DISCHARGE OF PRISONERS The PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate a communication from the Acting Attorney General, transmitting a draft of proposed legislation to amend title 18, section 4163, United States Code, relating to discharge of prisoners; which, with the accompanying paper, was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. DEFENSE CONTRACTS BY ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION The PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate a communication from the Assistant General Manager of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report that no action was taken under the authority of Public Law 85-804, relating to the modification of contracts for the national defense; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS The PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate the following petitions, etc., which were referred as indicated: A resolution of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Washington, D.C., favoring establishing a neutralist Government in Laos; to the Committee on Foreign Relations. A concurrent resolution of the Legislature of the State of Michigan favoring economic recovery and stability in the iron range area of the State; to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. The PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate a memorial of the City Council of Lampasas, Tex., remonstrating against the creation of a US. Department of Urban Affairs; which was ordered to lie on the table. Mr. CHAVEZ presented a resolution of the House of Representatives of the State of New Mexico favoring the transfer of the present site and building of the Santa Fe post office to the State of New Mexico for a State museum; which was referred to the Committee on Government Operations. Mr. ANDERSON presented the following resolutions, which were referred as follows: A resolution of the House of Representatives of the State of New Mexico identical with the foregoing; to the Committee on Government Operations; and A resolution of the Legislature of Guam favoring a final determination as to the status of Guam and whether it should continue to be classified as a "foreign" area; to the Committee on In terior and Insular Affairs. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS Bills were introduced, severally read the first and second times by unanimous consent, and referred as follows: By Mr. KUCHEL (for himself and S. 2886. A bill to designate the navigation lock on the Sacramento deepwater ship channel in the State of California as the "William G. Stone navigation lock"; to the Committee on Public Works. By Mr. KEATING: S. 2887. A bill for the relief of Vito Magistrale; to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. ERVIN: S. 2888. A bill to limit in certain cases the power of a single justice or judge of the United States to grant a stay of execution or sentence in connection with a habeas corpus proceeding or other proceeding collaterally attacking the conviction of any person; to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. CARLSON: S. 2889. A bill for the relief of I. H. Hickman and Max Hickman; to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. KEFAUVER (for himself, Mr. MORSE, Mr. YARBOROUGH, and Mr. GORE): S. 2890. A bill to establish a Communications Satellite Authority to provide for the development of a global communication system, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences. By Mr. CASE of South Dakota: S. 2891. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to dispose of certain submarginal grazing lands in the State of South Dakota by public sale; to the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry. S. 2892. A bill to amend title V of the National Defense Education Act of 1958 in order to provide for guidance, counseling, and testing programs in elementary schools, and to provide for training for individuals engaged in counseling and guidance in elementary schools; to the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. By Mr. CHURCH (by request): S. 2893. A bill to declare that certain land of the United States is held by the United States in trust for the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Indians in Kansas; S. 2894. A bill to declare that certain land of the United States is held by the United States in trust for the Oglala Sioux Indian Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation; S. 2895. A bill to provide for the conveyance of certain lands of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe of Indians to the Little Flower Mission of the St. Cloud By Mr. HRUSKA (for himself, S. 2900. A bill to provide for the representation of certain defendants in criminal cases in U.S. district courts; to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. MANSFIELD: S. 2901. A bill for the relief of LingChuan Chiao; to the Committee on the Judiciary. ADDITIONAL COAUTHOR OF S. 2779 On motion by Mr. MANSFIELD, and by unanimous consent, Ordered, That the name of Mr. ENGLE be added as a coauthor of the bill (8. 