Evening star., 1946-02-19
Veterans Enterinq
Business Told 10
Learn 0PA RULINGS

Washington veterans anxious to
go into business for themselves are
running the risk of losing money
because they don't know enough
about OPA regulations, Waldron E.
Leonard, director of the District
Veterans Information Center, said
today
While Mr.. Leonard was concerned
about business-minded veterans, the
District Commissioners acted to
make District employment more
available for veterans by ordering
department heads to submit semi
monthly lists of job openings for
use at the center.
Mr.. Leonard cited one case where
the center had to step in to get back
a veterans deposit on a rooming
house he hoped to operate.
Veterans Misinformed.
The OPA, he said, also has in
formed the center that veterans
may purchase a business under the
misapprehension that they can raise
prices only to find that price cell
ings are fixed.
Mr.. Leonard said he had been
told by the OPA that men have
been advised that if they purchase
small lunchroom, rearrange the
furniture and add a juke box, they
can operate miniature night club,
charging much higher prices than
the former operation.
However, the young men soon
find out on purchasing such a busi-
ness that they cannot increase
prices charged by the former own
err" Mr.. Leonard said.
Got Deposit Back.
In the rooming house case which
Mr.. Leonard said the center
Strengthened out the veteran made
a deposit on rooming house priced
at $4,000, after being told there
were no price ceilings on rooms.
Then the veteran found out that
there was price ceiling, that the
prospective income was not enough
to obtain business loan under the
CT bill and that If he wanted to
get CT home loan he would have
to live in the property himself.
The seller at first refused to re-
turn the deposit, Mr.. Leonard said.
The center recovered the deposit but
Mr.. Leonard warned that veterans
should be sure that when they make
deposit the receipt shows that the
deposit will be returned If the deal
falls through.
On the score of District govern
ment jobs, a survey was made
which indicated some 300 posts
were unobligated to returning vet
Grams. This was turned over to
the center and number of posi-
tions have been filled from this
source, it was said.
Description of Job.
Under the present plan lists will
be furnished by the departments on
the 1st and 10th of each month,
giving the vancancy and a brief
description of the work entailed
Each department is to designate an
employe and telephone number
through whom the status of en-
ployment in the department can
be verified from the center between
report periods.
Meanwhile, department heads
have been cautioned to bring to the
special attention of the city heads
any employees taken on who have
reached the age of 55. Under civil
service retirement rules, an en-
employe must complete Is years
service before receiving retirement
privilege. The District, on the
other hand, has a retirement law
specifying the compulsory retire
ment at 10 and the commissioners
have said that after July 81 they
will keep on no employe over 10
unless suitable replacement can't be
found. Thus, if a man is taken on
at Sc years of age he reaches COM
pulsory retirement age in IA years,
which is not enough to allow his
rotirapoept under Civil Servico rI1IeS