To Amend the World War Veterans' Act of 1924 HEARINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE SEVENTY-FIRST CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON H. R. 10381 AN ACT TO AMEND THE WORLD WAR VETERANS' ACT, 112237 MAY 1, 2, 5, 8, 12, AND 13, 1930 Printed for the use of the Committee on Finance UNITED STATES WASHINGTON: 1930 CONTENTS Dr. Bernard A. McDermott, medical member of adjudication service, Hon. John E. Rankin, a Representative in Congress from the State of John Thomas Taylor, chairman of the national legislative committee 129 97 III TO AMEND THE WORLD WAR VETERANS' ACT OF 1924 THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1930 UNITED STATES SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE OF COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call of the chairman, at 10.15 a. m. in room 312 Senate Office Building, Senator Reed Smoot presiding. Present: Senators Smoot (chairman of subcommittee), Shortridge, Bingham, Walsh of Massachusetts, and Thomas of Oklahoma. Present also: Representative John E. Rankin of Mississippi. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. Senator WALSH of Massachusetts. Mr. Chairman, if you will permit me I should like to make a suggestion. The CHAIRMAN. Very well. Senator WALSH of Massachusetts. It is with the idea of being helpful, but if you think it will not be helpful, then all right. My suggestion is that we have the bill before analyzed, paragraph by paragraph, by General Hines, so that we may have at the beginning of our hearings an analysis of the bill by the Director of the United States Veterans' Bureau. The CHAIRMAN. Very well. All members of the subcommittee are present with the exception of one, and I understand that he is on his way, so we will not wait any longer. General Hines, Director of the United States Veterans' Bureau, has been invited to be present for the purpose of considering H. R. 10381, to amend the World War vererans' act, 1924, as amended. General Hines, I am quite sure that each member of the subcommittee would like you now to proceed with consideration of the bill, taking it up section by section, and explain briefly and to the point just what it means, what it will cost, and your recommendations as to the wisdom or unwisdom of the passage of such legislation. We will be very pleased now to hear from you. (The bill referred to is here made a part of the record, as follows:) [H. R. 10381, Seventy-first Congress, second session] AN ACT To amend the World War Veterans' Act, 1924, as amended Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 5 of the World War Veterans' Act, 1924, as amended (section 426, title 38, United States Code), be hereby amended to read as follows: "SEC. 5. The director, subject to the general direction of the President, shall administer, execute, and enforce the provisions of this act, and for that purpose shall have full power and authority to make rules and regulations, not inconsistent with the provisions of this act, which are necessary or appropriate to carry out its purposes: Provided, That in making regulations pursva to existing law with reference to home treatment for service connected disabilities, the director shall not discriminate against any veteran solely on the ground that such veteran left a Government hospital against medical advice or without official leave; the director shall decide all questions arising under this act; and all decisions of questions of fact affecting any claimant to the benefits of Titles II, III, or IV of |