Mr. BURROUGHS. I understood you to say that this was the 15th of March that you wrote the board from Texas stating that you were ready to enter training. Is that right?

Mr. EDWARDS. Well, the proceedings of the correspondence was between the 10th of March and the 25th.

Mr. BURROUGHS. Well, it was somewhere along there, I believe you stated.

Mr. EDWARDS. Well, if I did, it is not to be a sworn statement, because I really don't know.

Mr. BURROUGHS. I did not mean to pin you down to any definite date, but as near as you can recollect that would be about the time? Mr. EDWARDs. That is as near as I can recollect.

Mr. BURROUGHS. Now, then, when did you first get the training that was satisfactory to you?

Mr. EDWARDS. October 1, 1919.

Mr. BURROUGHS. Is that the training that you are receiving now? Mr. EDWARDS. Yes, sir.

Mr. BURROUGHS. And you have been receiving it since October down to the present time?

Mr. EDWARDS. Yes, sir.

Mr. BURROUGHS. But your complaint, then, is that there was too long a delay there between the time that you were ready for it and the time that you actually received it?

Mr. EDWARDS. Yes, sir.

Mr. BURROUGHS. That would be one charge?

Mr. EDWARDS. One charge; yes, sir.

Mr. BURROUGHS. Do you know Mr. Griffin, who had charge of the office there at one time?

Mr. EDWARDS. Through one conversation with him, in which he told me that U. Grant Smith had unofficially given me this information as to transportation pay.

Mr. BURROUGHS. That was the only talk you had with Mr. Griffin? Mr. EDWARDS. Yes, sir.

Mr. BURROUGHS. And the only dealings that you had with him at all in connection with this whole matter? Mr. EDWARDS. That was the only one. ever acted upon my case or not.

I don't know whether he I have received letters signed, stamped as usual with a rubber stamp by Mr. Griffin's name, per somebody else.

Mr. BURROUGHS. You have been paid your transportation?

Mr. EDWARDS. If I was paid my transportation I was not paid all expenses, because I think I stated $131.30 was my vouchers, and I received $106.30.

Mr. BURROUGHS. Was any explanation given to you at the time for the reduction?

Mr. EDWARDS. Yes; the fact that I was not-that they only allowed a certain amount for lodgings and meals per day.

Mr. BURROUGHS. While your memorandum had charged somewhat more than that?

Mr. EDWARDS. Yes; my memorandum had charged a common, ordinary man's lodging and food where he wouldn't be in a tramp's position, or anything like that. I stayed at the War Camp Community place 115 East Twenty-first Street, which is very reasonable, and I ate there.

Mr. BURROUGHS. And what you paid there was more than the board allowed?

Mr. EDWARDS. Yes, sir.

Mr. BURROUGHS. Do you know what they stated they did allow? Mr. EDWARDS. $3 a day, I believe, for meals and lodging. I am not sure. I would not commit myself by saying so, but it was at least $2 too much a day I had on my expense vouchers.

Mr. BURROUGHS. Was it a fact that the War Community Service was as much as $5?

Mr. EDWARDS. Other expenses-that included, expenses of the whole day, such as making trips to 280 Broadway and such as buying my cigarettes and my shave, which I had not at that time learned how to do, by the way, having one arm off-and various things that, of course, you would not do, nor a common, ordinary American, but I mean the man that they think should live on this allowance would do-would do these things. They would shine their shoes if they needed it and would shave themselves.

Mr. BURROUGHS. Is it your best memory that the limit which the board placed on you was $3 a day?

Mr. EDWARDS. That is all, I think, that they did promise me, was $3. and probably it was not that much.

Mr. BURROUGHS. You think it was rather under than over?

Mr. EDWARDS. It stands to reason that is the mark which they gave. It was in round marks not more than $3, and if it was under $2 it was $2.

Mr. BURROUGHS. You don't have that letter, I suppose, here?
Mr. EDWARDS. For which?

Mr. BURROUGHS. The letter in which they stated that fact?

Mr. EDWARDS. It was in the form of a voucher.

Mr. BURROUGHS. I mean the communication in which they made known to you that they would not pay more than $3 a day.

Mr. EDWARDS. I did not receive any communication to that effect at all. I merely received my check for $106.30.

