(Special District Manager Letter, Inspection Division, No. 6. Obsolete) JULY 21, 1923. Attached hereto is a copy of a form letter (Inspection Division Form, No. 59) to be used for transmitting reports of investigation to central office. A nominal supply of the form is being forwarded to your office. Requisition for six months' supply should be made on regular requisition form (Form No. 3211). The form letter should be made in triplicate, the original and one carbon forwarded, with reports listed thereon, to central office. One copy will be receipted and returned to you for your file. In like manner, briefs which are forwarded to your office from central office will be transmitted by this form letter in duplicate, one copy of which should be properly signed and returned to central office for filing. FRED E. HAMILTON, Acting Assistant Director. (Special District Manager Letter, Inspection Division, No. 7. Obsolete) INFORMATION RELATIVE TO VETERANS OF OTHER THAN WORLD WAR, ALSO ALLIED EXSERVICE MEN JULY 23, 1923. The numerous inquiries being received in central office from the field pertaining to veterans of the SpanishAmerican War, the Philippine Insurrection, and the Boxer Rebellion, also allied ex-service men, indicate that chiefs of cooperation and contact representatives are not as adequately informed as they should be in the laws and regulations pertaining to the above classes of ex-service men. It is directed that you instruct chiefs of cooperation and contact representatives in your district to acquaint themselves with the provisions of United States Veterans' Bureau Regulation No. 38 (hospital treatment for veterans of the Spanish-American War, Philippine Insurrection, and Boxer Rebellion), dated May 8, 1923; also, instructions governing the treatment of discharged members of the military and naval forces of those Governments which have been associated in war with the United States since April 6, 1917, dated September 6, 1921. Fifty copies of the instructions of September 6, 1921, are being forwarded under separate cover. (Special District Manager Letter, Inspection Service, No. 8) NOVEMBER 3, 1923. It is desired to call attention to the fact that reports being received on legal briefs are in many instances unsatisfactory. The following points are vitally important and district executive officers and inspectors should see that they are carefully observed: 1. When affidavits are called for in a brief they must be submitted. A statement by the examiner in lieu thereof is not sufficient. 2. Where certified copies of public records, such as marriage certificates, birth or death certificates, etc., are necessary they should be obtained from, and certified to by, the clerk of the court or other person in official charge of such records. The certification of a notary public is not sufficient. 3. Investigations involving prosecutions and cases in which the United States is a defendant have a statute of limitations running against them. Reports on these cases should be rendered with all possible dispatch consistent with thoroughness. (a) On cases in which the United States is a defendant, progress in investigations should be reported to central office regularly in order to insure final action before the statute of limitations has run. (b) Briefs for investigation which merit priority of attention will be stamped respectively, "Suits againt U. S.," "Prosecution," "O. N. I. C." These briefs should be given expeditious attention. 4. In so far as possible the field examiners formerly attached to the legal division should be assigned to the investigation of O. N. I. C. cases and cases in which the United States is a defendant. This does not, however, preclude the utilization of personnel traveling in the field to make investigations; this policy should be continued wherever possible. To make this service most efficient the district manager should select the most competent of the experienced field examiners and assign to him the duty of instructing district office and subdistrict office personnel in the technique of what is generally known as legal investigations. 5. It is further noted that valuable leads are sometimes uncovered in the course of an investigation but are not followed to a definite conclusion. Any lead promising to afford to the bureau valuable information in connection with an investigation should be followed far enough to definitely determine its possibilities. 6. Under no circumstances will reports of investigations be transmitted to central office until they have been carefully and thoroughly checked and reviewed by the district executive officer and inspector. FRED E. HAMILTON, Acting Assistant Director. (Special District Manager Letter, Inspection Division, No. 9) MARCH 20, 1924. The Comptroller General of the United States has ruled that outside stenographers can not be employed in connection with bureau activities if regularly employed bureau stenographers are available. However, this ruling has been modified so as to permit the employment of outside stenographers by inspectors where a statement can be made to the effect That no regularly employed United States Veterans' Bureau stenographer, properly qualified to take verbatim testimony, was available or that the investigation was of a confidential nature, making it advisable to employ outside stenographer." Attention is invited to the foregoing provisions, and inspectors are directed to adhere strictly to the policy therein contained. Travel orders when issued to inspectors will contain the following statement: "You are authorized to incur expenses for stenographic and typewriting services when no regularly employed United States Veterans' Bureau stenographer properly qualified to take verbatim testimony is available, or the investigation is of a confidential nature making it advisable to employ an outside stenographer." No definite rule can be established as to the rates paid stenographers, and inspectors will be governed by the prevailing rates of the locality in which the investigation is conducted. It is requested that you call the attention of each inspector in your jurisdiction to the provisions of this district manager letter. It is further requested that you obtain the signatures of all inspectors on one copy of this letter, said copy to be returned to central office, addressed to the inspection division. DAVIS G. ARNOLD, Assistant Director. |