tion for fruit and vegetables, a check cashing system where the seniors would be charged a certain amount for cashing their checks-not overcharged. And they could buy from the mobile store at cost. The currency exchange people could operate the check cashing system in the mobile stores so it wouldn't take away from them. Arrangements could be made with them through the mayor's office of senior citizens. Then the seniors would not be mugged and beat up and his money taken away from him, the way they are doing now.

Public transportation. The drivers of the buses should be allowed to pull up to the curb, and after the senior gets on, give him a chance to sit down before they pull off from the curb, to keep the senior from falling.

HOUSING AND HEALTH

Housing. Some seniors own their own homes, some are renting homes even their rent or their notes should be reduced so they could remain independent. Some seniors have to live with their families and the family are afraid to leave the senior home by him/herself.

Day care for seniors would be helpful. The family or guardian could register the senior in the day care and pick them up on their way home. If we had minibuses, the day care could pickup, that would relieve many young persons of heartaches because of dad, mom, aunt or uncle whom they love. This would be a help to society because it would keep more people working. The seniors could be seen after. They wouldn't be afraid of them burning themselves up or leaving doors opened where the undeservable would have free access to their homes.

Health. Health is very important to seniors. They even count the number of pills they have to take each day. When they go to the doctor or clinic, they have to pay so much money. I understand there has been a cutback by the State on medicaid and such. I can't see how the poor seniors will survive. The seniors need a protective health care system. Here is one thing that could be done for seniors. Home health aides could be trained through proper agencies for this purpose to help seniors. We could keep more chronically ill people at home. It would cost the State less money with hospital costs over $100 a day. And unless the government finds some way to take care of the health of their senior citizens, their lives will be in jeopardy. And many more will suffer more than they are suffering now.

When a person reaches the age of 65 years old, he receives less pay in wages, but he has to pay higher prices in insurance. And if you are old and black or Spanish speaking you have to pay more for food, rent, or whatever money is spent for.

Why do I work at the age of 70 years? It is because I need the work. I have two adopted daughters, both teenagers of 12 and 16 years of age. My husband retired by force. He was forced to retire when he reached the age of 65, and the cost-of-living is so high, and our dollars do not have the power to buy what we need. We have reduced rates only on some things. Such as reduced rates on transportation. I can come and go for 20 cents. We do have reduced taxes for the house.

What special qualities do the older workers have? He or she has the advantage of living longer. He or she has many years of experience. They have forethought and determination. Their minds are able, and when on the job, they stay there.

Is the older worker easily hired? If not, what are the reasons for not hiring?

No, the older workers are not easily hired. The reason that they are not is simple. They just don't have a place for you, and you don't have the right kind of skill.

Sometimes it is not true. They hate to say you are too old, because of society's trend. The older person is discriminated against. Yes.

Some young people think they are too slow, and they give them the worst jobs. Is it worse for the black older worker? Yes, because they are the last to be hired and the first to be fired, and most times our educational backgrounds are very poor, and a lot of them were unable to get the proper amount of schooling.

SATISFACTION IN VOLUNTEER WORK

Is there satisfaction in volunteer work such as I am doing with the mayor's office for senior citizens? Yes, there is great satisfaction in volunteer work. When you are trying to help others you do not look for pay.

When you have a fairly decent job, that means I am still working, and I am supporting myself, and I can do volunteer work.

One could not volunteer if he does not get enough money to keep himself going. And I am glad to be of service to my Government, the city and to my country.

I also volunteer at a hospital on the west side of Chicago where I am a member of their board.

Thank you.

Senator RANDOLPII. You are talking about your volunteer work, as has been discussed by those on the panel. That is very fine, but there is an organization called NOW. I am very sorry for one of its socalled goals. They want no one to work except that that person be paid.

If volunteerism would go out of American life, it would strike at the whole heart of caring for other people. I am not a critic of the organization, but that is one of the platforms on which NOW has been founded and that they have carried forward. I hope, Mary, that people like you, as volunteers, would talk to those people, contact their national office.

