Delegate: "Mr. Commander, I rise for a point of information." Chairman: "Will the gentleman state his point?"

Delegate: "I would like to know to just what action this resolution refers. It is not yet clear to me."

Chairman: "I believe that there was held in this hall recently a meeting which developed tendencies which were decidedly un-American, with an inclination toward Bolshevism. This band, having contracted to play at this meeting, saw the trend of the meeting, and after holding a consultation, they determined to withdraw. They are now being sued for breach of contract. Do I state the matter cor

rectly?"

Delegate Clement H. Norton, Hyde Park, leader of the band: "It is as you have said, Mr. Chairman."

Chairman: "Are you ready for the question?"

The vote resulted in favor of the resolution.

Chairman of the Resolutions Committee:

Whereas, The American Legion is vitally interested in vocational training, and rehabilitation work for disabled soldiers; and

Whereas, The American Legion is desirous of encouraging this work; therefore be it Resolved, That the Massachusetts State Department extend its commendation to the city of Holyoke for its patriotic action in transferring one of its school buildings for this work, and for its further action in appropriating money and purchasing machinery for the carrying on of this work.

Delegate from Holyoke: "In explanation of this resolution I desire to say that the city of Holyoke has given over the use of one of its schoolhouses to the Vocational Rehabilitation Board for the use of the men wounded and disabled in the service. They are also about to appropriate a sum of money for the purpose of buying machinery and furnishing the building suitably for the further instruction of these men. This program will become effective Jan. 15, 1920. Now, although this matter has been discussed at other times, and will undoubtedly become general, Holyoke is the first city in New England to take action of this kind, and I think that it should have the hearty endorsement and co-operation of the Massachusetts Department of The American Legion. That is the reason I submitted this resolution, and I sincerely hope it will be accepted."

Delegate Wm. J. Jennings, All-Dorchester Post: "I put a resolution in to that committee this morning, but we have not heard from it, so I suppose that it has gone to the wastebasket just as it did at

Worcester. But I do not intend to put resolutions in to that committee and have them treated like that. I am here and there all around the city every day for the purpose of getting jobs for ex-service men, but I am handicapped by the lack of co-operation on the part of the officials. But I keep at it, and I land the boys in a job most every time before I quit. Now I put in a resolution which I will read. It is as follows:

Resolved, That this Convention request the Congress of the United States to institute an immediate and thorough investigation of the First Federal Civil Service District to ascertain the reasons why war veterans are discriminated against, and so-called "slackers" given positions in preference to our comrades who participated in the recent war with Germany.

Chairman; "You have heard the resolution. What is your pleas

ure?"

The resolution is accepted.

Delegate Frederick T. Doyle, Roxbury Post 44: "Mr. Commander, I would like to bring the attention of the comrades to a matter which concerns all of us, and that is in connection with the carnival at Braves Field. This was connected with the Citizens' Committee of The American Legion, and was conducted by them. At the present time the committee owes several bills, one of which is to a member of the Perkins Post, South Boston, one of our comrades. Now there is still considerable talk about this matter, and it does not reflect to the credit of The American Legion. If there are any outstanding bills to be paid, let us get at them and get them cleared up. Therefore, Mr. Commander, I move you, sir, that a committee of three be appointed by the chairman to investigate this matter and to see that our comrade receives the compensation due him."

Chairman: "I will appoint on the committee" — [Interrupted by delegate.] "Does this motion contemplate giving that committee the power to compensate this man out of the finances of The American Legion? I think that there is a question of whether or not The American Legion is liable in this case."

Chairman: "I think that the object of the committee is to investigate this case and to see that the comrade does not lose anything through The American Legion's Citizens' Committee. The motion of Mr. Doyle was to the effect that a committee of three be appointed by the Chair with instructions to investigate and to make a report. Do I state it correctly?"

Delegate Doyle: "It is just that, sir."

Delegate: "Was there not a statement made at the Worcester Convention in regard to the finances at this carnival?”

Chairman: "I believe that such a question was raised, but I think that things were in such a condition that the chairman of the committee reported that the financial report was not then ready."

Delegate Doyle: "Mr. Commander, I believe Comrade Coughlin of the Perkins Post can give the Convention a better idea of how the matter stands."

Delegate James Coughlin, Perkins Post, South Boston: "I would like to inform the Convention that all the members of this 101st Band are members of The American Legion, and are union men, professional musicians, who earn their living by this means. Now at that carnival we were given a contract which called for $247.50 per day for three hours in the afternoon and three hours in the evening for four days. This would make about $39 per man. We were to go there every day and play our prescribed time, and were assured by the Citizens' Committee that we would be paid every day. The chairman of this Citizens' Committee was Guy Ham." [This was said in such a sarcastic tone that it called forth the following reproach from the Commander.]

