cooperation with the University of Iowa at Ames. Also, the department of health and various social agencies in Ottumwa, and others, felt it was a very logical type of interview that was made with our senior citizens.

One thing that I think came out of it was that our people felt that getting out each day was important. About 75 percent of them were widows or widowers, otherwise they would be eating alone at home. It was a good thing to get out, meet new people, get to go places in a group, and to get to meet new friends.

I think another thing that came out of our study was the fact that we found that some of our elderly citizens were not eating properly; they were not getting the recommended daily allowance of certain things. One of the things that we found was a deficiency in vitamin A, which comes from the green and yellow vegetables. They had a tendency to eat more cereals, sandwiches, soups, and things like that. Another one was that they were not getting enough calcium. Of course, we do have a large percentage of our old people with bone structures that collapse, so we try to encourage our older people to use more milk, cheese, and things that would get more calcium into their System-and also vitamin A.

Senator CLARK. We appreciate very much having those comments. I might say that at another of our hearings we are going to feature nutrition, just as we did here on transportation.

Mrs. MORRIS. Where?

Senator CLARK. It will be either tomorrow or the next day.

Mrs. MORRIS. I was not aware of that.

Senator CLARK. We are trying to focus on different areas with panels. The nutrition program is easily the most popular single program under the Older Americans Act. It has been tremendously successful, both for nutritional and social reasons.

I know of its popularity. In fact, we increased the funding this year for the nutrition program by about $50 million. In Iowa, for example, this next year we have appropriated almost $2 million-$1,857,039. So we have recognized the importance of it. In fact, I have just eaten over at the Winterset title VII meal site before we came over here. We appreciate your comments very much.

We have only about 5 minutes, but I do want to open it up, not only to employment, but to any of these things that you would like to talk about.

STATEMENT OF ETHAN CURTIS, FAIRFIELD, IOWA

Mr. CURTIS. Ethan Curtis, Fairfield. Iowa.

I presume you will cover this area tomorrow or the day after, but I want to get my 2 cents worth in. I happen to be chairman of the Public Housing Agency in Fairfield, and this information that I am very briefly giving is part of that from our housing applications. We have been following it up for the last 5, 6, or 7 years.

No. 1, the income of our elderly in Fairfield in 1976, as compared with 1970, has been increased only by the increase in the social security payments and supplementary security income. These increases, while helpful, have not yet risen with the increased cost of living.

No. 2, Fairfield has 3,060 elderly, and 37 percent are below poverty income limits. In other words, 1.13 people are in this low-income group. The source of this information is the U.S. Employment Office.

No. 3, the 1970 census gave 2,260 elderly in Fairfield. A 1974 actual count gave us 3,062, or an increase of 802 elderly people in the 4-year period. By applying these same figures in the past 6 years, 1970 to 1976, Fairfield has 1,005 more elderly in this group, or a total 1976 figure of 4,765. The source of this information is the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce.

SUBSTANDARD HOUSING UNITS

No. 4, we have 696 housing units occupied by low-income families. Thirty-seven percent below income limits means that we have 258 substandard units that most likely are occupied by our elderly.

In other words, the units did not measure up to the standards as being decent, safe, and sanitary. The source of this information was the Iowa State Employment Office.

No. 5, by actual count as of June 6, 1974, we had 84 vacant apartments in Fairfield. Forty-three of these eighty-four were unsuitable. Ruled out on account of location were 37, which gives Fairfield 6 qualified units for elderly housing.

We had a total of 44 vacant houses. Thirty-five of these forty-four were ruled out because they were unsuitable-because of location, condition, or rent-which gives Fairfield a total of 15 possible living units for elderly which comes within the Federal guidelines.

In 1975, the Area 15 Housing Coordinating Committee, following our survey, ruled that we had a zero percent vacancy rental for the elderly. So we are just playing dominos-someone moves in, someone moves out.

No. 6, our applications for 48 units for low-income elderly was approved in February 1976. Construction is slated to begin within 60 days. Even though this project would ease the situation a little, it will in no way meet the housing needs of Fairfield.

Thank you.

Senator CLARK. Thank you very much. That is a good report. I know that the figures that you cite are 37 percent substandard housing. It is roughly that same average all over the country, particularly in rural areas. There is an enormous area of need. In fact, I went out this morning in Winterset and went through their public housing there for the elderly-it is not just for the elderly, but it seems it is principally being occupied by the elderly. It is called the North Ward Plaza.

I have also been in units here in Ottumwa. The need is enormous. It is very hard to say we can up the income to match the growth and needed money. In fact, I have cosponsored, with Senator Church and others, an attempt to have the index reestablished every 6 months. instead of vearly, so that we don't run so far behind on increases in social security.

Well, we have a couple more minutes. Does anybody else have a brief statement?

STATEMENT OF ESTHER WHALEN, OTTUMWA, IOWA

Mrs. WHALEN. Esther Whalen, Ottumwa.

I agree that we need more buses, which is very enjoyable, and I think the meals are great. But I do say that I think there should be something done about we widow ladies. I know there are lots of us here who have a home to keep up and the minute the husband is gone, why, the social security goes down. Our bills go up, we still pay the same gas, the same amount of water, all for one person in the house. It is very hard to do it.

I don't know how to keep up unless we have some ways on the sideline. I think that social security, instead of being cut in half, should be a larger part, because we only get a percentage of that. If that is taken away, too, it is just a little hard to keep up. Senator CLARK. Thank you very much.

STATEMENT OF BERTHA DREYFUSS, OTTUMWA, IOWA

Mrs. DREYFUSS. Bertha Dreyfuss from Ottumwa.

