General LULL. I think that he is emotionally jarred to a certain extent when he comes in, but I think that after his readjustment is made he probably leaves the service better able to cope with his education than he did before he went in. I think the average boy is much better prepared than before he went into service. That is the average boy, of course. Maybe some of them wouldn't be. Senator PEPPER. Thank you very much, General. You have been kind to come. TESTIMONY OF HON. PAUL V. McNUTT, CHAIRMAN OF THE WAR MANPOWER COMMISSION AND FEDERAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR Senator PEPPER. Mr. McNutt, will you please take a seat? Mr. Paul V. McNutt, Federal Security Administrator, and Chairman of the War Manpower Commission. Mr. McNutt, we thank you very much for coming here this morning. Now, we have been following the practice of suggesting that each one appearing here give an orderly summary of such comments as he cares to make, and present a detailed statement for the record. Now, you follow whatever practice you prefer. You can either give it to us in detail or give us a summary of it. Mr. McNUTT. I think it better, Mr. Chairman, to make the statement as I have prepared it. The following statement regarding measures for preserving health in wartime is presented with the understanding that I am discussing only those programs which are under my supervision as Federal Security Administrator or as Chairman of the War Manpower Com mission. Any deficiency in physical vigor in time of war is a threat to national safety. We have had some most disturbing evidence as to how inadequate health measures of the past have lowered the efficiency of our manpower today. It is true that we have had no spectacular epidemic as in 1918. For this we must be grateful to good fortune and hard work since the health agencies have had a more complex job to do with drastically reduced personnel. WAR'S EFFECTS ON CIVILIAN HEALTH AGENCIES The widespread effects of the war on civilian health agencies are illustrated by the problems of the quarantine service-a division of the United States Public Health Service with which few people ever have direct contact or knowledge. Ships loaded with refugees, ships loaded with strange cargoes from out-of-the-way corners of the globe, crowded our ports. Because of hurried and inadequate clearances, the vigilance of our quarantine had to be intensified. The danger of plague necessitated the redoubling of measures for ratproofing and rat elimination. Thousands of dollars were saved in the ratproofing of Liberty ships by economical and efficient ratproof specifications worked out by the quarantine service. Giant convoys of vessels, all discharging in the same port, caused peak loads on inspection facilities. Above all, global plane travel on a scale hitherto undreamed of brought new problems of preventing the importation of exotic diseases by air. New methods of fumigation had to be devised and many new airports had to be serviced. Some of you in flying recently may have wondered about the fly swatter on the plane. This is just a small evidence of the far-flung housekeeping needed for sanitation in these strenuous days. The extent of physical deficiency in the general population may be highlighted from the viewpoint of the proportions of those who manifest some occupational handicap. General estimates of these proportions have been made from the National Health Survey which was conducted by the Public Health Service. A table is presented herewith showing the numbers who were found to have vocational handicaps. This survey omitted persons who were in institutions and those with visual defects only. (The table referred to above is as follows:) Estimated number of persons with a chronic disease or physical impairment in the United States (1942) Persons with a chronic disease or physical impairment.. EMPLOYABILITY OF PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED Mr. McNUTT. The handicapped persons were separated into three. groups with reference to their employability: First, there were those able to work under usual industrial conditions without vocational training, but who experience difficulty in obtaining a job because of employment policies. These persons would need selective placement. Senator PEPPER. Excuse me, Mr. McNutt. I am not sure that I understood why they were rejected in some instances. Because of Civil Service? Mr. McNUTT. Oh, no. It is because of the insurance provisions having to do with the employment of handicapped persons. I think we all know the various conditions of laws which have been passed by the States themselves. There is no uniformity in that. Some are more strict than others, but in any event they have had their effect upon the employability of these persons, not because they can't work, but because they were considered to be a greater risk. I hope, and certainly I think if the acts are considered, the rates will go down after the experience we have had with the employment of these persons during the last two and a half years. This group made up 82 percent of the ,000,000 handicapped males. Second, ther were those who need vocational training and possibly medical car before they can obtain employment in private industry. This group included slightly over a million, or 12.5 percent of the Lacapped males. har Third, there were those so severely impaired by disease or accident that even after rehabilitation they can be employed only in sheltered work. This group was estimated at 350,000. Currently, a disturbing loss of manpower has been caused by accidents in industry, on the streets, and in the home. More than 2,400,000 persons were disabled because of work injuries during 1943. This volume of injuries is the highest for any year during the last decade: most of these accidents could have been prevented. The time lost from essential production by reason of these accidents is estimated at 56,800,000 days and represents a serious problem in a critical manpower period. The injury total for 1943 is about 6 percent greater than that for 1942. Another problem is found in home accidents, which represent a major drain on essential manpower. Some 30,000 persons are killed and 4,500,000 injured each year in homes. Now, we got that from the National Council on Safety. Past experience indicates the extent of these losses to industry. From 1938 to 1942, the average annual number of absences among workers incapacitated by off-the-job accidents was about 41 per thousand for men and nearly 76 for women. Absences because of such accidents averaged about 114 days for men and 14%1⁄2 days for women (U. S. Public Health Service data). On the basis of current employment figures, this represents an annual loss of 34,453,000 working days. It seems fair to assume that hazards of home and off-the-job accidents play an increasing part in the labor picture as a larger proportion of the population enters war industry. VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION State rehabilitation agencies are now in position to provide complete rehabilitation services, including physical restoration, for all disabled persons eligible under the terms of Public Law 113 (78th