Mrs. HENRY. Senator, you will see in the papers that I have given Mr. Affeldt, that I speak about some of the volunteer work, and I feel that senior citizens should be allowed to continue working as long as they are physically able to work, and I feel that they would not have to do the hard jobs, but they could be given such jobs as consultants. I heard somebody talk about teaching, and I think that would be a good job for senior citizens. We could think about the home health care. They could be trained. And if enough money was allotted, some of these people could be trained, and we have been talking about the colleges and the schools, that is what we have been for. They could train these people in the work that they need to do, and they could help a lot of senior citizens, and that would keep people working and make people feel independent.

That is one of the things why senior citizens give up, because they feel when they have to get these handouts, they are made to feel so

bad about it, like they have committed a crime, and they have not committed a crime.

They have worked all of their lives, and given all that was in them. and then when they have to take the handout, then they feel that that is the dumping ground.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE BLIND

Senator RANDOLPH. You know, we have an example of that in the United States, in Illinois, in Chicago, as well. There was legislation passed which gave the blind the opportunity to be trained to operate vending facilities in Federal, State and other political subdivision buildings.

I remember very well at the first hearing, the U.S. Post Office through its Postmaster General testified against the bill. Yes, ther said, in essence, we would like to help the blind, but, you know, the blind cannot do the kind of jobs that you want them to do.

Today, there are 3,700 blind persons that are operating these vending facilities.

We have them in Chicago. Their average earning power is more than $8,100 a year. Some of them are earning $14,000, $15.000 a year. They are part of our productive society. There are people who felt kindly toward them, but their kindness was misplaced. They just do not need Christmas cards, you know. They need the opportunity to be working every day of the year, communicating with people, and, of course, they proved that program. They themselves did it better than those of us who wanted to pass it along.

They have proved it is a law that is worthwhile. Last year they did $133 million worth of business, people who it was said could not do this job.

We will now hear from Mr. Murray, vice president of the Chicago Area Council of Senior Citizens Organizations.

STATEMENT OF CLYDE E. MURRAY, VICE PRESIDENT, CHICAGO AREA COUNCIL OF SENIOR CITIZENS ORGANIZATIONS

Mr. MURRAY. I submitted to you a prepared statement, and therefore will make a few oral comments on three matters: (1) The importance of social security, (2) the need for a comprehensive employment service for older citizens, and (3) a recommendation that the age 65 top-limit of the Age Discrimination Act of 1967 be removed. My comments will be very brief.

IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL SECURITY

Many people depend on social security for basic support. For example, those of us who worked for private social welfare agencies, and people who worked in industry and business at the time when there was no pension plan. For these millions of older people, social security is not a supplement of their income; it is their basic income.

I would like to thank Congress, through you, for the recent increases in social security. Of course, they do not keep up with the cost of living. but nevertheless, they are indications that Congress really cares about older people.

SENIOR CITIZENS EMPLOYMENT SERVICE

Since 1970, I have been working with a number of people in Chicago to establish an employment service for older workers. Our work has been through the Senior Citizens Employment Service, a nonfunctioning corporation set up by Arthur Levin, a retired businessman.

We are very much concerned about the fact that only a small number of people of older age are placed by the public and private employment agencies.

Senator RANDOLPH. Why is that?

Mr. MURRAY. They are not given any high priority.

I am very glad to say that we think now we are going to get some thing started. Recently, a plan has been developed by the Jewish Vocational Service of Chicago and the local unit of the National Council of Jewish Women, in cooperation with the Senior Citizens Employment Service, to operate a senior employment center as a demonstration or pilot project. Jewish Vocational Service will be the operator. Other important parts of the plan include the use of CETA workers in staffing the office; the use of volunteers in locating older people who want to work; in locating job opportunities; and in interjecting to potential employers and the public the need for employment of older people; and the use of private foundation funds as well as public funds.

