HEARINGS

BEFORE A

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON
U.S. Congress, House,
INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEVENTY-NINTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

ON

S. 191

TO AMEND THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT TO
AUTHORIZE GRANTS TO THE STATES FOR SURVEY.
ING THEIR HOSPITALS AND PUBLIC HEALTH
CENTERS AND FOR PLANNING CONSTRUC-
TION OF ADDITIONAL FACILITIES, AND
TO AUTHORIZE GRANTS TO ASSIST

IN SUCH CONSTRUCTION

MARCH 7, 8, 11, 12, AND 13, 1946

Printed for the use of the
Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce

UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 1946

85131

COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE

CLARENCE F. LEA, California, Chairman ROBERT CROSSER, Ohio

CHARLES A. WOLVERTON, New Jersey ALFRED L. BULWINKLE, North Carolina PEHR G. HOLMES, Massachusetts VIRGIL CHAPMAN, Kentucky

B. CARROLL REECE, Tennessee LYLE H. BOREN, Oklahoma

CHARLES A. HALLECK, Indiana LINDLEY BECKWORTH, Texas

CARL HINSHAW, California J. PERCY PRIEST, Tennessee

CLARENCE J. BROWN, Ohio OREN HARRIS, Arkansas

EVAN HOWELL, Illinois GEORGE G. SADOWSKI, Michigan

LEONARD W. HALL, New York RICHARD F. HARLESS, Arizona

THOMAS D. WINTER, Kansas JOHN W. MURPHY, Pennsylvania

JOSEPH P. O'HARA, Minnesota
EDWARD A. KELLY, Illinois

WILSON D. GILLETTE, Pennsylvania
LUTHER PATRICK, Alabama
JOHN B. SULLIVAN, Missouri
DWIGHT L. ROGERS, Florida
BENJAMIN J. RABIN, New York
VITO MARCANTONIO, New York

ELTON J. LAYTON, Clerk
F. P. RANDOLPH, Assistant Clerk

PUBLIC HEALTH SUBCOMMITTEE

J. PERCY PRIEST, Tennessee, Chairman ALFRED BULWINKLE, North Carolina CLARENCE J. BROWN, Ohio VIRGIL CHAPMAN, Kentucky

THOMAS D. WINTER, Kansas VITO MARCANTONIO, New York

WILSON D. GILLETTE, Pennsylvania

II

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1946

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CONTENTS

1

Statements of

Page

Text of bill, S. 191.

1

Priest, Hon. J. Percy Priest, chairman of subcommittee..

1

Parran, Dr. Thomas, Surgeon General, U. S. Public Health Service--- 13, 132
Miller, Watson B., Administrator, Federal Security Agency

39

Smelzer, Dr. Donald C., immediate past president, American Hospital

Association.

41

Schwitalla, Rev. Alphonse M., S. J., president, Catholic Hospital

Association

Erickson, president, American Protestant Hospital Association.

77

Sensenich, Dr. R. L., chairman, board of trustees, American Medical

Association.

83

Johnson, Dr. Victor, secretary, council on medical education and hos-

pitals, of the American Medical Association -

100

Chandler, Hon. Walter, mayor of Memphis, Tenn., and vice president

of the Únited States Conference of Mayors.

107

Ogg, W. R., director, Washington Office of the American Farm Bureau

Federation

117

Weagly, Mrs. Roy C. F., president, Associated Women of the American

Farm Bureau Federation, Hagerstown, Md...

135

Cruikshank, Nelson H., director, Social Insurance Activities of the

American Federation of Labor.

136

Atwater, Dr. Reginal M., executive secretary, American Public

Health Association, New York City--

141

Boas, Dr. Ernst P., chairman, Physicians' Forum, New York City- 145

Anderson, Ludwig, representing the Cooperative League of United

States of America and the National Cooperatives, Inc-

149

Lamb, Robert K., legislative representative, United Steelworkers, for

the Congress of Industrial Organizations.

161

vannon, Hon. Clarence, a Member of the House of Representatives

from the State of Missouri...

167

Goodman, Leo, Washington, representative of the United Retail,

W-nolesale and Department Store Employees of America, C. I. O.- 169

Smith, Russell, legislative secretary, National Farmers' Union.-

177

Gourley, Lawrence L., representing the American Osteopathic Asso-

ciation.

179

Swope, Dr., Chester D., chairman, department of public relations of

the American Osteopathic Association -

182

Johnson, Mrs. Thomasina W., legislative representative, national

nonpartisan council on public affairs of the Alpha Kappa Alpha

Sorority, Washington, D. C.--

184

Huber, Hon. Walter B. Huber, Member, House of Representatives

from the State of Ohio...

188

MacCracken, William P., Jr., representing the American Optometric

Association.

201

Ezell, William C., president, American Optometric Association -

201

Fleming, Maj. Gen. Philip B., Administrator, Federal Works Agency -- 203

Biemiller, Hon. Andrew J., a Member of House of Representatives

from the State of Wisconsin.