Chairman: "Let us not refer to any personalities, Mr. Coughlin." Mr. Coughlin: "No personalities, Mr. Commander. I just wanted to enlighten the delegates as to who is responsible for this trouble. Guy Ham's brother was sponsor for his payment of my bill, and they guaranteed that they would pay us on time. The first night the entertainment was one hour and three-quarters late. He came to me and told me to keep my band playing and to hold the crowd, and I did. Saturday night it rained, and he came to me and said, 'We have got to get out of this hole. We have got to make some money.' Then he asked me to bring my band to the carnival on Monday. 'Why, that is a holiday, and I have an engagement,' I said. Then he weeped and wailed, and claimed that he would be ruined if he did not have my band on Monday. 'If you are here we will clean up $10,000 or $15,000,' he said, 'and if you do not stay we will go in the hole.' Well, we stayed on the job, and again that night the entertainment was delayed, and the band held the crowd there. Then I went down to Mr. Ham's office, and they told me that Mr. Ham would O. K. my bill to-morrow. And the next day Mr. Ham's

brother said that he would O. K. it the next day. And so it goes, and we have not got our money yet."

Chairman: "You have heard the motion. What is your pleasure?" The motion when put to vote was carried.

The Chair will appoint the committee later, of which, however, he will appoint Mr. Doyle chairman.

Delegate Levine, Malden: "Mr. Commander, before we have any more resolutions I would like to ask if the Committee on Constitution and By-laws is ready to report yet? It seems to me that this is the chief reason for this assembly, and we have not yet touched upon it. I think that this committee should report, and that we should take action now on a measure of such importance."

Chairman: "I believe that the Committee on Resolutions will soon be through, and I am informed that the Committee on Constitution is not as yet ready to report."

Delegate Miss May Hurley, Roxbury Post 44: "Upon two different occasions we have tried to gain recognition at State conventions. I think that when all is considered, and our work is given the proper consideration, it will be admitted that we girls did our part in this late war just as much as any other branch of the service. It is true that we served in other capacities than fighters, but at the same time, none will deny that our work was of great importance.

"A bill was prepared and signed by about 800 yeomen (F) of this district, and this was submitted to the State Legislature of Massachusetts asking that we be recognized in the distribution of the $100 gratuity which was awarded in appreciation of services rendered. There was absolutely no mention made in the Gratuity Bill as to the relative salaries received by the different members of the service. We have been the only branch of the Army, Navy or Marine Corps left out of the benefits of the bonus bill. We worked and we were paid for it. But the question comes not in the salary, but in the fact that we were regularly enlisted in the service. The members of the Army Nurse Corps, telephone girls and all other girls in the service have received it. I ask you why all us yeomen (F) should be discriminated against in favor of the other girls in the service? The men who worked alongside us, and whom we have never mentioned until now, who bore the same rank as we did, have received their gratuity. But we girls have not. The Roxbury Post 44 has gone on record unanimously, pledged to the support of our campaign for this bonus.

Therefore I hope the Massachusetts Department of The American Legion will likewise go on record as encouraging our stand." [Applause.]

Delegate: "Mr. Commander, I wish to make a statement which I do not think all the members know about fully. Down in Washington there were a great many girls working there in the government service during the war. Now some of these girls were enlisted as electricians, some as signal corps girls, and others as yeomen (F). Still others were enlisted in different branches for which they were fitted. They served their time in the service, just like soldiers, and when the

was over they were discharged. Some of these girls lived in Massachusetts, and when they came home they naturally applied for the bonus. But the only ones to get it were those who were not yeomen (F). Now, why that discrimination should be made, I cannot see. I think if the Convention will give the matter consideration, it will begin to wonder at the justice of the provision of the bill which excluded the yeomen (F) from the benefits of the gratuity."

Chairman: "You have heard the motion. What is the pleasure of the Convention?"

This motion when put to vote was carried unanimously.

Delegate Martin, John J. O'Connell Post 85: "The O'Connell Post is composed mostly of ex-policemen who are, of course, ex-service men. They sent me here as their representative to ask the support of this body in removing from them a stigma which is not deserved, as was proven by their service in the World War. We are sorry for our action. We regret it, and admit that we were wrong. But we have been punished for it. We cannot walk along the streets but we receive sneers and looks of disdain, and people call us traitors to our oaths. Does our service in the war look as if we were traitors? All we ask you to do is to help us remove the stain and disgrace which has been placed on us by our actions, and we desire the support of this body in asking the Police Commissioner to restore us to our old positions, and we agree to resign within a few weeks after we are restored. They call us slackers and traitors. Give us a chance to"

Delegate Samuel E. Winslow, Jr., Worcester Post 5, interrupts: "Mr. Commander, I ask for a point of information. I would like to ask the speaker just what it is that these men desire of this Convention. In other words, just what action do they want this body to take?" Delegate Martin: "All we want this Convention to do is to sanction