Comments of Veterans' Administration

This recommendation is now being accomplished by General Services Administration on a reimbursable basis for small agencies within the Washington, D. C., area. The adoption of the recommendation on a governmentwide basis would affect, for the most part, those agencies microfilming records for disposal or other purposes requiring a onetime microfilming operation, as distinguished from microfilming as an integral part of day-to-day routines. The Veterans' Administration accomplishes microfilming on (1) a daily basis in connection with insurance operations covering records in transit, current records, etc., and (2) a daily and annual basis in central office, the district offices, and regional offices for security purposes. Projects of this type require and justify the permanent installation of microfilm equipment on the premises and, under the circumstances, they are considered to be economical activities.

Accordingly, while the Veterans' Administration has no objection to a Central Microfilming Service with facilities available at the option of the using agencies, if the recommendation contemplates compulsory use of such a central service, displacing agency microfilming operations, the Veterans' Administration would be opposed to its adoption. Such a course would result in serious delays in service and disruptions of day-to-day activities, since the microfilming process, where necessary, is an important step in the established work pattern of the Veterans' Administration.

ADOPTED TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION NO. 12

"All agencies of Government should survey their actual requirements for legal-size file cabinets and the actual need for documents of this size. The results of this survey should be closely related to plans of each agency to procure or keep legal-size file cabinets. In addition to more discriminating use, investigation will have to be made of the need for legal-size paper, including review of pertinent laws, Executive orders, and regulations which specify its use.'

Comments of Veterans' Administration

In common with other agencies the Veterans' Administration has legal-size file cabinets in use, to some extent, throughout the agency. Efforts are already being made in certain areas to revise and redesign forms and other records to letter size where practicable. Steps are also being taken within the Veterans' Administration to conduct a survey as suggested in this recommendation, including a study of the actual requirements throughout the agency of legal-size file cabinets, the actual need for any existing legal-size forms, and with a view to strict control of the issuance of legal-size paper.

ADOPTED TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION NO. 13

"The Civil Service Commission (a) promulgate clear-cut classification standards for all types of positions involved in the programs of paperwork management; and (b) issue definitive qualification and experience standards for positions involved in paperwork management programs to enable agencies to give consideration to experience in

related management fields when recruiting and qualifying individuals at any grade level."

Comments of Veterans' Administration

It is understood that the Civil Service Commission, to which this recommendation is specifically directed, is actively engaged in the development of standards for positions involved in programs of paperwork management and that the proposed position classification standards will be released for agency review in the near future. The Veterans' Administration will give serious consideration to these proposals and any proposals for qualification and experience standards with a view to determining the extent to which the application of standards of this kind will contribute toward the improvement of our programs of paperwork management. Undoubtedly, the success of these programs depends in large measure upon their conduct by personnel well adapted to the special requirements of this activity. Since paperwork management responsibility is to a considerable extent inherent in all positions involving administrative management functions, there is, of course, the question of the extent to which it is feasible to identify paperwork management positions as such and single them out for emphasis or specialization. The underlying objective of this recommendation appears to be sound, but the feasibility and extent of its implementation need to be carefully considered in the examination. of such proposed standards as may be developed by the Civil Service Commission.

ADOPTED TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION NO. 14

"The Joint Committee on Printing, in cooperation with the Government Printing Office, prescribe standards for the procurement of printed material which is purchased as part of a basic service or equipment contract."

Comments of Veterans' Administration

This recommendation would not affect the Veterans' Administration either presently or in the foreseeable future. Procurement of printed material as part of a basic service or equipment contract is largely limited to the military departments. The development of standards governing these practices appears to be within the purview of the Joint Committee on Printing and the Government Printing Office, which may already have the necessary authority to develop and prescribe such standards. It would appear that this recommendation is sound in view of the possible savings which might be achieved.

ADOPTED TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION NO. 15

"The Treasury Department review the laws governing its checkissuing operations and report on the same to the Congress with a view to staggering required issue dates to spread the workload over the full month."

Comments of Veterans' Administration

The recommended review and its possible results would affect the Veterans' Administration, as well as other agencies of the Government. Such a review by the Treasury Department, with resulting

report to the Congress, appears to be desirable provided that the several agencies of the Government are given a full opportunity to indicate the practical effects on their operations, including any adverse effects which should be considered along with any advantages to the Treasury Department.

ADOPTED TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION NO. 16

"The Post Office Department, in cooperation with the Bureau of the Budget, develop a simpler and less expensive method for determining the postage costs of individual agencies."

Comments of Veterans' Administration

The Veterans' Administration concurs in this recommendation. At present the Veterans' Administration uses a large number of manhours in determining the use of penalty indicia matter for the purpose of submitting reports to the Post Office Department.

ADOPTED TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION NO. 17

"The Office of Defense Mobilization, in cooperation with the General Services Administration, complete a program for the protection of vital records."

Comments of Veterans' Administration

The Veterans' Administration concurs in this recommendation. We have already a well-advanced program for the protection of records vital to the continuation of our essential functions.

ADOPTED TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION NO. 18

"The Government Printing Office negotiate a contract with each supplier of tabulating cards which would permit Government agencies to purchase such cards direct from suppliers."

