hostilities, while the service of the other veterans such as the Civil War and Spanish War need only to show that they rendered 90 days' service without showing that they ever served in the zone of actual combat. Statistics show that the average length of service rendered by the Indian War veteran was for a period of 3 or 4 years and 57 percent of the veterans now on the rolls served 3 or 4 years, 16 percent of those now on the rolls served from 2 to 3 years, 8 percent of those now on the rolls served 1 to 2 years, 11 percent of those now on the rolls served from 9 to 12 months, and that the veterans now on the rolls who only rendered actually 30 days' service, the percentage is 0.09 of 1 percent. The Indian War veterans compare in length of service more favorably than any other group of veterans on the rolls. REGULAR AID AND ATTENDANCE The laws granting pension benefits to the Indian War veterans now on the rolls and who had actual service in the zone of and in connection with active Indian hostilities, and now require the constant aid and attendance of another person at all times, only receive $50 per month pension compared to $72 for the Spanish War veterans and $100 for the Civil War veterans. This bill proposes to increase this rate of $72 per month for the Indian War veterans. It has been reported by the Veterans' Administration that only 66 members of this group of Indian War veterans will have title to the $72 rate. This does not establish a new precedent as the Spanish War and Civil War veterans now receive an additional amount of pension in the event that they now require the constant aid and attendance of another person. The favorable report from the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs and the Bureau of the Budget, which fully explains this bill, is as follows: Hon. ALLARD H. GASQUE, Chairman, Committee on Pensions, VETERANS' ADMINISTRATION, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. GASQUE: This is in response to your request for a draft of H. R. 5787, Seventy-fifth Congress, a bill granting pensions and increases of pensions to certain soldiers who served in the Indian Wars from 1817 to 1898, and for other purposes, revised to include changes requested by you arising out of subsequent considerations given to the bill. Report was furnished your committee May 8, 1937, on H. R. 5787 and hearings were conducted thereon May 24, 1937, at which time testimony was furnished by me in regard to the bill. The bill as revised would authorize the payment of service pension to veterans of Indian Wars or campaigns now on the rolls or hereafter placed on the rolls under the various service pension acts governing this type of service, from $20 to $55 per month for disability in place of $20 to $50 per month authorized under existing laws, and the following rates for age: Age 62, $25 in place of the present rate of $20. There is further provided a service pension of $72 per month for Indian War veterans who are now or may hereafter become, on account of age or physical or mental disability, helpless or blind, or so nearly helpless or blind as to need or require the regular aid and attendance of another person. Criteria of eligibility are provided in the bill for the $72 rate because under the existing laws no such rate is provided for Indian War veterans. As to the disability and age rates, the basic criteria of eligibility are those applicable under the existing laws. A proviso added to section 1 provides that an amount in excess of $50 per month under the proposed act shall not be paid to any person while an inmate of the United States Soldiers' Home or of any National or State soldiers' home. This provision is identical with that contained in the act of June 2, 1930, granting service pensions to veterans of the Spanish-American War, including the Boxer Rebellion and Philippine Insurrection. Effective dates of awards under the proposed act are provided for by section 2 in order to insure uniform procedure and simplify administration. Under this section the $72 rate would be denied where nursing or attendant service is furnished the veteran for any period during which he is maintained in an institution by the United States Government or a political subdivision thereof. This restriction would place those veterans to whom it applies on a parity generally with other veterans receiving pension or compensation under similar circumstances in accordance with present laws. It is estimated that the provision increasing the age and disability rates as indicated in the revised draft would cost approximately $181,600 the first year, affecting approximately 3,027 cases. The payment of $72 a month for cases requiring aid and attendance would affect approximately 66 cases at an estimated cost of $17,400 the first year. It is estimated that the total cost would approxiimate $199,000 providing increased pension for approximately 3,093 Indian War veterans. The Acting Director, Bureau of the Budget, has advised the Veterans' Administration that there would be no objection to this report, including the suggested changes incorporated in the revised bill and explained herein. The bill as revised is, therefore, recommended to your favorable consideration. O CIVIL FUNCTIONS, WAR DEPARTMENT APPROPRIATION BILL, 1938 JULY 8, 1937.