-4 ments, such as application of the computer to medical bibliography and the linkage of libraries and information centers with advanced communications. The resource grants program of the Medical Libraries Act is the only Federal program available to assist biomedical libraries in establishing, improving, and expanding their basic resources and services. If they are to perform their essential function of supporting research, teaching and patient care, medical libraries must improve their collections and services. Unfortunately, many now fall below the generally accepted standards. The resource grants are urgently necessary, therefore, and should be continued. The regional medical libraries supported under another provision of the Act must also be maintained and strengthened since they are the major intermediaries between the great National Library of Medicine in Washington and the local or State-wide institutions directly serving the bulk of those in the health professions. This system has improved the delivery of medical information in all parts of the Nation. Finally, we would comment with respect to the bill's provision for a oneyear extension. We appreciate the need for advance planning, and we would prefer that the Act be extended for five years (until 1978) instead of one year. At the same time, we are aware of the advantages inherent in having the needs of medical libraries considered by the Committee and Congress in conjunction with appraisal of the needs of the Federal programs for support of health research Therefore, we recommend that as other expiring health-related measures are considered by this Committee, they also be extended until 1978, so that eventually the Committee can evaluate all of these Acts in a more coordinated and comprehensive way. and education. RAILROAD RETIREMENT ANNUITY INCREASE-1972 HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON RAILROAD RETIREMENT OF THE COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND PUBLIC WELFARE NINETY-SECOND CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON S. 3852 TO AMEND THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT OF 1937 TO H.R. 15922 TO AMEND THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT OF 1937 TO H.R. 15927 TO AMEND THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT OF 1937 TO AUGUST 10, 1972 Printed for the use of the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare 82-813 O U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1972 DEPO COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND PUBLIC WELFARE HARRISON A. WILLIAMS, JR., New Jersey, Chairman JENNINGS RANDOLPH, West Virginia ADLAI E. STEVENSON III, Illinois JACOB K. JAVITS, New York J. GLENN BEALL, Jr., Maryland STEWART E. MCCLURE, Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON RAILROAD RETIREMENT CLAIBORNE PELL, Rhode Island RICHARD S. SCHWEIKER, Pennsylvania J. GLENN BEALL, JR., Maryland JONATHAN R. STEINBERG, Counsel CONTENTS Text of: S. 3852. Railroad Retirement Board, departmental report.. H.R. 15927___ Office of Management and Budget, departmental report_ H.R. 15922_ CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF WITNESSES THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 1972 Quarles, Wythe D., management member, Railroad Retirement Board, Ymtema, Theodore O., chairman, Commission on Railroad Retirement, ac- Schoene, Lester P., Congress of Railway Unions and the Railway Labor STATEMENTS Behling, Burton N., transportation consultant, on behalf of the Association of American Railroads_. 109 Prepared statement.. 113 Dennis, C. L., Commission on Railroad Retirement; accompanied by James Kennedy, legislative chairman; Ed Unger, economist, and Ned Davis, counsel Prepared statement. Mondale, Hon. Walter F., a U.S. Senator from the State of Minnesota, pre- Prepared statement.. Schoene, Lester P., Congress of Railway Unions and the Railway Labor 100 Speirs, Neil P., labor member of the Railroad Retirement Board, prepared statement Ymtema, Theodore O., chairman, Commission on Railroad Retirement, accompanied by Michael S. March, executive director_. Prepared statement__ 73 |