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choice to resolve whatever he believes to be the most critical human needs of any area of the Nation.

While the bill provides no operational meaning from which to predict its consequences, the advocates of such legislation have used certain sets of conditions and potential products to justify it. These activities thus presumed to be possible and needed to improve the conditions of migratory workers and their families or Indians living on or off reservations or residents of depressed areas or the elderly, the disabled, the delinquent young and dependent children, could be undertaken without further Federal legislation. The executive agencies of Federal and State Governments already include departments presumed to be serving such purposes

Certainly those agencies and the manpower they already have deployed to assist in the solution of such problems would be the best judges of the feasibility of utilizing amateur volunteers in the welfare undertakings apparently envisioned in S. 1321.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is charged with such responsibilities; the Department of Commerce is already engaged in working with depressed areas under the Area Redevelopment Act; the Department of Labor already has a division handling problems of migratory workers as well as a Manpower Development and Training Act to provide for the upgrading of farmworkers; the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare has agencies for the rehabilitation of the disabled, for assistance to dependent children and for the correction of delinquency. These agencies are in a much better position to judge the feasibility and set the priority for any such undertaking than the prospective administrators, advisers, or consultants which the President would be authorized to appoint under S. 1321. It was the unanimous judgment of the board of directors of the national chamber when polled in December last year that such legislation was unnecessary. The education committee of the national chamber, after further study, recommended to the board of directors on January 26 that the legislation be opposed, and their recommendation was also unanimously approved. The opposition thus expressed to the earlier proposal of the Attorney General's study committee is even stronger to the much more vague program of S. 1321.

We respectfully urge this Special Subcommittee on Labor to seek full delineation of the operational meaning of programs envisioned in this bill to determine whether they are, in fact, necessary and, if so, whether they might not more effectively be carried out by present governmental agencies under existing legislation or through amendments to it. The chamber has found no justification for the enactment of the indeterminate legislation proposed in S. 1321.

Re National Service Corps, S. 1321.
Hon. HARRISON A. WILLIAMS, Jr.
Senate Office Building,

Washington, D.C.

CONSUMERS' LEAGUE OF NEW JERSEY,

Montclair, N.J. June 18, 1963.

DEAR SENATOR WILLIAMS: We wish to urge your support of the National Service Corps. We feel that it will prove immensely helpful in training volunteers to work in their own communities, in a constructive and thoughtful way.

We have a pool of unused human resources in our country. These persons would welcome the opportunity of training others in their respective skills and at the same time being assured that these community volunteers would carry on the much needed work of improving local conditions.

In New Jersey, we can easily understand the need of a National Service Corps. In the larger cities, we have slum areas, language difficulties of Cuban and Puerto Rican residents, and an ever-increasing number of school dropouts. We also have large numbers of migratory farmworkers who need education in the basic three R's, health services, and sanitation instruction. Community volunteers, provided they are shown the way, must be our main resource to aid these migrants.

Furthermore, we have in New Jersey a large pool of persons who would wish to enroll in the Service Corps. Many of our college graduates are seeking just such an opportunity and a number of them will be returning from their 2-year term with the Peace Corps. In addition, New Jersey has a larger number than most States of skilled and professional persons who have retired in their early

sixties. Many of their wives have been active in local affairs and know how to work with groups on community projects. Husband and wife teams could certainly be recruited in New Jersey and would welcome the chance to a 2-year intensive term of service.

We have studied the techniques to be applied in the recruitment of Corpsmen and in the selection of communities where projects would be carried on. We believe that these techniques are sound and will mean a permanent improvement in the areas needing aid.

We will look forward confidently to your support of S. 1321.
Very sincerely yours,

SUSANNA P. ZWEMER, President.

COUNCIL ON SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION,
New York, N.Y. June 24, 1963.

Hon. HARRISON A. WILLIAMS, Jr.
U.S. Senate,

Washington, D.C.

