BEFORE THE HEARINGS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES A BILL TO AUTHORIZE THE PRESIDENT TO CONSOLIDATE AFFECTING WAR VETERANS SEVENTY-FIRST CONGRESS SECOND SESSION With table of contents, index, and statements summarized WILLIAM WILLIAMSON, South Dakota, ALLARD H. GASQUE, South Carolina. JOHN J. COCHRAN, Missouri. JAMES T. IGOE, Illinois. DON B. COLTON, Utah. MRS. PEARL PEDEN OLDFIELD, PHIL D. SWING, California. Arkansas. GUY E. CAMPBELL, Pennsylvania. OLIVER H. CROSS, Texas. FREDERICK W. DALLINGER, Massachu- JOHN W. MOORE, Kentucky. setts. NUMA F. MONTET, Louisiana. GEORGE G. BEHRENS, Clerk CONTENTS Arrested tuberculosis cases: Page 149 150, 151 Bill under consideration, H. R. 6141--- Substitute drafted by subcommittee, President's commission_ Substitute drafted by Secretary Wilbur---- Substitute drafted by Commissioner of Pensions Church. Substitute drafted by Col. Rice W. Means --- Charts, tables, letters, etc. : Average present in soldiers' home, fiscal year 1929_. Average beds occupied in Veterans' Bureau hospitals. Apportionment of appropriations in soldiers' home_ Apportionment of appropriations in Veterans' Bureau.. Rolls of soldiers' homes, classified by wars-- Summary of activities, Veterans' Bureau-- 27, 28 Population of soldiers' home.. Financial statement, soldiers' home, fiscal year 1929. 137 Organization chart, soldiers' home, inserted at. i Comparative statement, 1928–29, soldiers' home- Comparative statement, 1928–29, Veterans' Bureau.. 195, 196 Estimates and appropriations for repairs, soldiers' home. Résumé of titles to soldiers' home and branches--- Proposed set-up for consolidated agency, inserted at- Existing Government hospitals and plans for new construction---- 208–213 Cost of writing checks, Veterans' Bureau.. 214, 215 Distribution of personnel, Veterans' Bureau. Petitions, letters, etc., from veterans.. 217, 218 Letter reiterating stand, Veterans of Foreign Wars---- Letter from Walter H. Newton, referring to President's views.--- 218 Resolutions favoring consolidation (others cited but not quoted): American Legion, Louisville Convention, 1929--- Veterans of Foreign Wars, St. Paul Convention, 1929-- Hines, Gen. Frank T., Veterans' Bureau.. Taylor, Col. John Thomas, American Legion. Bettelheim, Capt. Edwin S., Veterans Foreign Wars--- Kirby, Thomas, Disabled American Veterans.. Wilbur, Hon. Ray Lyman, Secretary of the Interior-- Knutson, Hon. Harold, Representative from Minnesota.. Church, Col. Earl D., Commissioner of Pensions. Hartnett, Gen. John, Army and Navy Union---- Means, Col. Rice W., National Tribune Corporation. Wood, Gen. George H., National Soldiers' Home- Marston, Col. R. L., National SoldiersHome_- Wadsworth, Col. C. W., National Soldiers' Home_. McCarl, Hon. J. R., Comptroller General--- Johnson, Hon. Royal C., Representative from South Dakota. 156-169 Bland, Hon. Schuyler Otis, Representative from Virginia--- 169–174 CONSOLIDATION AND COORDINATION OF GOVERNMENTAL ACTIVITIES AFFECTING WAR VETERANS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Wednesday, January 8, 1930. The committee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. William Williamson (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. We will proceed, as per arrangement agreed to at the last meeting, with H. R. 6141, which is the first order of business. (The committee thereupon proceeded to the consideration of H. R. 6141, which is as follows:) [H. R. 6141, Seventy-first Congress, second session] A BILL To authorize the President to consolidate and coordinate governmental activities affecting war veterans Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President is hereby authorized under Executive order to transfer to, consolidate, and coordinate in the United States Veterans' Bureau any hospitals or executive or administrative bureaus, agencies, or offices especially created for or concerned in the administration of the laws relating to the relief and other benefits provided for former members of the military and naval establishments of the United States, including the Bureau of Pensions, and to transfer any duties or powers from such department, bureau, or other governmental activity to said United States Veterans' Bureau, and to transfer the personnel thereof or any part of it either by detail or assignment, together with the whole or any part of the records and public property belonging thereto. SEC. 2. The Director of the United States Veterans' Bureau, under the direction of the President, shall have the control, direction, and management of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, established by the act of Congress approved March 21, 1866 (Fourteenth Statutes, page 10), as amended. The Board of Managers of said home shall convey to the United States all real and personal property and equipment now held and used by said corporation, such conveyance to be subject to the approval of the Attorney General and to be recorded as he may find proper. In the event of failure of the Board of Managers or its inability to convey an absolute and indefeasible title to all property of the corporation or any part thereof, it shall be the duty of the Attorney General, upon request of the President of the United States, to institute in the district court or district courts of the United States for the district or districts within which such property is located, such proceedings as shall be proper to effectuate the transfer of a valid title to the United States and to extinguish all outstanding adverse interests. The appropriations made for the acquisition of additional hospital, domiciliary, and out-patient dispensary facilities for persons entitled to hospitalization under the World War veterans' act, 1924, as amended, are hereby made available for the payment of 1 |