Mr. BURROUGHS. But I understood you to say that the reasonMr. EDWARDS (interposing). That was merely hearsay from the chief clerk.

Mr. BURROUGHS. That was told you by the chief clerk?

Mr. EDWARDS. Yes, sir.

Mr. BURROUGHS. Who was the chief clerk?

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Moulton.

Mr. BURROUGHS. And they did actually allow you $3 a day when you came to final settlement?

Mr. EDWARDS. I think that is what it was. I won't commit myself by being sure.

Mr. BURROUGHS. I think that is all I have.

Mr. VESTAL. As I understand, you had made all arrangements for your training before you were discharged?

Mr. EDWARDS. With the exception of signing up.

Mr. VESTAL. With that exception?

Mr. EDWARDS. Yes, sir.

Mr. VESTAL. You wanted to take training in Texas?

Mr. EDWARDS. Yes, sir. They persuaded me to New York.

Mr. VESTAL. They persuaded you to take training in New York? Mr. EDWARDS. Yes, sir.

Mr. VESTAL. And then they sent you to Texas, or permitted you to go to Texas on a vacation, or to see your relatives?

Mr. EDWARDS. Yes, sir.

Mr. BURROUGHS. Ánd the first balling up of this whole business took place while you were in Texas, failing to get your transporta

tion?

Mr. EDWARDS. Yes, sir.

Mr. BURROUGHS. From your testimony I gain, Mr. Edwards, this information-see if I am right: That all of your troubles regarding your being neglected in certain ways, and failure to get the sort of training that you had signed up for-all of this trouble originated or took place in the New York office?

Mr. EDWARDS. I don't think I would commit myself to say yes.
Mr. VESTAL. You don't think you would say that?

Mr. EDWARDS. I think that I will say that.

Mr. VESTAL. You have no evidence that the officers of the Federal board here in Washington in any way neglected you?

Mr. EDWARDS. There is one there that did neglect me, but he has been transferred since that happened-the man that I feel like he treated me dirty.

Mr. VESTAL. That was the very fellow I want to find out about. Who is he?

Mr. EDWARDS. U. Grant Smith. And I would like to go a little further than that. I have no charges against that man if I could meet him in public; that is about what kind of a man I am.

Mr. VESTAL. Now, I want to ask another question along that line, because I don't remember-what is the specific charge against Mr. Smith? What was it he did or did not do or failed to do? You probably testified to that, but I don't remember.

Mr. EDWARDS. I did. He did not back any of the promises up that he had made me, not one.

Mr. VESTAL. Is he the gentleman who promised you your transportation?

Mr. EDWARDS. He is the gentleman. He is the gentleman that told me that training in New York City would benefit me more than in Texas, and he is the gentleman that was too busy to see me for two days straight in the 280 Broadway office when they were in offices there. He is the gentleman that I have been unable to see since the time that he really made these promises at all.

Mr. VESTAL. You are getting along all right now? You have no complaint now with your training?

Mr. EDWARDS. No complaint at all. I am under my own auspices

now.

Mr. VESTAL. I see. You are under section 3 training?

Mr. EDWARDS. Yes, sir.

Mr. VESTAL. That is, the board is paying your tuition and paying for the books and things of that kind?

Mr. EDWARDS. They are paying for my tuition, not for my books. Mr. VESTAL. You don't have any books?

Mr. EDWARDS. I have reference books, but they will not pay for reference books.

Mr. VESTAL. I believe you mentioned something about a typewriter. They have not furnished you a typewriter?

Mr. EDWARDS. I knew it was impossible to get the typewriter from the Federal board, because of hearing other men say that they could not get them. I have a typewriter now, but not from the Federal board.

Mr. NELSON. I think reference was made to U. Grant Smith. Is he a civilian doctor or is he in the service?

Mr. EDWARDS. He was not a surgeon or a physician, if I can best remember. He was merely an adviser of the board, or what they call them-representative-a training officer.

Mr. NELSON. Was he ever known as Maj. Smith?

Mr. EDWARDS. I am sure I never went into his record. I merely met him in civilian clothes.

Mr. ROBSION. I don't know that I heard you say-I was out part of the time-but what is your rating at the present time?

Mr. EDWARDS. One hundred per cent permanent disability.

Mr. ROBSION. And you say you were not permitted to take training under section 2?