We will start with one demonstration project on the North Side, and we hope it will eventually spread in other ways throughout the city. It is really a big pleasure, Senator, to have worked on something like this for 5 years and finally have something come as a result of it.

We hope that what we will do will demonstrate to the city, State, and Federal officials the need of some specialized kinds of service in the employment field for older people.

One thing that needs to be done is to really encourage older people to look for work. There are many people who are discouraged. They feel they have reached the end of the rope, and we have to maintain, as you said this morning, communication with these people.

AGE DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT ACT

The last comment I would like to make is to urge the removal of the top age of 65 in the Age Discrimination Act of 1967. The chronological age of 65, or of any other arbitrary age, is a poor measuring stick for determining whether a person can carry on his or her work. No two persons have the same potential or ability at any age. One person may have gone past his potential on a job at 40 while another may do his best work at 75. I am very much attracted by the new GULHEMP theory developed by Dr. Leon Koyl, from Canada. It is an acronym using the first letters of seven words. These factors are: G for general appearance, U for upper extremities. L for lower extremities, H for hearing, E for eyesight, M for mentality or intelligence, and P for personality. It seems to me if we put all those factors together, we can determine the fitness of a person for a job whether he be 50 or 70.

I am hoping that these factors, or other similar factors, taken in combination, can replace the sole factor of age.

[Applause.]

Senator RANDOLPII. This is very helpful testimony.

Clyde, I refer to your closing thoughts, because we have now pending in the Senate a bill, S. 871. The principal sponsor is Senator Hiram Fong, of Hawaii.

There are others that have cosponsored the legislation. It would remove the 65-year limitation for the application to persons being eligi ble for employment.

Would you like to see that passed?

Mr. MURRAY. Very much.

Senator RANDOLPH. You think that would be helpful?

Mr. MURRAY. Yes.

Senator RANDOLPH. We still are considering a retirement income credit update, and Senator Church, the chairman of our parent committee, is the chief leader in that effort; he is very helpful.

INACTIVITY: THE ELDERLY'S GREATEST ENEMY

I ask this question of all of you, if you would make, perhaps, a quick answer. Inactivity is often considered by the elderly as their greatest problem. Inactivity. I think they want to be active insofar as possible, in many ways.

How can we provide greater opportunity so they can have this activity?

Will you respond, just sort of go through the panel. It does not matter in what order.

Miss HAYES. Retired teachers seem to be quite well sparked to activity. Many are "travel hungry," especially for longer trips and unusual places. Their volunteer activities are varied. but the most popular, as I observe, are working in local hospitals and in neighborhood public and parochial schools. Tutoring, either for pay or as a volunteer, has not been too attractive in the past, but just recently, 18 retirees spent 2 days in a seminar learning to use the Laubach method of teaching reading. This fall they will give some hours each week helping persons at libraries and other centers.

Part of the problem in retirement is a matter of making a choicedeciding each day, week, month what to do, and when. We have lived "by the bell" so long-not only teaching but taking classes-that our so-called free time was well-filled with matters of personal, professional, and social affairs. We are doing something with preretirement planning, but we could do more. There is much and varied volunteer work to be done, God knows, if people would just get at it.

I might say again, while I have the opportunity, that many teachers consider qualifying for social security benefits, especially medicare, to be their biggest problem; that and the ever-increasing cost of living. Senator RANDOLPH. How old are you

Miss HAYES. My age? Seventy-eight.

Senator RANDOLPH. Seventy-eight years young.

Miss HAYES. That is correct.

Senator RANDOLPH. Mary?

Mrs. HENRY. Senator, I feel that the older worker could be given jobs to do, if he is still able to do them, if one is fit, and I feel among the poor people, the ones I represent, I feel they could be trained to do some work. We could have day care centers, those not able to work, those not able to leave at home alone, the families could bring them to a day care center. The same as they do for the younger people, and