221

Anderson, H. B., secretary Citizens' Medical Reference Bureau, Inc.,

New York City--

224

Colmer, Hon. William M., Member, House of Representatives from

the State of Mississippi.-

228

III

Page

25

39

40

40

108

113

108

187

188

188

188

190

190

229

230

233

235

Communications submitted:

Letter by President Harry S. Truman.

Telegram from Hon. James C. Curley, Member of Congress..

Letter from Dr. Wilson Stegeman, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Letter from A. L. Jones, secretary, Three Rivers (Mich.) Hospital

Board.

Resolution adopted by the United States Conference of Mayors...

Letter from Dr. R. H. Hutcheson, commissioner, Department of Pub-

lic Health of the State of Tennessee.

Group of letters from officials of cities as submitted by Hon.

Walter Chandler, listed and filed with committee..

Letter, with enclosures, from Hon. George A. Dondero-

Letter from Hon. Philip J. Philbin.-

Letter from Hon. Fred Bradley -

Letter from Ed. L. A. Almond, county commissioner, Fulton

County, Ga...

Letter from Citizens' Committee to Extend Medical Care, Chicago,

Ill...

Letter, with enclosures, from National Cooperatives, Inc.-

Letter, Mr. Clark Foreman, president, Southern Conference for Human

Welfare.

Letter from Mr. Fred Bailey, legislative counsel, National Grange.--

Letter, with enclosure, from Senator Homer Ferguson, of Michigan..

Letter from Dr. P. J. McMillin, superintendent, Baltimore City Hos-

pitals, Baltimore, Md..

Letter from Mr. Maurice Collins, Acting Administrator, Federal

Security Agency

Letter, with enclosure, from John P. Peters, chairman, medical ad-

visory council of the Independent Citizens' Committee of the Arts,

Sciences, and Professions, Inc., New York City --

Letter from Mr. Fred Bennion, executive secretary, Montana Tax-

payers' Association, Helena, Mont-

Letter from Dr. C. W. Munger, director, St. Luke's Hospital, New

York City

Letter from Westchester County (N. Y.) Chapter, American Associa-

tion of Social Workers.

Letter, with enclosed pamphlet, from The Lindsborg Community

Hospital, Lindsborg, Kans.

Statistical tables, documents, etc., submitted for the record:

Chart regarding hospital program contemplated by the bill as sub-

mitted by the Public Health Service-

-opposite

Table showing “Non-Federal health facility needs”

Table showing “Status of State-wide hospital and health center sur-

veys in 52 jurisdictions eligible under S. 191 as of February 1, 1946”.

Table showing “Report by Commission on Hospital Care selected by

the American Hospital Association on present status of surveys on

hospital needs”.

Statement showing “Administrative expenses for the fiscal year, 1941,

of the United States Public Health Service'
Pamphlet description of “South Plains Cooperative Hospital Associa-

236

237

238

238

239

239

16

17

23

45

135

HOSPITAL CONSTRUCTION ACT

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1946

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE,

Washington, D. C.

The subcommittee convened at 10 a. m., Hon. Oren Harris (acting
chairman), presiding.

Mr. HARRIS. The subcommittee will come to order.

The Committee has been called together for consideration of Senate

Bill 191.

In the unavoidable absence of the chairman of this subcommittee,

our colleague, Hon. J. Percy Priest, I have been asked to preside this
morning, in order that these hearings might get under way. He
intended to make a statement on opening the hearings which I will
read into the record at this time.

STATEMENT OF HON. J. PERCY PRIEST, CHAIRMAN OF THE

SUBCOMMITTEE

Mr. HARRIS (reading). This is a hearing on S. 191, a bill to amend
the Public Health Service Act authorizing grants to the States for
surveying their hospital and health center needs; for developing
State-wide plans for construction of additional facilities and author-
izing grants to assist in such construction. The bill will be printed
in the record.

(The bill is as follows :)

[S. 191, 79th Cong., 1st sess.)

AN ACT To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to the States for

surveying their hospitals and public health centers and for planning construction of

additional facilities, and to authorize grants to assist in such construction

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States

of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Hospital

Survey and Construction Act”.

SEC. 2. The Public Health Service Act (consisting of titles I to V, inclusive,

of the Act of July 1, 1944, 58 Stat. 682) is hereby amended by adding at the
end thereof the following new title:

"TITLE VI-CONSTRUCTION OF HOSPITALS

"PART A-DECLARATION OF PURPOSE

"SEC. 601. The purpose of this title is to assist the several States-

“(a) to inventory their existing hospitals (as defined in section 631 (e)),

to survey the need for construction of hospitals, and to develop programs

for construction of such public and other nonprofit hospitals as will, in

conjunction with existing facilities, afford the necessary physical facilities

for furnishing adequate hospital, clinic, and similar services to all their

people; and

“(b) to construct public and other nonprofit hospitals in accordance with

such programs.

1