Mr. EDWARDS. Oh, no; I was in training under section 2 when I received that 100 per cent permanent, and I was transferred to section 3. I preferred that.

Mr. ROBSION. And are you still 100 per cent?

Mr. EDWARDS. I will be the rest of my life.

Mr. ROBSION. So that this change of training from section 2 to section 3 was on your own motion?

Mr. EDWARDS. Positively.

Mr. ROBSION. Now, upon what occasion was this that Mr. Clark admitted that your case had been neglected? How did that come about?

Mr. EDWARDS. Well; I don't know as he said in plain words, with the interpretation that way. I won't commit myself by trying to quote Mr. Clark, but I think that he says

Mr. ROBSION (interposing). I haven't asked you what he said; I wanted to know what brought that about.

Mr. EDWARDS. It was the fact that I had told them my story, where I had been delayed. I had just been turned down on getting this refund to my transportation so far. They had turned me down and said it was impossible. The men whom I had previously had conversations with about it had told me that it was an impossibility to get it, and there were other things that they had promised and didn't do, and these three men said that I should be refunded for for this and that I should be taken care of to a certain extent.

Mr. ROBSION. So Mr. Clark and the other two gentlemen made this admission after you had detailed the treatment you had received at the hands of the board there in New York?

on.

Mr. EDWARDS. Yes, sir.

Mr. ROBSION. And from that time on your treatment was better? Mr. EDWARDS. Well, yes; my treatment was better from that time

Mr. ROBSION. Who were the other two men that you mentioned? Mr. EDWARDS. S. E. Farwell and W. Moulton, or W. J. Moulton. Mr. ROBSION. Have you any complaint to make against the action of the board since that occasion, November 19, 1919?

Mr. EDWARDS. Well, I don't understand this letter, which advises me to remain in section 2 of the rehabilitation act and receive $80

per month from the office "as you have in the past," when I could receive in two checks $128.75, and receive section 3 training.

Mr. ROBSION. Now, you detailed to Mr. Clark your relations with this Mr. Smith, did you?

Mr. EDWARDS. Not to Mr. Clark; certainly, no; to the three of them.

Mr. ROBSION. Well, to the three of them.

Mr. EDWARDS. Talking forwardly to Mr. Farwell, the chief.

Mr. ROBSION. You have stated that Mr. Smith has been transferred to the central office in Washington from New York? Did that transfer take place before or after Mr. Clark and these gentlemen admitted that you had been mistreated?

Mr. EDWARDS. Months before.

Mr. ROBSION. And is it your understanding that Mr. Smith is still in the service?

Mr. EDWARDS. Yes; it is my understanding.

Mr. ROBSION. What position does he occupy?

Mr. EDWARDS. I don't know, but when I was down here before the committee, some months ago, Mr. Lamkin told me that Mr. Smith was still in that board.

Mr. ROBSION. Do you understand he has been promoted?

Mr. EDWARDS. I didn't ask as to his rank or anything of that sort. Mr. ROBSION. That is all I have.

The CHAIRMAN. You are excused, Mr. Edwards.

Mr. Danielson, will you take the stand?

STATEMENT OF MR. CHARLES S. DANIELSON, BURSAR OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK CITY.

(The witness was duly sworn by the chairman.)

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Danielson, will you state what relationship the university has had with the Federal board?

Mr. DANIELSON. Well, the burden of my complaint is the inability to get my bills paid. We rendered a bill for summer-session students in last July, and we tried on numerous occasions to get our money and could not do it. Then the winter session was likewise, and I finally got my check on the 17th of March this year.

They owe us now for spring session $15,600, approximately, for 159 students. I have not billed that as yet, because they tell me I can not get it until the end of the year. I complained that that was not fair, for the reason that it cost us between $600 and $700 a year interest to carry those accounts, which we do not have to do with our regular students. When I go back I am going to make up my bills and present them, and unless I get attention I am going to write some of the members of this committee and ask them if we can't get our bills paid.

The CHAIRMAN. What is the custom of the university in the collection of its bills?

Mr. DANIELSON. The fees are due immediately upon registration, due in advance, and a student does not complete his registration until his fees are paid. That is, the payment of fees is a part of registration, and we are not supposed to send the subject cards to the class until the man has paid his fee.