The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980, August 08, 1929, Page 5, Image 5

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    PAGE FOUR
Tht OREGON STATESMAN, Salem, Oregon, Thursday Morniag, August 8, 1929
AUXILIARY HAS
mm. RECORD
Avis White President This
Year of Salem Chapter;
Welfare Work Done -
For the past eight years the
Salem American Legion Aux
ilary has taken an active part
in civic and charitable work,
particularly in the field of
child welfare and hospital
aid.
The auxiliary was first or
ganized in 1921 but met with
reverses and was re-organiz
ed in 1924, with Irs. J. J.
Rottle as president. Member
ship has increased steadily
and the field of activity has;
greauy wiaenea.
The present officers are:
President, Avis White; first vice
president, Luclle Meyer s;econd
Tice-president, Fay Lleuallen:
chaplain, Mrs. Albert Gragg;
Sergeant at arms, Mrs. W. T.
Wat kins; historian. Alice Lock
ard. The executive committee con
sists of Mrs. King Bartlett, Mrs.
Walter Zosel, Mrs. W. E. Vincent.
Harriet Wechter and Genevieve
Tragllo are standard bearers.
Welfare Work Done
The child welfare work has
been under the direction of Bess
Watklns as chairman while Mrs.
Jesse George directs the work of
the hospital committee. Mrs.
George Is also a member of the
department hospital committee so
the scope of her work la much
wider than the Salem district.
The auxiliary has sponsored a
girl scout troop as part of their
work and the girls win act as
pases for the coming convention.
Oa Memorial Day the auxiliary
sponsors the sale of red poppies
made by the disabled veterans.
The funds from this sale are used
for hospital work. This year, on
Memorial day the local auxiliary
presented a cop of the picture "In
Flanders Field" to each school in
Salem.
The ladies of the auxiliary gave
one day each month to assisting
ia the work of the Marion County
child health demonstration. This
is in addition to - the extensive
child welfare work done by the
auxiliary.
To Mark Graves
This year the local organiza
tion started a movement to get
government markers for all the
unmarked graves of war veterans
in Salem cemeteries. Those gov:
ernment markers are of New Eng
land marble and the only expense
to the local unit is that 'of setting
them. A great deal of work is In
volved in getting the complete
WELCOME
Oregon
SAlTO-GlVEL-CEl
.1405 N. Front Street
Here's the
lit
Lf ft i . .
Photo inado at San Antonio, Texas, la September, 1028, When
of the United States.
mar record of the deceased and
the consent of surviving relatives
to place the marker. This is all
done by the local women.
Until recently a woman could
gain membership In the auxiliary
only if some near relative was a
member of the American Legion.
Now one may Join the auxiliary
on her own war record.
The present membership of the
Salem auxiliary is 217.
LARGE DELEGATION
LAGRANDE. August 5. The
American Legion Post of La
Grande can well be recognized as
the leading post in the eastern
Oregon district. It has always
maintained the largest member
ship in that section and its mem
bers have always taken an active
part in legion afiairs.
The total membership for the
year 1929 has reached the 300
mark and under the leadership of
Commander C. V. Talbott the post
ha's had a very remarkable year.
Two things of which the La
Grande post and its auxiliary are
justly proud are the Legion drum
corps and the auxiliary drill team.
Both organizations will be in
attendance at the Salem conven
tion and from the combined or
ganization and the delegates and
visitors from La Grande a total of
70 people from La Grande will be
present. This is the largest repre
sentation from any single eastern
Oregon town. The drum corps
has a membership of 32 and the
drUl team-18.
Delegates to the convention
from LaGrande are C. V. Talbott,
commander of the post, Otis Pal
mer, post adjutant. Harry Sandoa.
Ralph Huron and Hugh Brady.
Hi SENDING
mSTm fcsssa.
Legionnaires and Members
of the AuxiKaiy
item
Gravel
Way Salem's Drum Corps Looked Way Down South
2
. i X - . -r -.N .... - i . . .... .-. J v.
More Hospitals Needed by
Vets Who are Mentally 111;
Congress is Asked to Help
There are 10,658 more mental
ly ill patients in the state institu
tions of New York than there Is
capacity, an overcrowding of 30.9
per cent, according to Frederick
W. Parsons, M. D.. commissioner
of the department of mental hy
giene. There are 1.020 ex-service
men in these state institutions, he
said. Under the law these veter
ans are entitled to treatment and
ears ia government, hospitals. The
government hospitals for the men.
tally sick are filled.
The statment of the overcrowd
ed condition of New York State In
stitutions was made to tbe Amer
ican Legion which is endeavoring,
nationally, in conjunction with
state authorities and the "V eterans'
B area a. to determine the acute
need of providing additional gov
ernment hospital construction to
care for the increasing load of
mentally ill war veterans.
According to Commissioner Par
sons, whose figures are taken as
of May 1. 534 of the 1.020 ex
service patients In the state insti
tutions of New York are being
cared for in the Kings Park hos
pital. The remaining 488 cases are
under treatment in the other 13
civil state hospitals, the largest
number In one institution being
120 at the Manhattan State hos
pital. There ts ao snrercrowding
in the Veterans Memorial TJait tn
the King Park State Hospital, ac
cording to CemmJBstoaer Paraoas,
Who adds that w heMeve tke ex
service patients hi tb ter state
hospitals are all wen cared far."