Comments of Veterans' Administration

The Veterans' Administration concurs. On March 23, 1955, the Deputy Administrator requested the Government Printer to grant the Veterans' Administration permission to institute this procedure at

once.

Hon. OLIN E. TEAGUE,

Chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs,

JUNE 30, 1955.

House of Representatives, Washington 25, D. C.

DEAR MR. TEAGUE: In accordance with your request, transmitted by Mr. Oliver E. Meadows, staff director, I am enclosing the comments of the Veterans' Administration on those recommendations in the reports of the Commission on Organization of the Executive Branch of the Government on the subjects of Federal medical services and lending, guaranteeing, and insurance activities of the Federal Government.

Advice has been received from the Bureau of the Budget that there would be no objection to this submission but that the relationship of the views on the recommendations of the Commission on Organization of the Executive Branch of the Government expressed therein

to the program of the President has not been determined, and that the report shall not be construed as a commitment regarding legislation which has been or may be proposed to carry out the recommendations of the Commission.

Sincerely yours,

JOHN S. PATTERSON, Deputy Administrator

(For and in the absence of H. V. Higley, Administrator).

REPORT ON FEDERAL MEDICAL SERVICES

RECOMMENDATION NO. 1

"In order to effect the above responsibilities, the President should appoint a Federal Advisory Council of Health, to be comprised of members of the medical professions together with lay members of distinguished records in fields other than the medical profession, and to serve at the will of the President. The Council should have a small staff but should depend upon other agencies of the Government for information."

NOTE. The responsibilities referred to in the recommendation are listed as 11 items in the discussion preceding the recommendations (pp. 21-22, H. Doc. 99, 84th Cong.).

Comments of Veterans' Administration

The proposed Federal Advisory Council of Health would apparently perform functions similar in part to those performed by the former Federal Board of Hospitalization, although the Council's duties would be more extensive in scope. Briefly, these duties would have to do with evaluation of policies and programs relating to Federal medical care and national health; advice on measures for assuring adequate health manpower and hospital facilities for the Nation's health; review of proposals and programs, and advice to the President on Federal hospital construction or Federal grants for construction; advice upon coordination of regional hospital services of all agencies; advice on more systematic cross servicing between medical agencies; advice upon measures for adequate training and selection of Federal medical staff; advice to Federal departments on all medical policies and programs; advice to the Selective Service System on the mobilization of medical personnel; advice upon systems of project grants for health-research programs of the Government; periodic reports on progress or failure in Federal health programs and policies to the President and the agencies; and report to the President as well as advice to the Bureau of the Budget and the Congress on such matters as they may request.

It is the stated view of the Commission that there should be an agency within the Executive Office of the President charged with the responsibilities of reviewing Federal medical policies and activities in order to facilitate coordination, eliminate duplication, and develop overall policies. Apparently, the Commission, like the task force, feels that this function is not being performed, on the broad basis contemplated, at any single central point in the Government today. The Federal Board of Hospitalization, which was established by the President in 1921, was designed to coordinate the separate hospitalization activities of the Army, the Navy, the Public Health Service, the

United States Veterans' Bureau, St. Elizabeths Hospital, the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, and the Office of the Commissioner on Indian Affairs. The Board functioned for some 3 years under a Chief Coordinator appointed by, and directly responsible to, the President. In 1924 it was reorganized, under the chairmanship of the Director of the United States Veterans' Bureau, which was later absorbed into the Veterans' Administration, and the procedure was established that its recommendations should be transmitted to the Director of the Bureau of the Budget for the consideration of the President. The Board was reestablished in 1943 as an advisory agency to the Bureau of the Budget in the development of plans for postwar hospitalization needs of the agencies affected.

When the Federal Board of Hospitalization was abolished in 1948, the procedure was established for review and coordination by the Bureau of the Budget of hospital, convalescent, and domiciliary programs developed and operated by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

Considering the broader objectives of this recommendation, the Veterans' Administration believes there is much to be said in favor of a top-level advisory body to assist the President in reaching decisions. respecting the maximum utilization of the Nation's health resources. The proposed Council is one method for executing this principle. However, if it should be determined that such a Council should be established, there are certain aspects of the recommendation which require special comment.

The provision for a group composed of both medical and lay personnel is obviously sound. There would seem to be much merit, however, in weighting the membership on the side of members drawn from the medical professions, in view of the highly technical and specialized problems inherent in medical and health programs of all kinds.

In view of the complexities of the national medical activities, both Federal and non-Federal, it may also be advisable to constitute the Council as a full-time body rather than one which functions only on a part-time basis, as proposed. If such a Council is to serve a truly useful purpose, it must be constantly aware of problems as they develop and change and must be in a position to provide continuity of action. The Commission does not specify the size of the Council. The task force suggested a membership of approximately 10 persons. It is suggested that for purposes of efficiency a Council of about five members would be preferable, subject to authorization of such supplemental staff, including use of consultants, as may be indicated.

It is believed of paramount importance that any such body should operate only in an advisory capacity, without any prerogative to direct agency action. Otherwise there would exist the undesirable possibility of interference with agency discretion and therefore with the discharge of statutory agency responsibility. The primary consideration is the furnishing of advice by a qualified body to the President and other appropriate officials on overall health matters and to assist in the development of a properly coordinated approach to medical matters of national import.