DEAR SENATOR WILLIAMS: The Council on Social Work Education strongly supports the establishment of a National Service Corps along the lines recommended by the President to the Congress, the essentials of which appear to be incorporated in S. 1321 on which you are now holding hearings.

The problems which this program is design to deal with are increasing in size, complexity, and urgency. They affect some of the most vulnerable groups in our society whose future services to the Nation we cannot afford to jeopardize through further neglect. In our opinion the legislation recommended offers opportunity to develop practical and constructive measures for dealing with these problems, provided there is adequate financing and if the administration is properly organized and staffed.

We urge that the Congress respond to the challenge which the President has provided in recommending this legislation by enacting S. 1321 during this session.

Sincerely yours,

ERNEST F. WHITE, Executive Director.

Hon. HARRISON A. WILLIAMS,

U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C.

THE COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN,
Washington, D.C., June 21, 1963.

DEAR SENATOR WILLIAMS: The purpose of this letter is to indicate the position of the Council for Exceptional Children with regard to the National Service Corps bill S. 1321. We are requesting that you place this, as a matter of record, in the hearings which are now in progress.

The Council for Exceptional Children has observed the value of volunteer workers in various programs for the education of exceptional children. Many of the materials which are produced in braille for the education of blind children have been brought about by volunteer workers. Many of these people spent not only their time, but also considerable money on the production of these materials. We have also been impressed with the degree of cooperation of volunteer workers in certain parts of the country such as Tennessee, in assisting in the testing of the hearing of schoolchildren to try to find those who, because of hearing losses, require special educational attention.

Many of the classes for the mentally retarded, for the cerebral palsied, and other types of handicapped children, have been benefited through volunteer services presented to them in many ways.

It is our opinion that the passage of Senate bill 1321 would greatly enhance the provision of volunteer services as they are needed in various phases of our national life. Since the bill provides for the expenses of volunteers, and for a modest remuneration to them, it will also make it possible for many more people to participate in a volunteer program who otherwise might be unable to do so. We are particularly impressed with the possibilities which might open for newly trained students to obtain valuable experience prior to entering their permanent careers. These, and other considerations lead us to conclude that the passage of

S. 1321 would be in the national interest and would greatly enhance the programs toward which the services envisioned might apply.

Thank you very much for the consideration of this statement for the record.
Sincerely,
WILLIAM C. GEER, Executive Secretary.

TESTIMONY ON SENATE BILL 1321 SUBMITTED BY JOSEPH C. DENNISTON, M.D., SUPERINTENDENT OF CLOVER BOTTOM HOSPITAL AND SCHOOL, DONELSON, TENN. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I am Dr. Joseph C. Denniston, superintendent of a State-supported institution serving as residence for 1,400 mentally retarded individuals.

My curriculum vitae includes the fact that I am a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics; fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics; clinical instructor of pediatrics at both Vanderbilt University Medical School and Meharry Medical College; former clinical director of the Pineland Hospital and Training School, Pownal, Maine; scientific societies and civic organization memberships are numerous but irrelevant to my testimony.

I am neither the parent nor relative of any mentally retarded individual. My motivation is neither for political nor personal gain. I represent that segment of our Nation's population whose retardation precludes their own testimony. During the past decade tremendous strides have been achieved in the social, psychological, educational, and medical sciences. Research studies in all of these areas have established beyond the shadow of a doubt that there remains a tremendous potential of available human manpower lying dormant among this segment of our population.

The retardate asks neither your pity nor charity, but merely the opportunity to develop his limited talents to the fullest.

Throughout our Nation most State institutions continue to remain overcrowded, understaffed, and underbudgeted. In the past, legislative action has been sporadic, inadequate, and in many cases unrealistic. This has been occasioned by a lack of understanding, not only by the legislators, but by an uninformed public as well. State legislators faced with limited financial resources and multitude of service demands have channeled little into any program which did not manifest visible concrete evidence of productivity. I recognize that it is neither the responsibility of the State nor the Federal Government to furnish all the needs of this group of handicapped. Local communities can and must contribute their fair share toward the solution of this problem.

