(e) Require all Federal agencies to adopt and apply a selective placement program, without regard to seniority, after careful evaluation of physical handicap before determination of non-eligibility (E. 46).

2. Condemn efforts to remove benefits already extended by Congress by Veterans Preference Act of 1944 or other laws (E. 21).

3. Amend the Veterans Preference Act to

(a) Delete the words "or pension" from section 2 (1), page 359, Seventyeighth Congress.

(b) Grant 10-point preference to widowed unremarried mothers of any deceased person who died while actively serving in the United States Armed Forces or of any war veteran who is permanently or totally disabled.

(c) Amend section 2 to restrict active duty in any branch of United States Armed Forces shall mean active, full-time duty with military pay and allowances.

(d) Amend section 8 to provide that no veteran eligible shall be deemed to have been passed over as to any certification from which another preference eligible is appointed.

(e) Amend section 12 to provide for extra retention credits for 5- and 10point-preference employees (E. 34).

(f) Amend section 12 to provide that veterans shall, in any reduction in personnel, be considered as in competition with all other employees in the same agency in the same grade or within two grades above for jobs for which the veteran is qualified (E. 34).

(g) Amend section 12 to provide that, in any reduction in personnel, all employees shall be considered on an agency-wide basis except where the Commission has declared the impracticability thereof.

(h) Amend section 12 to provide further that, in any reduction in force, any preference employee shall have the right to be transferred to a lower grade, upon his request therefor (E. 34).

(2) Amend section 14 to provide that the preference employee, or his designated representative, shall be given copies of Commission's findings, recommendations, and verbatim hearing records.

4. Liberalize regulations of United States Civil Service Commission relative to reductions in force, suspensions, transfers, dismissals, demotions, and reinstatements (E. 34):

(a) Provide that no preference employee shall be reduced, demoted, suspended or dismissed until after the Commission shall have made its recommendations on the basis of any appeal.

(b) Reimburse financial loss and restore accumulated leave lost to any Federal employee or former Federal employee who has been restored to his former position by reason of his appeal.

(c) Promulgate regulations to evaluate "for such cause as will promote the efficiency of the service."

(d) Restore reduced employee separated due to "fair" or "unsatisfactory" rating, if same is changed to "good" or better on appeal.

(e) Require competitive area to be agency-wide in departmental service. (f) Preserve seniority rights of 10-point-preference eligibles in the postal service transferring from one position to another.

(g) Require qualified preference employee to displace another in same subgroup with less retention credit.

(h) Require departmental and field employees in same location to compete on same register where jobs are interchangeable.

(i) Establish appeal boards.

(1) Require agency to make most reasonable offer.

(2) Permit reduced employees in subgroup A-2 to displace employees in subgroups A-3 and A-4.

5. Liberalize civil-service retirement.

(a) Mandatorially after 30 years of Federal employment or at age 65, optionally after 25 years (E. 36).

(b) Credit vocational training for civil-service retirement (E. 18).

6. Liberalize vocational-training opportunities for all war-disabled veterans (L. Y.).

(a) Extend eligibility for vocational training under paragraph 16 to all service-disabled veterans of World War II (E. 22).

(b) Trainees in apprenticeable trades to be extended full standardized apprenticeships (E. 4).

(c) Arrange for setting up coordinating Federal interagency committee sections to arrange for paragraph 16 on-the-job training in Federal agencies.

(d) Amend paragraph 16 to grant trainees monthly dependency allowances of $30 for wife, $20 for first child, $15 for second child, $10 for each additional child, $30 for each dependent parent (E. 41).

7. Provide adequate appropriations and personnel for United States Employment Service and Veterans Employment Service, independent of any agency specializing in payment of unemployment compensation benefits (E. 12, E. 40).

(a) Revive Federai Advisory Council (E. 32).

8. Facilitate employment of disabled veterans by liberalization of policies affecting management and labor unions (E. 29).

(a) Reimburse all State Workmen's Compensation costs as to serviceconnected disabled veteran employees (E. 1).

(b) Liberalize Internal Revenue Act to permit percentage of wages paid to compensable service disabled-veteran employees to be deducted in determining income tax payable (E. 19).

(c) Grant all veterans credit for time spent in armed forces for seniority purposes (L. Y.).

(d) Establish veterans community coordinating committees (E. 35). Authorize DAV participation in conference with other national organizations to arrange for advisory assistance to formalized councils of the United Nations (E. 14).

NATIONAL CEMETERIES, STATE SOLDIERS' HOMES, WAR MEMORIAL

1. Legislation providing a National Cemetery in each State (L. 10). H. R. 1109, reported to House, July 14, 1947; also S. 47 by Senator Hill.

2. Requests legislation so as to permit burial in national cemeteries of veterans who received honorable discharges for war service even though subsequently dishonorably discharged (L. 14).

3. Asks prevention of the burial of anyone in Arlington National Cemetery except the veteran dead who served their country honestly and faithfully and the permitted classes of their beneficiaries (L. 18).

