UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SEP 15'47 CONTENTS Donaghue, Gene J., chief, vocational rehabilitation and education for Vet- erans of Foreign Wars, Washington, D. C---- Hayden, Harry V., national legislation representative, the American Legion, Hill, J. E., State supervisor of agricultural education, Springfield, Ill---- Mostrom, Harold A., director, Essex County Agricultural School, Haw- Newcomb, Elliott, legislative director, AMVETS, Washington, D. C--- Paterson, Chat, legislative representative, American Veterans Committee, Pratt, C. F. Nelson, county commissioner of Essex County, Mass- Sasman, Louis M., supervisor, State board of vocational and adult educa- Stirling, Harold V., assistant administrator for vocational rehabilitation and education, Veterans' Administration, Washington, D. C.. Wheeler, Hon. W. M., a Representative in Congress from the State of Williamson, John C., assistant legislative representative, Veterans of For- Hon. W. M. Wheeler, a Representative in Congress from the State of Harold V. Stirling, assistant administrator for vocational rehabilita- tion and education, Veterans' Administration, Washington, D. C---- G. H. Birdsall, assistant administrator for legislation, Veterans' Ad- Elliott Newcomb, legislative director, AMVETS, Washington, D. C.. Chat Paterson, legislative representative, American Veterans Com- C. F. Nelson Pratt, county commissioner of Essex County, Mass. J. E. Hill, State supervisor of agricultural education, Springfield, Ill Louis M. Sasman, supervisor, State board of vocational and adult Harry E. Nesman, chief, agricultural vocation, State department of Lodge, H. C., Jr., a United States Senator from the State of Massachusetts, ON-THE-FARM TRAINING FOR VETERANS MONDAY, JUNE 9, 1947 UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND PUBLIC WELFARE SUBCOMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 10 a. m., in the committee room, Capitol Building, Senator Wayne Morse presiding. Present: Senators Morse (presiding), Ives, and Pepper. (The committee had the following bill under consideration :) [H. R. 2181, 80th Cong., 1st sess.] AN ACT Relating to institutional on-farm training for veterans Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That paragraph 4 of part VIII of Veterans' Regulation Numbered (a), as amended, is amended by striking out “(including apprenticeship and refresher or retraining training)" and by inserting in lieu thereof "(including apprenticeship, refresher or retraining and institutional onfarm training)". SEC. 2. Paragraph 5 of part VIII of Veterans Regulation Numbered 1 (a), as amended, is amended by striking out "The Administrator shall pay to the educational or training institution" and by inserting in lieu thereof "The Administrator shall pay to the educational or training institution (including the institution offering institutional on-farm training)”. SEC. 3. Paragraph 6 of part VIII of Veterans Regulation Numbered 1 (a), as amended, is amended by striking out "While enrolled in and pursuing a course under this part" and by inserting in lieu thereof "While enrolled in and pursuing a course under this part (including an institutional on-farm training course)". SEC. 4. Paragraph 11 of part VIII of Veterans Regulation Numbered 1 (a), as amended, is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subparagraph: "(c) As used in this part the term 'institutional on-farm training' shall include any course of instruction approved by the appropriate agency of the State or the Administrator which, when taken as a full-time course, combines (1) organized group instruction in agricultural and related subjects of at least two hundred hours per year (and of at least eight hours each month) at an educational or training institution, with (2) supervised work experience on a farm or other agricultural establishment. To be approved, such a course shall be developed with due consideration to the size and character of the farm on which the veteran is to receive his supervised work experience and to the need of the veteran, in the type of farming for which he is training, for proficiency in planning, producing, marketing, farm mechanics, conservation of resources, food conservation, farm financing, farm management, and the keeping of farm and home accounts. Such a course shall, in addition, satisfy the requirements of either of the following: "1. If the veteran performs part of his course on a farm under his own control"a. he shall receive not less than one hundred hours of individual instruction per year, not less than fifty hours of which shall be on such farm (with at least two visits by the instructor to such farm each month). Such individual instruction shall be given by the instructor responsible for the veteran's' institutional instruction and shall include instruction and home-study assignments in the preparation of budgets, inventories, and statements show ing the production, use on the farm, and sale of crops, livestock, and livestock products; "b. he shall be assured of control of such farm (whether by ownership, lease, management agreement, or other tenure arrangement) until the completion of his course; and "c. such farm shall be of a size and character which (1) together with the group instruction part of the course, will occupy the full time of the veteran, (2) will permit instruction in all aspects of the management of a farm of the type for which the veteran is being trained, and (3) if the veteran intends to continue operating such farm at the close of his course, will assure him a satisfactory income under normal conditions. "2. If the veteran performs part of his course as the employee of another"a. he shall receive, on his employer's' farm, not less than fifty hours of individual instruction per year (with at least one visit by the instructor to such farm each month). Such individual instruction shall be given by the instructor responsible for the veteran's institutional instruction; "b. his employer's farm shall be of a size and character which (1) together with the group instruction part of the course, will occupy the full time of the veteran, and (2) will permit instruction in all aspects of the management of a farm of the type for which the veteran is being trained; and "c. his employer shall agree to instruct him in various aspects of farm management in accordance with the training schedule developed for the veteran by his instructor, working in cooperation with his employer. If it is found that any approved course of institutional on-farm training has ceased to meet the requirements of this Act, the Veterans' Administration shall cut off all benefits under this part as of the date of such withdrawal of approval." SEC. 5. The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the first day of the first calendar month following the month in which this Act is enacted. Until such effective date, the practices of the Veterans' Administration as to institutional on-farm training in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act shall remain in effect. Passed the House of Representatives May 12, 1947. JOHN ANDREWs, Clerk. Senator MORSE. The hearing will come to order. We will proceed this morning with public hearings on H. R. 2181. I understand that Congressman Wheeler, the author of this bill, is here to testify. We will be glad to have you proceed. STATEMENT OF HON. W. M. WHEELER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF GEORGIA Mr. WHEELER. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity of testifying on behalf of this bill. I don't have a prepared statement, but the essence of what I would say in a prepared statement is contained in a report submitted to the House on the passage of the bill. I would like to say just a few things about the bill. The reason the bill was introduced and passed in the other body was occasioned by the publication of an administrative order of last August by the Veterans' Administration which said in effect that vocational and agricultural training taken under the GI bill of rights as a part of this institution of on-the-farm training was not to be considered a full-time course. That order was rescinded pending action by this Congress. The main point I would like to make in opposition to that finding by the Veterans' Administration is that it is purely discriminatory to say to a veteran, if he elects to take training as a machinist or as a watchmaker, that he can take the training, draw full subsistence and not be required to attend class a single hour. |