2779) to provide for the establishment of a U.S. Commission on Aging and to authorize Federal grants to assist in the development of programs which will benefit older persons, and for other pur poses. ADDED COAUTHORS OF SENATE JOINT Under authority heretofore granted, the following-named Senators have been added as coauthors of the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 159) to amend the Federal Trade Commission Act to promote quality and price stabilization, to define and restrain certain unfair methods of distribution, and to confirm, define, and equalize the rights of producers and resellers in the distribution of goods identified by distinguishing brands, names, or trademarks, and for other purposes, previously introduced: Mr. MUNDT and Mr. CASE of South Dakota. TO PRINT, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS, AS A SENATE DOCUMENT, A RESOLUTION ENTITLED "SPECIAL REPORT ON LATIN AMERICA" Mr. McCLELLAN submitted the following resolution (S. Res. 301); which was referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration: Resolved, That there be printed, with illustrations, as a Senate document, a report entitled "Special Report on Latin America" submitted by Senator JoHN L. MCCLELLAN to the Senate Committee on Appropriations on February 16, 1962; and that five thousand additional copies be printed for use of that committee. TO PRINT, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS, AS A SENATE DOCUMENT, A REPORT ENTITLED "LATIN AMERICAN AND UNITED STATES POLICIES" Mr. McCLELLAN submitted the following resolution (S. Res. 302); which was referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration: Resolved, That there be printed, with illustrations, as a Senate document, a report entitled "Latin American and United States Policies," submitted by Senator MIKE MANSFIELD to the Senate Committee on Appropriations on January 13, 1962; and that two thousand additional copies be printed for use of that committee. HONORING LT. COL. JOHN H. GLENN, JR., U.S. MARINE CORPS On motion by Mr. ERVIN, at 12 o'clock and 30 minutes p.m., The Senate took a recess, subject to the call of the Chair, for the joint meet The joint meeting was dissolved; and The Senate returned to its Chamber. AT 1 O'CLOCK AND 50 MINUTES P.M. The PRESIDENT pro tempore called the Senate to order. AMENDMENT OF ACT ESTABLISHING CODE OF LAW FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA The hour of 2 o'clock p.m., having arrived, The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. HART in the chair) laid before the Senate its unfinished business, viz, the bill (H.R. 5143) to amend section 801 of the act entitled "An act to establish a code of law for the District of Columbia," approved March 3, 1901; and The Senate resumed the consideration of the said bill. Pending debate, On motion by Mr. MANSFIELD, and by unanimous consent, Ordered, That when the Senate adjourns today it be to meet on Thursday next. ENROLLED BILLS PRESENTED The Secretary reported that on today he presented to the President of the United States the following bills: S. 67. An act for the relief of Col. Samuel Hale; S. 235. An act for the relief of Evagelos Mablekos; S. 241. An act for the relief of Haralambos Agourakis; S. 429. An act for the relief of Alc. Percy J. Trudeau: S. 521. An act for the relief of Charles J. Utterback; S. 531. An act for the relief of Eugenia Chrzastowski; S. 1076. An act for the relief of Nancie Ellen Williamson; S. 1348. An act for the relief of Sulzbach Construction Co.; S. 1560. An act for the relief of Yasuko Otsu; S. 1685. An act for the relief of Brigitte Marie Ida Kroll; S. 1776. An act for the relief of Frances E. Sarcone; S. 1791. An act for the relief of Dr. Tzycheng Peng; S. 1832. An act for the relief of Susanne Rae Deremo; S. 1866. An act for the relief of Dr. Berchmans Rioux; S. 1870. An act for the relief of Lucia Bianca Cianto Rosa; S. 2149. An act for the relief of Hugo Kolberg; S. 2163. An act for the relief of Saifook Chan; and S. 2385. An act for the relief of Dr. Hau Cheong Kwaan, his wife, Tech Phaik Koui Kwaan, and their daughter, Laura Wai Man Kwaan. ADJOURNMENT On motion by Mr. HRUSKA, at 3 o'clock and 42 minutes p.m., The Senate, under its order of today, adjourned until Thursday next. THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1962 Mr. LEE METCALF from the State of Montana, called the Senate to order, and Rev. James P. Wesberry, D.D., of Atlanta, Ga., offered prayer. APPOINTMENT OF ACTING PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE The Secretary read the following communication from the President pro tempore: U.S. SENATE, PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, Washington, D.C., March 1, 1962. To the Senate: Being temporarily absent from the Senate, I appoint Hon. LEE METCALF, a Senator from the State of Montana, to perform the duties of the Chair during my absence. CARL HAYDEN, President pro tempore. Mr. METCALF thereupon took the took the chair. The Speaker of the House has appointed on the part of the House as members of the U.S. delegation to the Canada-United States Interparliamentary Group for the meeting now being held in Ottawa, Canada, the following: Mr. JOHNSON, of California, Mr. INOUYE, of Hawaii, and Mr. HARVEY, of Michigan. The President of the United States has informed the House that on February 21, 1962, he approved and signed the act (H.R. 6013) for the relief of the Houston Belt & Terminal Railway Co. HEALTH PROGRAM The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate the following message