4. Requests a National Cemetery in Hawaii to be located in the crater of Punchbowl for the burial of Hawaii's war-veteran dead and that bodies of dead collected from all sections of the Pacific be buried in the crater of Diamond Head (L. 29).

5. Requests immediate recision of VA Technical Bulletin TB 11-226 for the reason it is discriminatory to the veterans and their families living in southern California (L. 4). To be handled administratively.

6. Urges that yearly Federal allowance to State soldiers' homes be increased from $300 to $500 per year (L. 30).

7. Recommends construction of a war memorial auditorium in Washington, D. C. (L. 25).

NATIONAL DEFENSE

1. Adopt a Universal Military Training Act (N. D. 1) H. R. 4278 by Representative Towe, New Jersey, reported to House July 26, 1947.

2. Withhold atomic bomb and other secret-weapon information from all other nations; also continue production of such weapons.

3. Proceed immediately under Unification Act to (a) expand and coordinate scientific research for military purposes; (b) adopt an adequate program for industrial mobilization and stock piling of strategic materials; (c) organize a worldwide intelligence service to keep the country adequately informed; (d) organize the armed services into a single, effective land-sea-air team capable of destroying the military potential of any enemy who may attack us (N. D. 1).

4. Provide adequate appropriations to rebuild and maintain our regular armed forces and civilian components to prevent war (N. D. 1).

5. Urges the several departments of the armed services to create limited-service categories in Reserve components, especially so that disabled war veterans may be able to perform limited military duties (N. D. 2). H. R. 4496 by Representative Andrews, New York; and H. R. 4615 by Representative Foote, Connecticut.

6. Pledges DAV support of recruitment for the armed services (N. D. 3). 7. Statehood for Hawaii.

NATIONAL SECURITY

1. Condemn communism and all other subversive groups (A. 4). H. Res. 99, Representative Gordon McDonough; H. R. 1878, Representative William Stigler; and H. R. 1884, Representative John Rankin.

2. Requests amendment to Constitution so as to prohibit Communists and other subversive groups from using the ballot (A. 1). H. R. 4482, Representative Cole, Missouri.

3. Recommends passage of law denying Communists and other subversive groups the privilege of using the United States mails for dissemination of their literature and propaganda (A. 8). H. R. 2540 by Representative Everett Dirksen, Illinois.

4. Requests all schools teaching communistic or similar subversive principles be closed. (A. 9). State legislation.

5. Calls attention to booklet Communism in Action as available for distribution and urges DAV members write their Members of Congress for copies of such pamphlet (A. 10).

HOUSING

1. Urges legislation to provide a preference in national housing for the serviceconnected disabled (L. 32). H. R. 3532, H. R. 4077, S. 1293, S. 866, H. R. 4488. 2. Recommends amendment to housing legislation whereby compensation shall not be considered as income in applying for a vacancy in any Federal Housing unit (L. 6). H. R. 5015 by Mr. Mitchell, Indiana; to committee on Banking and Currency.

3. Requests legislation that veterans and their families be granted the use of land, properties and specially constructed living quarters in Federal, State, and municipal properties to assist in solving the existing housing shortage (L. 27).

IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION

1. Requests legislation similar to Public Law 149, Seventy-second Congress, for the benefit of the foreign-born who fought in our armed forces, providing right of citizenship under certain conditions (A. 7). H. R. 251 by Representative Kearney, New York. 2. Opposes entrance into this country of displaced persons (A. 2 and A. 3).

RETIREMENT OF OFFICERS

1. Requests amendment to section 301, Public Law 346, Seventy-eighth Congress, as amended, to provide for review of discharge or dismissal except a discharge or dismissal by reason of sentence of general court martial (L. 7). H. R. 4019 by Mr. Byrnes of Wisconsin.

2. Urges legislation which will place on the retired list certain commissioned officers of the Army who served during World War I (L. 19). H. R. 2031 Representative McDonough of California.

3. Requests extension to officers, discharged or released from active service in the armed forces without going before Retiring Board, the privilege of appearing before such Board to determine entitlement to retirement benefits (L. 35). H. R. 799 by Mr. Rivers, South Carolina.

GENERAL

1. Inaugurate a Disabled American Veterans Day (A. 5 and L. 3).

The CHAIRMAN. That was a very fine statement. I would like to tell you, if you don't already know it, that there are several bills on the Consent Calendar today that we hope we will secure passage of. The hospital bill for more beds, the life-insurance bill to extend 2 years during which time veterans may apply for gratuitous insurance.

Then there is the Sarbacher bill which gives benefits to men of World War II suffering with tuberculosis, and there is the bill which makes provision for loans for construction of homes and business property.

If the Booker T. Washington bill does not come up on the floor, the Speaker informs me I will be recognized, so we may see some legislation going through today.