-Ordered to be printed Mr. SNYDER of Pennsylvania, from the committee of conference, submitted the following CONFERENCE REPORT [To accompany H. R. 7493] The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendments of the Senate to the bill (H. R. 7493) making appropriations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1938, for civil functions administered by the War Department, and for other purposes, having met, after full and free conference have agreed to recommend and do recommend to their respective Houses as follows: That the Senate recede from its amendments numbered 6, 8, and 11. That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendments of the Senate numbered 3, 13, 14, 16, and 17, and agree to the same. Amendment numbered 2: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 2, and agree to the same with an amendment, as follows: In lieu of the sum proposed insert $148,200; and the Senate agree to the same. Amendment numbered 4: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 4, and agree to the same with an amendment, as follows: In lieu of the sum proposed insert $10,000; and the Senate agree to the same. Amendment numbered 5: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 5, and agree to the same with an amendment, as follows: In lieu of the sum proposed insert $9,000; and the Senate agree to the same. Amendment numbered 9: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 9, and agree to the same with an amendment, as follows: Omit the matter stricken out by said amendment and on page 8 of the bill, in line 19, after the word "States" omit the comma and insert the word and; and the Senate agree to the same. Amendment numbered 10: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 10, and agree to the same with an amendment, as follows: Omit the matter stricken out by said amendment and on page 9 of the bill, in line 10, after the word "States" omit the comma and insert the word and; and the Senate agree to the same. The committee of conference report in disagreement amendments numbered 1, 7, 12, and 15. J. BUELL SNYDER, Managers on the part of the House. ROYAL S. COPELAND, ELMER THOMAS, JOHN H. OVERTON, W. G. MCADOO, MORRIS SHEPPARD, WARREN R. AUSTIN, Managers on the part of the Senate. STATEMENT OF THE MANAGERS ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE The managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendments of the Senate to the bill (H. R. 7493) making appropriations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1938, for civil functions administered by the War Department, and for other purposes, submit the following statement in explanation of the effect of the action agreed upon and recommended in the accompanying conference report as to each of such amendments, namely: Amendments nos. 2, 3, 4, and 5, relating to the United States. High Commissioner to the Philippine Islands: Makes available as a maintenance allowance of the High Commissioner $10,000, as proposed by the Senate, instead of $7,800, as proposed by the House; limits the salary of the legal adviser to $10,000, instead of $8,000, as proposed by the House, and $12,000, as proposed by the Senate; limits the salary of the financial expert to $9,000, instead of $7,500, as proposed by the House, and $10,000, as proposed by the Senate; makes available for the pay of the assistant legal adviser and assistant financial expert $7,500 each, as proposed by the Senate, instead of $6,500 each, as proposed by the House, and makes available for rent $18,600, as proposed by the House, instead of $20,000, as proposed by the Senate, the net result being an appropriation in toto of $148,200, instead of $140,500, as proposed by the House, and $152,600, as proposed by the Senate. Amendment no. 6: Restores to the appropriation for rivers and harbors the provision proposed by the House for the protection of the town of Collinsville, Ala. Amendments nos. 8, 9, and 10, relating to flood control under the Copeland Act: Strikes out, because of action which will be proposed as to amendment no. 7, the contractural authority proposed by the Senate, and also the proposal of the Senate that the increased direct appropriation proposed in amendment numbered 7 should be available in such an amount only as allotments of Works Progress Administration funds might fall short of such additional appropriation; and removes from the paragraph providing for the acceptance and employment of contributed funds on account of authorized flood-control work authority to accept contributions from other than States and political subdivisions thereof, as proposed by the Senate. Amendment no. 11: Strikes out the provision inserted by the Senate in the appropriation for flood control, Mississippi River and tributaries, with respect to protection of cities and towns on the lower Mississippi River, the particular projects in view not having been. authorized by law. Amendment no. 13: Appropriates an additional $200,000 ($300,000 in all) as an emergency fund for flood control on tributaries of the Mississippi River, in consequence of a supplemental estimate of appropriation, as proposed by the Senate. H. Repts., 75-1, vol. 2- 86 |