State institutions seek, solicit, beg, and borrow volunteer workers. Like many similar undertakings there are but few loyal and dedicated workers who will respond in a consistent and uniform manner. Demands by other community services offering more pleasant and less arduous roles have diverted a considerable amount of such talent into other channels. Misinformation and "old witches' tales" concerning the subject of retardation has critically impaired recruitment programs. It is my firm conviction that by the establishment of a National Service Corps many of the long-neglected needs of our retarded population can be fulfilled. It is important to stress that not all indivduals in our democracy can achieve intellectual success. When this is not possible, we must discover and develop whatever limited talents they possess. I am confident everyone will admit that we are in serious need of assistance in the procuring of dedicated personnel in State institutions. There are some whỏ advocate that this is strictly a problem of the individual States. One cannot buy dedicated personnel with money. The fact that they are dedicated eliminates the purchase of their services. It has been suggested that every State develop its own National Service Corps. I offer several objections to this. Economically it is unsound to establish 50 separate National Service Corps when one corps could more appropriately serve this purpose. Certainly by developing one center with the total limitation of corpsmen to 5,000 seems logical. When a group of assigned corpsmen have completed a particular project they would be transferred to similar duties in the same or another State. These same groups could be utilized to develop projects in various States based on a priority of need. With such a philosophy in mind, I should like to outline for you a few of the many areas in which I am confident that members of the National Service Corps could vastly improve current programing in State institutions.

It is essential to point out that in no instance would any corpsmen be utilized to replace any employees or volunteer groups. Their assignment would be to establish and develop services not currently available. In every area outlined, it is anticipated that volunteer workers will be stimulated to assume the responsibility rightfully theirs and replace such corpsmen who would in turn be assigned to similar projects in other institutions. Upon completion of their tour of duty such corpsmen would prove to be extremely valuable citizens in their local communities in helping organize and establish similar projects. In the event that local volunteer groups fail to respond, I am confident that State legislators would initiate appropriate action to procure regular employees as replacements. This confidence is based upon the outstanding success achieved by similarly proposed programs in many European countries.

A. Recreation

AREAS IN CRITICAL NEED

State institutions for the mentally retarded employ an average of three to five full-time recreational workers to service the needs of 1,000 to 1,500 residents. By way of contrast, citizens in local communities frequently compete for the privilege and honor of coaching little league baseball teams where membership may comprise only 20 players. Corpsmen with athletic backgrounds or interest could be assigned to individual units housing from 50 to 100 residents to plan, develop, and program intramural indoor and outdoor recreational activities. In such a role the corpsmen would be simultaneously offering occupational therapy, improving the physical welfare of the resident, and offering him day-to-day life experiences of a competitive nature. We are confident that when local communities become cognizant of the vast improvement that can follow such activity they will assume the role of corpsmen.

B. Arts and crafts

Corpsmen with experience and training in the arts and crafts including leatherwork, shoe repairing, basket weaving, machinery, printing, painting, ceramics, and carpentry can instruct such skills to our retarded. Training of this nature would improve the retardate's self-esteem, confidence, and develop feelings of worthiness in addition to offering him a visible means of partial self-support. I remain aware of the magnificent role currently being played by our vocational rehabilitation services. It is important to stress that vocational rehabilitation services demand that specific criteria be met for eligibility and the majority of retardates are thus unable to qualify. It is my conviction that members of the National Service Corps could develop the dormant talents of many of these retardates to such the degree that they can and will meet the Vocational rehabilitation qualifications. An excellent example of this is our recent finding of a severely retarded young man who expressed an interest in painting. This talent fostered by a local volunteer art group resulted in his winning first award in a national art show. If his potential continues along these lines, we feel confident that he may shortly be self-supporting. C. Education (teacher assistance)

Corpsmen with an appropriate educational background could assist teachers in State institutions for the mentally retarded, both trainable and educable classroom instruction. This would permit individual tutoring and an opportunity to develop limited talents. Corpsmen could obtain firsthand information in methods of teaching our retarded, which in civilian life would be extremely useful in helping local communities to develop similar programs.

