
| Will Handle Many
Cases Formerly
Referred to Agency
By MIRIAM OTTENBERG.

kererred 10 agency
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG.
Many services for which veterans
1ad to be referred to the Veterans
Administration will be handled at
he District Veterans Information
Center, under a new 'time-and-
trouble saving" arrangement dis
closed last night by Howard F.
Dickensheets, Veterans Administers
ton regional manager.
The Veterans Administration thus
became the first agency to move
closer to the goal of "one-stop serv-
ice" at the center. Mr.. Dickensheets
said he would send two, or even
three, Veterans Administration rep
to the center If neces.
sary to get the job done.
At the same time, Ernest v. Con-
molly, United States Employment
Service director, said he would visit
the center this week and discuss
with his representative there the
possibility of sending some appren-
tice training applicants and job
seekers direct to employers from the
center instead of routing them
through USES.
400 Visitors Daily.
These spontaneous offers of in
creased cooperation came as Wall
dron E. Leonard, center director, re-
ported to Brig. Gen. Gordon R.
Young, Engineer Commissioner.
that an average of 400 veterans Ws-
tied the center daily during its first
seven days of operation, as compared
with that number in a week at the
old center.
In the future, Mr.. Dickensheets
said, the only veterans and their
families who will be referred from
the center to the regional Office will
be those requiring immediate fol-
low-up service.
Scores of men previously have
been sent to the Veterans Admins
tration from the veterans center to
apply for the certificates Of eligi-
bility they need to take schooling or
apprentice training under the GI
bill of rights.
Can Apply for Schooling.
Under the new arrangement, II
they bring their discharge papers
and a certified copy or photostat
of the discharge to the veterans
center, they will be able to apply
at the center for GI schooling. A
messenger will make regular trips
from the center to the Veterans
Administration with the applica-
tions.
In addition to accepting applica-
tions for schooling, Mr.. Dicken-
sheets said Veterans Administration
representatives at the center would
accept claims for pensions by vet
Grams, widows and dependent par
ents, notices of change of address,
waivers of premiums on insurance
and similar actions where there Is
no need for immediate processing
when the applicant fills out the
form.
Speaking for the United States
Employment Service, Mr. Connolly
said he was hesitant to permit his
representative at the center to refer
men direct to jobs because he was
afraid the job might be filled by ap-
plicants sent direct from the USES
before the veteran from the center
reached his objective. He added
that veteran sent from the CEN
ter to the USES for specific job
might find other job openings at
the USES which he would like
better than the first suggestion.
Most Opportunities Is Goal.
Mr.. Connolly said his objective
was to give the veteran the most
job opportunities with the least
travelling around.
If the veteran at the center was
warned, however, that the job might
be filled before he reached it and
that he might be interested in
other job openings at the USES
Mr.. Connolly added, it might be
possible for him to be referred direct
lIOtIl llle CcIlISI 10 u JOD.
The Civil Service Commission
which also has a representative al
the center, said that in most in
stances it was impossible to refer
veteran direct to a Government
job opening because of the legal re-
quirements on the filling of these
vacancies.
| Civil Service to Aid.
The Commission added, however
that in categories where the de.
mand for personnel greatly exceed,
the supply the Civil Service repre-.
sentative at the center will refer
the veteran to the commission, ;,
direct recruiting service where h,
can be appointed Immediately i
he Is eligible and where a specia
examination can be arranged fol
him if required.
The commission representative
according to this statement, vii
give information on veterans right:
in Civil Service and counselling OF
the best bets" in various fields O
work and will supply and help fl
out forms for the veterans. Vet,
Grams with technical problems re
| garding their status, job qualifica
tions, retirement and similar mat
ters will be sent to the person
handling these problems after al
immediate appointment has beel
made. the commission said.
In his report to Gen. Young, MI
Leonard said that a full-time rep
resentative of the Surplus Propert,
Division, RFC, had been sent to tn,
center to tell veterans where to appl,
for surplus property and the posi-
bilities Of getting what they want.
i Mr.. Leonard said that through ar
rangements with the District Bal
Association, II lawyers are availabl,
by appointment to give veterans
legal advice but. he added that h.
hoped a representative from the Bal
Association could be stationed a
the center.
i Among other future aims and OBJ
jectives," Mr.. Leonard listed hous.
ing registration service at the center
business counsellors from the Wash.
inOfoy, poord of Trade roopero finy