Cong.), enacted in July 1943. This act expanded the services of vocational rehabilitation to include the physical reconstruction of disabled persons, and extended these services to additional groups of the disabled, namely, the mentally as well as the physically handicapped, and the blind. Specific provision was made for war-disabled civilians, including merchant seamen injured in line of duty. Services for veterans with disabilities of nonservice origin are also the responsibility of State rehabilitation agencies under Public Law 113. Senator PEPPER. Mr. McNutt, under that law, were these people who were incapable of taking jobs because of physical defects eligible for correction of those defects? Mr. McNUTT. Oh, yes. Senator PEPPER. That is, any civilian who wanted to take a war job? Mr. McNUTT. That is right. We cover only the veterans who have non-service-connected disabilities. We have a complete rehabilitation program. Senator PEPPER. Now people are having these defects corrected. Mr. McNUTT. That is right. Senator PEPPER. The Government pays for that in a private hospital? Mr. McNUTT. No. It is 50-50, State and Federal. Senator PEPPER. Are most of the States providing that? Mr. McNUTT. I am going to point out, Mr. Chairman, the number of States that have taken advantage of this program. The physical restoration program is in charge of medical officers assigned to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation by the United States Public Health Service. With the aid of a professional advisory committee, composed of representatives of the medical specialties most actively concerned with the rehabilitation of the disabled, every assistance is being given the States in setting up the work of physical restoration. During the 23-year period, 1920-43, the States reported 210,125 persons were rehabilitated. During the 12-month period ending July 1, 1944, it is estimated approximately 53,000 persons will be reported as rehabilitated. For the next 12-month period beginning July 1, 1944, it is estimated that this number will increase by 50 percent. Of the rehabilitated persons, approximately 15 to 30 percent have been removed from public relief rolls. It is estimated that a total of 121,900 disabled persons will receive rehabilitation services during 1944 and 185,000 during 1945. At the close of the fiscal year 1944, 49 States and Territories of the 51 units participating in the program had submitted State plans for Vocational rehabilitation. The plans for all but two of the States have been reviewed and approved. It is estimated that in 32 of these States vocational rehabilitation services for the blind will be administered by the State commissions for the blind. Of these, 17 State plans have been submitted, reviewed, and approved. The remaining 15 agencies for the blind are at present in the process of completing their State plans. Preliminary reports indicate that in the year 1943, the State agencies rehabilitated 1,116 men who had received certificates of disability discharge, referred to them by the American Red Cross and the Veterans' Administration. In 1943, 3,360 persons referred by the Selective Service were also rehabilitated. These data cover the period ending July 1943, before physical restoration services could be rendered. There has subsequently been satisfactory progress in the organization of physical restoration services in the State agencies, and it is believed there will be a significant increase in the number of physically and mentally handicapped persons referred by Selective Service, and of those with certificates of disability discharge referred by official and community agencies. Every State rehabilitation agency is in direct contact with each local Selective Service board within the State. A few States have contacted as many as 20,000 individuals in the 4-F classification; only about 5 to 10 percent were interested in the need for rehabilitation. This is, obviously, attributable to the open labor market. They are needed. Therefore they are not interested in obtaining vocational rehabilitation. They can get a job at the present time. INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE Senator PEPPER. Excuse me, Mr. McNutt. Does that vocational rehabilitation law apply to physical and mental defects only, or does it include others? Mr. McNUTT. It includes the blind. You said physical. Physical and mental. That is right. Senator PEPPER. Those people you spoke of as having the opportunity to take the vocational and physical rehabilitation and not taking it, did you mean they do not take the physical rehabilitation open to them? Mr. McNUTT. They didn't, because they have the opportunity to obtain employment now, in their present condition. Industrial hygiene activities centering in the United States Public Health Service have been greatly improved and intensified during this war. During the last war, in a single shell-loading plant operating for about 20 months there were 7,000 cases of systemic poisoning from TNT and 105 deaths. In some 20 shell-loading plants in this war, reports covering 18 months' experience indicate that there were only 284 lost-time cases of systemic poisoning due to TNT and only 14 deaths. Skin disease due to contact with TNT was almost universal in shell-loading plants during the First World War. In the 20 plants cited above, there have been only 158 cases of dermatitis in this war. The tremendous expansion of radium dial painting for precision instruments has again raised a threat of one of the most disastrous hazards during the last war. This situation is well under control. A specialist from the Division of Industrial Hygiene of the United States Public Health Service tours the country teaching industry how to perform this dangerous operation safely. A recent survey of the aluminum industry has been of value not only in improving working conditions and in reducing certain hazards, but also in stabilizing employment. As a result of the survey, all 40 units of the Aluminum Co. of America will have premanent control systems. Similar studies are being made of the asbestos industry, chromate plants, and a number of shipyards. At the close of 1943 the total staff of State and local industrial hygiene services was 300 persons. In the fiscal year 1942, 35 State and local units rendered industrial hygiene services to nearly 6,000 establishments employing over 2%1⁄2 million workers-all in war industry. This has been a rapid expansion in the industrial-hygiene services, but it has not kept pace with the expansion in industry. LOSSES IN PRODUCTION FROM ILLNESS In addition to chronic deficiency, accidents, and occupational hazards, everyday illnesses are a major cause of loss of productive manpower. Surveys of the United States Public Health Service show that in 1942 the male industrial worker lost, on the average, approximately 10 days because of sickness and injury. The rate among females was higher; that is, about 12 days. Industrial injuries, including occupational diseases, and nonindustrial accidents accounted for nearly 2 days per male worker (1.78 days) and only 1.3 days per female. Thus, 80 percent of the time loss due to disability among male workers |