Bond investments of United States Government life insurance fund as of June 30, 1924

TABLE NO. 122.-Statement showing gross number and amount of United States Government life insurance applications approved, by States, during the fiscal year 1924 and total to June 30, 1924

CENTRAL OFFICE BOARD OF APPEALS

On July 1, 1923, the central office board of appeals was composed of five members representing the five major divisions of the bureauthat is, medical, legal, claims, rehabilitation and insurance. Under regulation 51, the central office board of appeals was reorganized on September 27, 1923, consisting of the following personnel: One medical member representing general medicine, one tuberculosis specialist, one neuropsychiatric specialist, one member representing the claims division, one member representing the insurance division. one member representing the legal division and one member representing the rehabilitation division.

On account of the increase in the number of appeals and for the purpose of raising the standard of efficiency, the board was again reorganized in December, 1923. The board was composed of the chairman, and advisory committee to the chairman, a reviewing section, a briefing section, a distributing officer to the briefing section and a secretary to the board. The advisory committee was composed of a lawyer, a doctor and a representative of the claims division. The reviewing and briefing section was composed of representatives of the legal division, medical division, claims division, rehabilitation division and the insurance division. The medical members represented the major branches of medicine, including general medicine, surgery, neuropsychiatry, eye, ear, nose throat, tuberculosis and dentistry.

The reviewing section was divided in groups of four members each, including a chairman and the briefing section was divided into groups of seven members each, including a chairman. It was the duty of the members of the briefing section to prepare a complete and accurate statement of facts, set out chronologically for and against the question at issue, make recommendations thereon and make a rating on the case.

It was the duty of the members of the reviewing section to write opinions upon the cases referred to them. It was the duty of the members of the advisory committee to review all opinions written by the reviewing section. It was the duty of the secretary to attest the signatures of the members signing the final opinions and to forward the file to the proper designation, to calendar all cases scheduled for hearing and to furnish information to the claimants, their representatives and other interested parties relative to the action taken on the cases. The board, with the exception of a few slight changes, is functioning to-day as reorganized in December,

1923.

Claimants or their duly authorized agents who express a desire to appear in person before the board are notified of the day and hour on which they may appear and present their cases to the board. Where claimants desire that representatives be furnished by the bureau to present their cases, the records in the cases are submitted to the information and cooperation division. The cases are then carefully reviewed by designated members of that division who appear at the time of the hearing, together with the claimants or

without the claimants if they are unable to appear, and present the salient points to the board. The number of personal hearings during the past year have averaged 35 each week.

The following tables indicate the action taken on the cases submitted to the board by the central office and the 14 district offices during the period from July 1, 1923, to June 30, 1924.

The table showing the action taken on cases submitted under regulation 35 represents action taken on cases submitted under this regulation by the central office from July 1, 1923, to June 30, 1924, and cases submitted by the district offices from July 1, 1923, to April 11, 1924, as regulation 65 which became effective April 11, 1924, removed the necessity of submitting to the central office board of appeals for approval or disapproval the retroactive increased ratings made in the districts.

Action by central office board of appeals, by month, during fiscal year 1924

Central office cases disposed of monthly during fiscal year 1924