I STATEMENTS OF PROPONENTS OF THE BILL Baker, Mrs. Mary S., superintendent of rehabilitation, Mississippi.. Bankhead, Hon. William B., Representative in Congress, Alabama.. Battles, Mr. H. D., supervisor of rehabilitation, Illinois. Bynum, Mr. R. L., vice president National Rehabilitation Association__ Chapman, Mr. Paul W., president American Vocational Association-- Colton, Hon. Don B., Representative in Congress, Utah....... Crozier, Mr. William S., chief, Bureau of Rehabilitation, Pennsylvania__ Culkin, Hon. Francis D., Representative in Congress, New York.. Dallinger, Hon. Frederick, Congressman from Massachusetts.. Faulkes, Mr. W. F., supervisor of rehabilitation, Wisconsin. Hambrecht, Mr. George P., president National Association of State Hill, Mr. T. P., assistant director of rehabilitation, West Virginia.. Howett, Mr. Harry H., secretary International Society for Crippled Older, Mrs. Frank, member New Jersey Rehabilitation Commission.. O'Leary, Mr. Wesley A., director vocational education, New Jersey- Owen, Hon. Ruth Bryan, Representative in Congress, Florida.. Shaw, Mr. W. F., National Lumber Manufacturers Association. Stanton, Mr. H. L., president National Rehabilitation Association.... Spitz, Mr. Joseph, assistant director Rehabilitation Commission, New Sullivan, Mr. Oscar M., director of reeducation, Minnesota_ Summers, Hon. John W., Congressman from Washington__. Wisehart, Dr. Roy P., superintendent of public instruction, Indiana_-- EXCERPTS FROM STATEMENTS BY INDIVIDUALS AND EMPLOYERS' AND EMPLOYEES' ORGANIZATIONS III Chapin, Mr. Roy D., Hudson Motor Car Co., Detroit, Mich. Berry, Mr. George L., president International Printing Pressmen and Assistants' Union of North America, Pressmen's Home, Tenn.... Gahen, Miss Louise, secretary the Women's Trade Union League of NATIONAL AND STATE PUBLIC OFFICIALS STATE COOPERATING AGENCIES Hacking, Mr. Frank H., president Minnesota Association for Crippled King, Mr. Paul H., vice president International Society for Crippled Children, and secretary-treasurer Michigan Society, Detroit, Mich. Van De Walker, Mr. Hugh, chairman Michigan Crippled Children Com- Bond, Mr. W. F., State superintendent of education, Jackson, Miss.-- Kersey, Mr. V., superintendent of public instruction, California- Hirst, Mr. C. M., executive officer State Board for Vocational education, List of agencies and individuals who sponsor the bill... 135 STATEMENTS OF OPPONENTS OF THE BILL Kilbreath, Miss Mary G., president Women's Patriot Publishing Co..... 113 129 VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, Monday, January 20, 1930. The committee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. Daniel A. Reed (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. I want to make a brief statement to the members of the committee. First, I want to extend a hearty welcome to the new members of this committee. We are very much delighted and honored to have you on our committee and I am sure you gentlemen are going to appreciate, before these hearings are over, that this is a very important committee and doing a very great and constructive work throughout the country. The committee has been called together this morning for the consideration of H. R. 7138, to authorize the continued participation by the Federal Government in the vocational rehabilitation of disabled persons. The present authorization of aid to the States terminates June 30, of this year. I introduced the bill in its present form at the request of the legislative committee of the National Rehabilitation Association. Those who administer the work in the States have been kind enough to suggest certain changes for the consideration of the Committee on Education. These have been prepared in writing and will be submitted to the committee. The question before the committee is this: Has the program of rehabilitation as carried on during the past 10 years by the States and the Federal Government been of sufficient importance to warrant a continuation of the work. The testimony that has come to my desk from labor organizations, industrial leaders, educators, social welfare workers, civic organizations, anti-tuberculosis associations, professional men and women is emphatically in favor of continuing our part in the work. Convincing as the indorsement may be, the urgent request now made for favorable action by those who have been lifted from the depths of despair and dependence to a position of hope and economic independence through the medium of this service, is even more persuasive. A review of thousands of heretofore neglected, hopeless, helpless, disabled men, women and children, victims either of accident or disease, who have been salvaged, trained and placed in gainful occupations is an achievement in education and humanitarian service that ought to commend itself to the lawmakers of any enlightened country. However, before proceeding with the merits of the legislation and the character of the work performed throughout the country under it, I would like to have Dr. J. C. Wright, Director of the Federal Board for Vocational Education, make a preliminary statement with reference to the attitude of the Bureau of the Budget touching this proposed legislation, and then, if he will, proceed to give us a brief history of the legislation since its inception in 1920. 