The American Legion national
survey shows tke ver-crowded
conditions of New York institu
TO S;
BUILDING
f
?
the corps fromhere won secesd
tions to be similar to the condi
tions in most other 6tates, In
many of which, however, the vet
erans are not receiving the prop
er care to which they are entitled
under the law.
" The World War Veterans Act,
1924, as amended, in Section 202,
Paragraph 10, provides that all
Veterans mentally 111, as well as
a few other classes of disabled,
are eligible to treatment and care
tn government hospitals, regard
less of whether they can trace
their Illness to war service, but
no beds are available tor such
veterans, many of whom carried
oa without complaint for several
years after the war.
According to a statement made
Jane t by the service director of
hte Legion department of New
York, there was one "service con
nected" mental case awaiting hos
pitalization by the government;
three non-service connected; 18
service connected now in hospitals
awaiting transfers: 22 non-service
connected hospitalized awaiting
transfer, besides a roster of hund
reds of cases in state institutions
where no contact by the bureau
was had due to the fact that they
are non-service connected and no
reauests had been made of the
bureau for treatment
Members of Los Angeles Lodge 1
of Elks, No. 99, have organized
an aviation club to encourage in
terest In aeronautics. The club
members are chartering planes
for visits to Elks' lodges within
a radios of 1.000 miles of Los
Angeles.
MATERIALS
Telephone 244
natiomal honors nsjainat field of
HMissnnis
III 1IH1Y
Commander of Salem Post
Says Task of Putting on
Meet No Worry
About as smooth a functioning
piece of mechanism as there is in
the world is a Chevrolet car in
the eyes of Douglas McKay, com
mander of the Salem post. When
Doug" appointed his convention
commission, however, and saw it
get to working, he decided that
the commission - was even a
smoother piece of mechanism in
its functioning than the well
known car which provides the
McKay family with funds for rent
and food.
Doug's idea has been one of
delegating work to responsible
men and letting them go ahead to
work out the details. His idea
has succeeded beautifully.
In complete harmony, the con
vention commission has gone
ahead with plans for publicity,
housing, entertainment, transpor
tation and the other problems
which confront any legion conven
tion commission.
Lots of people have asked me
how I can get any of my own
business done with the conven
tion on my hands this year," com
mented McKay this week. "Real-
1
III
Hi -
ft " ' . " "
ii in
. it . -f--
corpe entered from all sections
, .
j
tly, the convention plans have not
worried me. Tbe commission has
done each consistently good work
j that the conelave has never both-,
ered me.
Hospital Now
Ready for Use
In Emergency
An emergency hospital station,
under the direction of Dr. W. V.
Carlton Smith, will be maintain
ed at the courthouse grounds
all during the legion convention.
A tent 18x50 will be the offi
cial headquarters and the Golden
Ambulance company has given
the services of one ambulance to
be on dnty all the time.
The Marion county court gave
the use of the ground free of
charge. Oscar Bower, county sher
iff, donated the electricity, and
an extension light line will be run
from his office to the tent. The
telephone wrll be secured in the
same way from the office of the
eeunty treasurer.
Red Cros Flag Shown
The red cross flag which will
designate the tent Is the gift of
the Salem legion auxiliary. Cots
for emergency cases will be pro
vided.
Medical supplies will not he
kept at the tent but some one
will always be in attendance and
doctors will always be subject to
calL
Welcome
American Legionnaires and
Members of the Auxiliary
430 N. Commercial Street
CONFINED VETS
ARE SEEN OFTEN
Salem Legion Auxiliary Has
Its Members go to Port
land to Call
Veterans who are In the hos
pital and their families have been
one of the chief concerns of the
American Legion auxiliary since
Its organization and Capital Unit
of Salem has been very active In
this field during the past year.
Mrs. Jesse George is chairman
of the hospital committee for the
Salem unit as well as a member
of the state hospital committee.
Mrs. George or a member of her
committee calls at least once each
month upon those veterans who
are in the tuberculosis hospital.
Gifts of fruit, flowers, or any
thing that the patient desires are
always taken oa these visits. All
Salem veterans who are confined
to hospitals are called upon and
cheered in every way possible.
Freauent visits are made to the
veterans hospital in Portland and
Welcome Buddies
- and -Ladies
Auxiliary, too.
Hope you enjoy Salem,
Western
Dairy Products Co.
Sunfreeze Ice Cream.
to Salem
rvn
JM1CJ
at each visit cigarettes or tobacco.
is given to every man ia ine hos
pital. At Christmas time. 325. was
given to provide gifts for the men.
Whenever a veteran dies this
committee sends flowers in the
name of the auxiliary.
Onue very Important feature of
the work is the attention given to
the wives and families of veterans
who are ill. In case the wife wants
work the committee sees that suit
able employment Is found. If the
family is in need the necessary
food and clothing is provided and
the wife and children cared for
until the father is again able to
work.
War mothers also coma In for
their share of attention. Ono case
in Salem has attracted a great
deal of interest from the women.
This woman has been confined to
a local hospital for some time. A
wheel chair was purchased tor her
use and a needed sweater was pro
vided. Much of the work of the hos
pital committee, like tht of the
child welfare section, is done so
quietly that few people know any
thing about it. Funds are secsred
by contributions and by the tea
which the auxiliary sponsors each
year. This is given at tbs Elks
club and the proceeds are divided
between the hospital and child
welfare work.
' i S;