from the President of the United States; which was referred to the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare: To the Congress of the United States: The basic resource of a nation is its people. Its strength can be no greater than the health and vitality of its population. Preventable sickness, disability, and physical or mental incapacity are On motion by Mr. MANSFIELD, and matters of both individual and national by unanimous consent, THE JOURNAL The reading of the Journal of the proceedings of Monday, February 26, 1962, was dispensed with. EXECUTIVE SESSION On motion by Mr. MANSFIELD, The Senate proceeded to the consideration of executive business; and after the consideration of executive business, LEGISLATIVE SESSION The Senate resumed its legislative session. COMMITTEE AUTHORIZED TO SIT The Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights of the Committee on the Judiciary was authorized to sit today during the session of the Senate, on the request of Mr. GORE. APPOINTMENT TO CANADA-UNITED STATES INTERPARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore announced that the Vice President had appointed Mr. PELL as a member of the Canadian-United States Interparliamentary Conference now being held in Ottawa, Canada, vice Mr. DODD, resigned. MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Maurer, one of its clerks: Mr. President: The House of Representatives has passed without amendment the bill (S. 486) to provide for the appointment of two additional judges for the juvenile court of the District of Columbia. The House has passed the bill (S. 1991) relating to manpower requirements, resources, development, and utilization, and for other purposes, with an amendment; it insists upon its amendment to the said bill; it asks a conference with the Senate on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses thereon and has appointed Mr. POWELL, Mr. HOLLAND, Mr. O'HARA of Michigan, Mr. SMITH of Iowa, Mr. JOELSON, Mr. KEARNS, Mr. GOODELL, Mr. BRUCE, and Mr. GARLAND as members at the same on the part of the House. concern. We can take justifiable pride in our achievements in the field of medicine. We stand among the select company of nations for whom fear of the great epidemic plagues is long past; our life expectancy has already reached the Biblical three score and ten; and, unlike so many less fortunate peoples of the world, we need not struggle for mere survival. But measured against our capacity and capability in the fields of health and medical care, measured against the scope of the problems that remain and the opportunities to be seized, this Nation still falls far short of its responsibility. Many thousands needlessly suffer from infectious diseases for which preventive measures are available. We are still 10th among the nations of the world in our infant mortality rate. Prolonged and costly illness in later years robs too many of our older citizens of pride, purpose, and savings. In many communities the treatment of the mentally ill and the mentally retarded is totally inadequate. And there are increasingly severe shortages of skilled personnel in all the vital health professions. Basically, health care is a responsibility of individuals and families, of communities and voluntary agencies, of local and State governments. But the Federal Government shares this responsibility by providing leadership, guidance, and support in areas of national concern. And the Congress last year recognized this responsibility in important ways. PROGRESS DURING 1961 Our States and communities have responded quickly and with impressive vigor to the invitation to cooperative action extended by the Community Health Services and Facilities Act passed by the Congress and signed into law only 4 months ago. As a result, better care for the chronically ill and the aged will soon be available in many parts of the Nation, both inside and outside the hospitals and other institutions in this program. There is also visible progress in the effort to control water pollution, resulting from the expanded legislation passed by the Congress in 1961. Last year construction was begun on more waste treatment plants than ever before in our history-30 percent above the calendar year 1960 level. There were, in addition, other important forward thrusts taken, with Federal help, in the protection of our Nation's health. Medical research advanced at an accelerated pace. We are now better equipped than ever before to evaluate and deal with radiation perils. The incidence of polio has been reduced to the lowest levels ever recorded. We have engaged our most talented doctors and scientists in an intensified search for the cause and cure of cancer, heart disease, mental illness, mental retardation, environmental health problems, and other serious health hazards. But, of the four basic improvements in the Federal health program I recommended to the Congress last year, two urgent needs health insurance for the aged and assistance to education for the health professions-have not yet been met. The passage of time has only served to increase their urgency; and I repeat those requests today, along with other needed improvements. 