1. Home economics.-Corpsmen with training in home economic courses could teach these skills to our retardates for two purposes; (1) Upon eventual return to community living such individuals might thus be able to care for themselves; and (2) such training could be productive of domestic employment in local communities.

D. Maintenance

Corpsmen with training in such occupations as plumbing, painting, papering, carpentry, and welding could instruct residents in these trades. This could either prepare such residents for future community job placements or improve their skills to the point that vocational rehabilitation services might be procured.

E. Farm areas

Corpsmen with experience in landscaping, care of shrubbery, trees, flowers, and lawns could instruct residents in such skills so that they can become either partially or totally self-supporting. Corpsmen, for example, with civilian experience in floral shops or greenhouse operations could train residents in these areas and assist them in procuring placement in local and appropriate communities. Corpsmen with farm experience could instruct residents in such operations as planting, fertilizing, cultivating, and harvesting of farm produce. With appropriate experience in such areas residents might be placed on local farms where there remains a demand for such services.

Corpsmen with training in beef or dairy cattle operation could train residents in the day-to-day management of dairy and beef cattle so that they could be placed in local communities for such service. May I point out a very unusual area in which there is a definite shortage of employment. I refer specifically to grooms to care for saddle-bred, standardbred, and thoroughbred horses. The functions of a groom consist primarily of the watering and feeding of horses, as well as cleaning of stalls. Such skills require little intellectual expectations and yet are financially quite rewarding. Corpsmen who had been engaged in horse training, breeding, or the operation of riding academies could teach residents in this type of employment. On this particular subject I speak from personal experience since we currently have residents placed with stables who are now self-supporting citizens and no longer State charges.

F. Social service assistance

The shortage of social service personnel remains a serious problem in our democracy. The recruitment program lags far behind the demands for such services. Corpsmen with sufficient educational requirements would not only be of great assistance to all State institutions, but by their experience might be stimulated into entering such a professional field as a career. In State institutions for the retarded there are innumerable capacities for individuals possessing such skills. The primary role that I project as to the National Service Corps concerns that of "big brother" or "big sister." Such corpsmen would be assigned to individual residential units, housing from 50 to 100 retardates, to serve as representative and liaison between the residents, the institution, and the family unit. These corpsmen would assist in residents' correspondence, counseling, personal problems, and teaching the management of day-to-day living experiences while stimulating the development of local volunteer services to take over this role. In addition corpsmen would instruct our male residents in such social skills as manners, poise, appropriate clothing, and personal hygiene. G. Motel management services

Corpsmen with training in motel management might offer residents services in janitorial and housekeeping skills. Such preparation would allow them to procure employment in local facilities where demands for such trained services

are common.

H. Teachers of charm and modeling school

Female members of the National Service Corps with training and experience in charm and modeling would be assigned to individual residential halls for the purposes of instructing our female residents in personal hygiene, makeup, hairdo, clothing, poise, and manners. This proposal follows the observations made by the vocational rehabilitation services that retardates fail most frequently in community placement because of the lack of social graces and not upon their work performance.

I. Religious services

Corpsmen with training and experience in religious education could assist chaplains of State institutions in offering small group instruction. Many chaplains of State hospitals are frustrated by their inability to offer adequate and sufficient religious training.

J. Administrative services

Corpsmen with broad administrative and personal management experience might serve as public relation personnel in State institutions. Such corpsmen would act as liaison between State institutions, local community groups, newspapers, radio, television, and civic organizations to disseminate information concerning the problems and needs of our mentally retarded population and thus awaken local communities to action.

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