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SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON LABOR

CLIFFORD R. HOPE, Kansas

JENNINGS RANDOLPH, West Virginia VITO MARCANTONIO, New York

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TO CREATE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR BLIND

PERSONS IN THE UNITED STATES

TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 1935

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON LABOR,

Washington, D. C.

The subcommittee met at 1:30 p. m., Hon. Glenn Griswold presiding.

Mr. GRISWOLD. The committee will come to order. The purpose of the meeting is to hold a hearing on H. R. 4688, as follows:

[H. R. 4688, 74th Cong., 1st sess.]

A BILL To authorize the operation of stands in Federal buildings by blind persons, to enlarge the economic opportunities of the blind, and for other purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That for the purpose of providing blind citizens of the United States with remunerative employment, enlarging the economic oportunities of the blind, and stimulating the blind to greater efforts in striving to make themselves self-supporting, all Federal buildings having suitable locations for stands are hereby required to be open for operation of vending stands therein by blind persons licensed by the Office of Education, and the Office of Education in the Department of the Interior, subject to the direction of the Commissioner of Education and such rules and regulations as he may, with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, prescribe, shall (1) make surveys of concession stand opportunities for blind persons in Federal and other buildings in the United States; (2) make surveys throughout the United States of industries with a view to obtaining information that will assist blind persons to obtain employment; (3) make available to the public, and especially to persons and organizations engaged in work for the blind, all information obtained as a result of such surveys; (4) issue licenses to blind persons who are citizens of the United States and twenty-one years of age or over for the operation of vending stands in Federal buildings for the vending of newspapers, periodicals, candies, tobacco products, and such other articles as may be approved for each building by the custodian thereof and by the Commissioner; and (5) take such other steps as may be necessary and proper to carry out the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 2. (a) The Office of Education shall, in issuing each such license for the operation of a vending stand, give preference to blind persons who are in need of employment and have resided for at least one year prior thereto in the State in which such stand is to be located. Each such license shall be issued for an indefinite period but may be terminated by the Commissioner when he is satisfied that the stand is not being operated in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by him. Each such license shall be subject to the approval of the Federal agency having charge of the building in which the stand is located. Such licenses shall be issued only to applicants who are blind within the meaning of this Act but are able, in spite of such infirmity, to operate such stands.

(b) The Office of Education is authorized, with the approval of the Federal agency having charge of the building in which the stand is to be located, to select a location for the stand.

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SEC. 3. The Office of Education is authorized to purshase stand equipment out of funds hereinafter authorized to be appropriated, and, subject to such rules and regulations as he may prescribe, to lend such stand equipment to the various State commissions for the blind, and in States in which no State commission for the blind is in existence, the Commissioner shall designate a repsonsible private agency or agencies which will agree to cooperate with the Commissioner as provitled in 'section 4 of this Act.

SEC. 4. A State commission for the blind or an agency designated by the Commissioner shall, in order to obtain such stand equipment, (1) agree to supply such stand equipment without charge to blind persons who are licensed by the Commissioner to operate a vending stand in the Federal buildings in such State, and to other blind persons who are qualified to operate stands in to cooperate with the C statt sinner and the vicio of employmention2) agree buildings in such and need State, in training, placing, and supervising blind persons; (3) lend such funds as may be necessary to enable the blind persons operating such stands in such State to purchase an original stock of supplies to be yended therefrom; and (4) agree to keep such stand equipment in repair.

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SEC. 5. The Commissioner is authorized to cooperate with the State boards for rehibilitation of handicapped persons, established by the several States pursuant to the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the promotion of vocational rehabilitation of persons disabled in industry or otherwise and their return to civil employment ", approved June 2, 1920, as amended and supplemented, in carrying out the provisions of this Act..

SEC. 6 (a) The Commissioner is authorized to make such expenditures out of any money appropriated therefor (including expenditures for personal services and rent at the seat of government and elsewhere, books of reference and periodicals, for printing and binding, and for traveling expenses) as he may deem necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.

(b) The Commissioner shall, in employing such additional personnel as may be necessary, give preference to blind persons who are capable of discharging the required duties.

SEC. 7. As used in this Act

(a) The term "United States" includes the several States, Territories, and possessions of the United States, and the District of Columbia.

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(b) The term "blind person means a person (1) having not more than 10 per centum visual acuity in the better eye with correction, or (2) whose vision is so impaired that regular employment cannot be obtained due to this infirmity; and such blindness shall be certified by a duly licensed ophthalmologist.

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(c) The term State commission for the blind" means a commission established under authority of the State and engaged primarily in work for the blind. (d) The term “private agency means any organization, other than a State commission for the blind, engaged primarily in work for the blind.

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(e) The term "State means a State, Territory, possession, or the District of Columbia...

SEC. 8. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for carrying out the provisions of this Act.

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I think it would be well to have, first, a statement by Mr. Randolph, the author of the bill, giving us an outline of the intent and purposes of its.

STATEMENT OF HON. JENNINGS RANDOLPH, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA

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Mr. RANDOLPH. Chairman Griswold and members of the committee, I desire to state at the outset that I have no pride of authorship, as such, in H. R. 4688, the bill which is now under consideration by the Subcommittee of the Committee on Labor of the House. I do, however, have a personal interest in the blind of the United States, and being approached by not only individuals but by the Washington Lions Club, which is affiliated with Lions International, a civic organization in five countries, and an organization

of which I have been a member for over 12 years, their purposes, as an international organization, being to advance the benefits of the blind, I have had a general interest in such legislation over à long period of time.

One member of this committee, Congressman Dunn, of Pennsylvania, has made a most exhaustive study of methods whereby the blind might be assisted, and has introduced legislation at various times looking toward the assistance of the blind, not through pensions, but to allow the blind to solve their own problems, just as any other man in this country would like to solve his own problems. Mr. DUNN. Pardon my interrupting you. You say "not through pensions?"

Mr. RANDOLPH. Yes; I did.

Mr. DUNN. I introduced a pension bill this year for the blind of the District of Columbia better than that one that went through the House; much better.

Mr. RANDOLPH. You understood that I was for you in that matter?

Mr. DUNN. Surely.

Mr. RANDOLPH. I mean not that pensions would settle the problems of the blind of this country, but that the blind, like every other group of people in this country, will have an opportunity to iron out their own difficulties and find their rightful places in the economic status of the United States.

So H. R. 4688 is a bill now before the committee which specifically states that it is legislation

to authorize the operation of stands in Federal buildings by blind persons, to enlarge the economic opportunities of the blind, and for other purposes.

The legislation would allow the setting up of stands in Federal buildings, which would cause the blind to strive for greater efforts to become self-supporting; and provides that these stands be licensed by the Office of Education in the Department of the Interior, subject to the direction of the Commissioner of Education; and that, first of all, there be a survey of concession stand opportunities for the blind in this country; and, secondly, that there be made a survey throughout the United States of industries, with a view of obtaining information that will assist blind persons to obtain employment; and, third, that will make available to the public, and especially to persons and organizations interested in helping the blind, all information as a result of these surveys; fourth, that licenses be issued to blind persons, to be approved by the custodian of the building and the Commissioner; fifth, to take such steps as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this act. That, in general, is the set-up of the legislation.

I realize the deep interest of my colleague, Congressman Dunn of Pennsylvania, in such legislation. I also commend him and other blind persons for their activity in behalf of the blind, and I have various letters from individuals and groups in which they give their support of the principles embodied in this legislation. Perhaps the committee would not want me to read the correspondence, but it would be better just to include it as a part of the record. However, I might say that Chairman Connery has turned over to me a letter from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Toronto,

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