Mr. GOLOB. Yes, Madam Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. You spoke of housing. Have you studied the Legion homestead plan? Has your organization taken any action or stand on that?

Mr. GOLOв. The organization has not taken any action as yet. About 90 percent of the members of our organization are members of the Legion and about the same percentage members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and some of our membership are also AMVETS.

We believe as individuals we have the opportunity of expressing our sentiments on matters of such nature through such channels. Otherwise, as an organization, the only request we make is that preference be shown disabled veterans in the matter.

The CHAIRMAN. That should be written in the bill.

Mr. GOLOB. I would like very much to have it written in the bill, but there is one other point, our organization would not like to see the Veterans' Administration burdened with the necessity of carrying out the provisions of the housing bill. I think they are already overloaded with many factors which have no bearing upon the care and welfare of the disabled and their dependents.

The CHAIRMAN. If it isn't administered under the GI bill of rights with a certain control with the Veterans' Administration, I see no opportunity for the veterans to secure any housing.

Mr. GOLOB. Pardon me, Madam Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. If it is not operated under the GI bill of rights with a certain control in the Veterans' Administration, I see no opportunity for veterans to secure any housing.

I won't embarrass you by pressing that.

Mr. GOLOB. I appreciate that, Madam Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. The tropical and chronic diseases bill passed the House and is before the Senate.

Will you appear before the Senate committee?

Mr. GOLOB. If I am not able to appear there in person, some of the members of our staff who are better qualified to work on that phase of the matter will be there.

The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Ohio.

Mr. RAMEY. No questions, Madam Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Has the gentleman from Mississippi any questions?" Mr. RANKIN. Yes, Madam Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Prooceed.

Mr. RANKIN. Are you asking any relief from the provisions of the so-called economy bill that took away from the disabled benefits in presumptive cases, their compensation; has your organization asked for any change?

Mr. GOLOB. May I ask, one of the members of our staff to answer that?

Mr. RANKIN. Certainly.

STATEMENT OF WILLIAM E. TATE, NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF CLAIMS, DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS, WASHINGTON, D. C.

Mr. TATE. Mr. Rankin, the bill that Mrs. Rogers just spoke about was reported by this committee and is on the consent calendar. It' does permit service connection on a presumptive basis, but it doesn't go the extent that it was granted to World War I veterans. That is as to tropical diseases and chronic diseases, tuberculosis and so forth. Mr. RANKIN. If you remember the "economy bill" almost destroyed the presumptive feature of legislation we passed up to that time. Mr. TATE. Yes, sir.

Mr. RANKIN. And it had a very disastrous effect on the tubercular men especially, and men suffering and dying from cancer and other constitutional diseases, because they realized, if they died this cut off their widows and orphans and they would be left without a penny. I am just wondering whether any recommendation has been made for the restoration of those funds, and also returning them to 100 percent compensation.

Mr. MITCHELL. It is in here, isn't it?

Mr. TATE. Mr. Rankin, if my memory serves me correctly, when we testified on that bill, or when the program was outlined for the committee, our resolution called for a two-year presumptive clause, and at that time you brought up the fact that it did not provide as great a benefit as had been provided in the World War Veterans Act. But the bill that limits presumptive provisions is the bill which has been placed on the consent calendar. It doesn't go as far as the bills went when you presented the bill for World War I veterans, but it is certainly a real help

The CHAIRMAN. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. RANKIN. Yes, Madam Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. It is very difficult to tell a World War II man about that. I know a father and son. The father is receiving presumptive compensation under the World War I Act and the son is World War II and he cannot understand, and the Sarbacher bill may correct that.

Mr. RANKIN. My position is this. What we should have done was to restore the provisions of the presumptive legislation and make it apply to veterans of both wars. It would come nearer doing justice to veterans of both wars than attempting to zigzag our legislation.

Mr. TATE. I am in agreement with you, Mr. Rankin. The question of presumptive ratings for World War II veterans similar to World War I is only one example of the existing inequalities as to benefits for World War II veterans.

The position of our organization is that situation should be corrected. We feel the World War II veteran is entitled to the same consideration as was given to his father.

Mr. RANKIN. I agree with that 100 percent. Our first duty is to the disabled veteran. They can say all they please about housing and education and on-the-job training, and unemployment compensation, but our first duty is to the man injured in the war. Mr. MITCHELL. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. RANKIN. I went through this spat with Royall Johnson, when he was chairman of this committee. In my opinion, no class of veterans deserves more consideration at the hands of Congress than those unfortunate sufferers from the chronic diseases that are covered by the original presumptive legislation.

I think the same law should be reenacted to apply to veterans of World War II.

Mr. RAMEY (presiding). Will the gentleman yield to Mr. Mitchell? Mr. RANKIN. Yes, sir.

Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Rankin, this bill, H. R. 4243, to provide for a disability of 100 percent for arrested tuberculosis for the first 2 years of arrest, then 50 percent for 5 years, with a minimum thereafter of 40 percent for those diagnosed as moderately advanced or less, that