developed the menus that would fit all programs just as well as they would fit the school program. Senator EAGLETON. You sell to school districts. Do you sell commercially to Kroger, A. & P., Safeway, et cetera? Mr. DRUCKER. No, sir; we do not sell retail at all. Our name is not a byword with the American housewife. They would not be familiar with the name Pronto because our products are not sold in the retail markets. Senator EAGLETON. Thank you very much, Mr. Drucker. It has been very interesting testimony. Mr. DRUCKER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator EAGLETON. The National Association of Retired Federal Employees, Mr. Thomas G. Walters, president, and Mr. Clarence M. Tarr, vice president. STATEMENT OF THOMAS G. WALTERS, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES; ACCOMPANIED BY CLARENCE M. TARR, VICE PRESIDENT Mr. WALTERS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Tarr and I are delighted to have the opportunity of appearing before you this morning and to generally endorse the intent of Senate bills 887 and 1163 and 1925. I would certainly like to associate our organization and endorse the contents of your statement that you presented this morning as well as the statement that was presented by Senator Kennedy. I noted two paragraphs in Senator Kennedy's statement that I have been agreeing with for many years, and I would just like to again call it to the attention of this committee and to those present. He is referring to the people that we are trying to help and he says, "They have low incomes, inadequate kitchen facilities and a budget on which food is the only element that can be cut." Now I think if we would just think there for a moment, these people who are living on very limited amounts of food, and then to make a statement that the only place that they can squeeze any more blood out of the turnip is out of the food-"They are unaware of the foods they ought to purchase, and if they were, they usually are unable to prepare them as they should." And this question of loneliness in the next paragraph is something that I find throughout the country as I attend our meetings, that loneliness in the sense of alienation of a single elderly person removes the incentive to plan and prepare nutritional meals. Now, it seems to me that if the Members of Congress would think for a few moments on these paragraphs here and of your statement, that you wouldn't have the difficulty that you have experienced both in the House and Senate in doing the things that you feel should be done. If we had 51 Senators that feel as you and Senator Kennedy, then we wouldn't have any problem in this body. But that is not the way life is made up. With your permission, Mr. Chairman, I would like to file our statement and then to just touch on a few paragraphs. Senator EAGLETON. Your entire statement will be made a part of the record. (Prepared statement of Thomas G. Walters follows:) NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES 1909 QUE STREET. N W.. WASHINGTON, D. C. 20009 AREA CODE 202. 234-0832 MRS. GERTRUDE G. DAVIS VINCENT G. WALKENDIFER TREASURER STATEMENT BY THOMAS G. WALTERS, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL Honorable Thomas F. Eagleton, Chairman, Senate Sub-Committee on Aging Washington, D. C. Dear Senator Eagleton: Mr. Chairman and members of the Sub-Committee, by way of introduction Mr. Chairman, we express our thanks and appreciation to you and to all 2 Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aging. We express our thanks and appreciation to all who introduced and co-sponsored these bills and we appreciate what they are attempting to do to make life more enjoyable and to create some happiness instead of so much loneliness among our members and the senior citizens of this country. We are happy to lend our support to the intent and to the broad goals that are set by the wording of these three important pieces of legislation. We are happy that our elected leaders in the Congress and especially in the United States Senate are anxious to find a way to make the last days of our people more pleasant, more useful and more enjoyable. Mr. Chairman and members of the Sub-Committee, I have reached the definite conclusion that loneliness among our members and the lack of money brings on all types of illness because worry and being lonely will wreck the human body and bring about hyper-tension, high blood pressure, heart condition, and many other types of illness that will sooner or later cause death. These people are actually hungry for companionship and fellowship, and many of these people tell me that loneliness has caused them to use alcohol for a crutch and for the time being somewhat relieves their loneliness and distress. But millions of our senior citizens, in my opinion, do not have the proper food, and all of this and especially with the lack of money makes millions of our senior citizens an unhappy group. Wherever we go we stress the importance of keeping busy after retiring from the Federal Government, and to offer their time - 3 and talent to assist in making their respective communities a better place in which to live. I am happy to report to you that in greatly increasing numbers our members are working as a public contribution, in many hospitals, visiting nursing homes, taking a more active interest in civic and fraternal organizations with special emphasis on assisting minority people and uneducated senior citizens how to register and vote in our elections, local, state and national. I am happy to report that according to all the information that I have been able to obtain the citizens of this country who are 60 years of age or older lead all other groups in the percentage of exercising their franchise to vote. This makes me very happy and I am sure it is pleasing to the politicians of this country. Many of our members have spent a great deal of time since retiring working in the County Register's office and appearing before all types of meetings and urging their friends and neighbors to register and then be sure to vote. We do not recommend or advocate that they vote on any particular party lines, but vote and support the man or woman that they feel has the greatest interest in the welfare of our senior citizens of this great country of ours. During the past few years under the able leadership and guidance of Mr. Louis Mancuso, President, Chapter 1 of NARFE, in the District of Columbia, and with the aid and support of the National office and other chapters, have been urging the Capital Transit to give a reduced fare on buses and this is now being tried on a 90-day basis and beginning May 9 on off-peak hours people over 65 are issued an ID card and this entitles them to a 15¢ reduction in bus fare in the Districe of Columbia, and Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties, Maryland. Mr. Mancuso and his group are now making a strong effort to obtain a reduction in meals at some of the resturants in the metropolitan area of Washington, D. C. This is a concrete example of what can be done by groups joining together and presenting their cause to the proper authorities. We certainly all realize that problems affecting our elderly and retired population cannot help but affect the entire nation, both economically and socially, especially when we realize that there are 20 million Americans included in this group which continues to increase yearly due to longer life spans, earlier retirements, etc. We should also remember in considering the scope of these problems that when speaking of "Retirees" we are speaking of a group which used to be considered as persons over 60 or 65. Social and economic factors are now lowering the ages of "retirees" to the 50 bringing the number of persons in this group closer to the 40 million mark. When dealing with this large a percentage of our entire population, sufficient programs must be set up and acted upon. 55 year olds, Mr. Chairman, generally speaking the organization that I have the honor to represent, fully supports the intent and desire that is expressed in the three bills before you today and will be delighted to support any recommendation that is made by your Committee to carry out the intent of this legislation as stated here, to make life a little more enjoyable for our senior citizens, and we will be happy to cooperate with your staff to publicize in our official organ "Retirement Life," the recommendation that will come from this Committee on the pending legislation. |