I would like to speak about full employment. I want to ask you, Senator, where the jobs come from, when you say let all work who want to work, out of a population tremendously increased and some jobs that perhaps employed five people 25 years ago which are performed by machines today. Everyone who is running for public office this fall is promising full employment. Where do we get the jobs from?

Senator CLARK. I think it is possible to have that kind of job market. In fact, take one country that comes to mind immediately-West Germany. They have a shortage of labor and 10 percent of their labor has to be imported from outside. Even though they have had an enormous population increase, the economy has been expanding in a way in which they do not have enough people to fill all the jobs.

One could cite other countries as well. I don't think that with modern technology necessarily comes the situation in which you have to have very high unemployment. I don't think the two can ever be economically incompatible.

The fact is that we have enough work that needs to be done. The solution is to have the economy expanding in a way which really provides those jobs.

MEDICAL ATTENTION DIFFICULT

Mrs. DREYFUSS. We need better medical care. Even those who pay their own way cannot always find a doctor who is willing to take on another patient. My husband who has become disabled the past year could not get a foot doctor in Ottumwa to take him. I had to pay someone to take him to the clinic in Bloomfield to get his toenails clipped. We need, in Ottumwa, an outpatient clinic where everyone gets service.

Senator CLARK. Any other statements?

Mr. BURROWS. I thought I would tell a joke if you folks are leaving. This is an old joke, but you folks are all young so maybe you didn't hear it when it first came out.

This son-in-law got a telegram from his in-laws. He lived way off here. The telegram says. "Your mother-in-law is dead; shall we embalm, bury, or cremate?" He writes back and says, "Do all three, take no chances." [Laughter.]

I think there is a lot of emergency about these programs, but what I want to say rather technically is very appropos. The old lump of labor argument has been brought out here that there is so much of a wealth of labor here that if you have two folks do it, then each one could do half as much. That is all.

The old lump of labor theory was thrown out years ago when the first technology in printing was established. The labor organizations all said, "This is going to do the work of three people, and so we can't have it." They tore up the machinery, rioted, and what-not.

We have had more and more machinery and technology taking more and more jobs. We have also had a larger and larger percentage of our people gainfully employed. So we make our income and our wages as we work, and you don't have a lump there from which to take. That is one thing, I think, that has made this other idea very simple.

I thought that $2.700 ought to be moved up all along. It won't affect me. I have always been too wealthy to get help and too poor to be relied upon. [Laughter.]

So I am not sure. But it is bad for these $2,700 deals these days when prices have doubled.

Senator CLARK. I agree. Good.

Two more statements back here, and then we are going to break up.

STATEMENT OF IDA L. MILLER, CENTERVILLE, IOWA

Mrs. MILLER. Ida Miller from Centerville.

We have not talked about nutrition, but that is my first love, then transportation. When is the next hearing on nutrition?

Senator CLARK. The nutrition hearing is Wednesday morning at 9:30 in Sioux Falls, S. Dak.

Then we are going to talk about it again in Rockford, Iowa, Wednesday afternoon. Rockford is a small town up around Mason City. I would be happy to hear anything you have to say about it right now.

Mrs. MILLER. Well, I just want to know if our program is going to

continue.

Senator CLARK. There is no question about whether it is going to continue. It is the most popular program, as I was saying to this lady, in the aging area. In fact, we increased the funding by $50 million this year.

Mrs. MILLER. It is the love of my life-the nutrition program.
Senator CLARK. Thank you.

STATEMENT OF TESSIE BURT, OTTUMWA, IOWA

Mrs. BURT. I am Tessie Burt.

Twenty years ago there wouldn't have been a hearing like this concerned with old people. Even if there had been, we probably wouldn't have heard about it. And if we had heard of it, we wouldn't have been able to get to it.

Things have certainly improved since then. People and governments care about the elderly, and they go out of their way to let a lot of us know that they do. And though we have some things, quite a bit is still needed.

Some towns don't have either community or senior centers, but when you get older you need some place to go so you can meet others, rest, or get a hot meal. You could have your blood pressure taken or learn exercises. But if you eat your hot meal in a church basement or a restaurant, you can't do all of the things that you want to do.

However, meals served in our own senior or community centers won't take care of those of us who are houseridden or bedridden. More money for meals-on-wheels programs would be good. And, to keep us from having to leave our own places for a nursing home, we need more homemaker aides.

Learning skills for retirement might not be a bad idea, though I think older people should be encouraged to work as long as they can instead of being made to retire at a certain age.

Being old has its advantages, and you, Senator, and others like you, have taken away some of the disadvantages.

Senator CLARK. Thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Let me just say now in conclusion that I think the witnesses and the testimony we have had today has been valuable to us. As I look back over the list, I particularly appreciated Ed McMillin talking about what the American Association of Retired Persons are doing and what the legislative council is doing; certainly Ben Grismore, in talking about how the transportation program was begun in Wayne County, and the value of it; Professor Burrows, who not only is a good story teller but knows a good deal about the problems of transportation-I thought that was valuable; certainly this panel with Shirley Campbell, talking about how as project director service employment has worked around this area; also Bob Gilbert talking at the State level about how these programs work; and then Ruby and Francis, as examples of that, and what it means to have these kinds of programs.

So I think it has been very valuable to us.

Any statements that you want to leave in writing or mail to me will be put in the record. We will have the record open for another couple of weeks so if you want to write something in a letter and say, "I think you ought to know about this, too," I will be very happy to have it and you tell me if you want it published in the hearings or if you want it kept private.

We are delighted that you came and we hope to see you again often. Thank you.

[Whereupon, at 4:20 p.m., the hearing was recessed.]