1 STATEMENT OF DR. J. C. WRIGHT, DIRECTOR FEDERAL BOARD FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION Doctor WRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, and ladies and gentlemen of the committee, following the suggestion made by the chairman, I will indicate to you the position of the Federal Board for Vocational Education, its recommendations to the President and the attitude of the President toward this legislation. Under date of December 2 the chairman of the Federal board issued to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House a special report on this legislation, of which I will read the first part for your information and then submit the document for the record. To the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Seventy-first Congress: The act to provide for the promotion of vocational rehabilitation of persons disabled in industry or otherwise and their return to civil employment * ** terminates June 30, 1930, as to appropriations, but according to a decision from the office of the Attorney General * * * is permanent in its other features. The termination of the authorization for appropriations makes it necessary for the Federal board to ask for an amendment to the act. At its meeting in June, 1929, the Federal Board for Vocational Education instructed its chairman to transmit to the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, and through him to the President, for approval, a letter setting forth the needs of the Federal board. The following statement is an excerpt from this letter: "The Federal board believes that this legislation should be amended so as to extend its provisions in accord with the following principles: "1. An authorization for Federal appropriations to the States of $1,250,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1931, and increasing annually thereafter by the amount of $250,000 for a period of five years, at which time the sum of $2,500,000 will have been reached; this amount to be authorized annually thereafter. "2. The amendment to provide that no State shall receive less than the minimum of $10,000. "3. The amendment to provide that the amounts stated shall serve as the basis of allotment to the States, and that the Federal board shall annually ascertain and submit to the Bureau of the Budget an estimate of the portion of the authorized amounts which the States will be prepared to use for the fiscal years for which the appropriation are to be made. "4. An authorization for an appropriation for administrative and research purposes of $100,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1931; of $110,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1932; of $125,000 for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1933, 1934, 1935, and 1936; this amount to be authorized annually thereafter. "5. That all other essential provisions of the present act be continued." The relation of the proposal of the Federal board to the financial program of the President is indicated in the following letter from the Director of the Bureau of the Budget to the chairman of the Federal Board for Vocational Education: MY DEAR MR. SECRETARY: On June 10, 1929, you wrote this office with regard 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, which does not authorize appropriations beyond June 30, 1930. Section 1 of this act, as amended, authorizes for the use of the States, subject to the provisions of the act, an appropriation of $1,000,000 annually to include the fiscal year 1930, and contains a provision that the alltoment to any State shall not be less than a minimum of $5,000, with a further provision authorizing an appropriation of not more than $34,000 to meet this minimum allotment. The law further authorizes an appropriation of $75,000 per year for three years, commencing July 1, 1924, to the Federal Board for Vocational Education for the administrative and other expenses of the board. The apporpriation to the board, however, has been continued to include the fiscal year 1930. It would not be in conflict with the financial program of the President for you to recommend legislation which would amend the act of June 2, 1920, as amended, so as to (a) Extend for a period of two years, commencing July 1, 1930, the authorization for the appropriation of $1,000,000 per year contained in section 1. (b) Increase from $5,000 to $10,000 the minimum allotment to any State.. (c) Increase the amount necessary to provide the minimum allotment from $34,000 to approximately $97,000, with a provision authorizing the annual appropriation of such amount for two years from July 1, 1930. (d) Increase the amount for the administrative and other expenses of the board from $75,000 to $100,000, with a provision authorizing an annual appropriation of such amount for two years from July 1, 1930. Sincerely yours, Hon. JAMES J. DAVIS, J. CLAWSON Roop, Director. Secretary of Labor, Chairman Federal Board for Vocational Education, Washington, D. C. At a meeting of the Federal Board for Vocational Education on November 25, 1929, the chairman of the board was directed to address a letter to the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, requesting him to see the President and urge him to approve a longer period of authorization of aid to the States. Mr. Chairman, I know that your time is limited. I can brief this second letter and then read the letter from the director, or read it in full as you wish. The CHAIRMAN. If you wish, you may insert it in the record. Doctor WRIGHT. I will brief it, then, and insert it in full in the record. This second letter brought to the attention of the President some of the difficulties which the States meet where the Federal appropriation is based upon a short period of time. We find that there are 42 States in which the State legislatures have a biennial session and appropriations are made for biennial periods. There are five States where the appropriations are for 1-year periods only, and one State in which the legislature meets only once in four years. Because of these conditions, we find that the States are greatly embarrassed when they do not know for a long period of time in advance what attitude the Federal Government is going to have to one of these programs. The Federal board therefore requested a longer extension of time from that to which approval was given in the preceding letter. In reply to this request, the Director of the Bureau of the Budget addressed a letter to the chairman of the Federal board, in which he says: MY DEAR MR. SECRETARY: On November 25, 1929, following a conference I had with Mr. Wright, the Director of the Federal Board for Vocational Education, you wrote me with regard to the extension of Federal aid for vocational rehabilitation. In accordance with your request I have again taken up this matter, and it is not desired to make any change in the period of extension set forth in my letter to you of August 29, last. Sincerely yours, J. CLAWSON ROOP, Director. |