1. HEALTH INSURANCE FOR THE AGED Our social insurance system today guards against nearly every major financial setback: retirement, death, disability, and unemployment. But it does not protect our older citizens against the hardships of prolonged and expensive illness. Under our social security system, a retired person receives cash benefits to help meet the basic cost of food, shelter, and clothing-benefits to which he is entitled by reason of the contributions he made during his working years. They permit him to live in dignity and with independence, but only if a serious illness does not overtake him. For, compared to the rest of us, our older citizens go to the hospital more often, they have more days of illness, and their stays in the hospital are thus more costly. But both their income and the proportion of their hospital bill covered by private insurance are, in most cases, substantially lower than those of younger persons. Private health insurance has made notable advances in recent years. But older people, who need it most but can afford it least, are still unable to pay the high premiums made necessary by their disproportionately heavy use of health care services and facilities, if eligibility requirements are to be low and the scope of benefits broad. Today, only about half of our aged population has any health insurance of any kind, and most of these have insufficient coverage. To be sure, welfare assistance, and Federal legislation to help the needy or "medically indigent," will provide health services in some instances, but this kind of help is not only less appealing, coupled as it is with a means test, it reaches very few of those who are not eligible for pubfew of those who are not eligible for public assistance but are still not able to afford the care they need. I therefore recommend again the enactment of a health insurance program for the elderly under the social security system. By this means the cost of health services in later years can be spread over the working years, and every worker can face the future with pride and confidence. This program, of course, would not interfere in any way with the freedom of choice of doctor, hospital, or nurse. It would not specify in any way the kind of medical or health care or treatment to be provided. But it would establish a means to pay for the following minimum levels of protection: First. Inpatient hospital expenses for up to 90 days, in excess of $10 per day for the first 9 days (with a minimum payment by each person of $20), and full costs for the remaining 81 days. Second. The cost of nursing home services up to 180 days immediately after discharge from a hospital. By providing nursing home care for twice as long as that in the hospital, the patient is encouraged to use the less expensive facilities when these will satisfy his requirements. Third. The cost of hospital outpatient clinic diagnostic services in excess of $20. These benefits will reduce the need for hospital admissions and encourage early diagnosis. Fourth. The cost of community visiting nurse services, and related home health services, for a limited number of visits. These will enable many older These will enable many older people to receive proper health care in their own homes. It should be emphasized that we are discussing a gap in our self-financed, contributory social insurance system. These are all insurance benefits which will be available to everyone over 65 who is eligible for social security or railroad retirement benefits. They would be ensocial security contributions of onetirely self-financed by an increase in quarter of 1 percent each on employers and employees, and by an increase in the maximum earnings base from $4,800 a year to $5,200 a year. No burden on the general revenues is involved. I am not unmindful of the fact, however, that none of our social insurance systems is universal in its coverage, and that direct payments may be necessary to provide help to those not covered for health insurance by social security. But the two problems should not be confused— and those who have never made any contribution toward the system should not be regarded as in the same category as those who have-and because a minority lacks the protection of social secufinanced benefits to the great majority rity is no reason to deny additional self which it covers. II. HEALTH PROFESSIONS PERSONNEL The Nation's health depends on the availability and efficient use of highly trained and skilled professional people. These people are in very short supply. Unless we take steps to train more phy sicians and more dentists, the promise of modern medicine cannot be fully realized. In an earlier message this year, I repeated my recommendations for Federal aid for the construction and expansion of schools of medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, and public health, and for helping talented but needy students pursue their professional education. I recommended (1) a 10-year program of grants to plan and construct such professional schools in order to increase the Nation's training capacity; and (2) a program of Federal scholarship aid for talented students in need of financial assistance, plus costof-education payments to the schools. The urgency of this proposal cannot be repeated too often. It takes time to construct new facilities and many years for doctors to be trained. A young man entering college this fall will not be ready to start his practice until 1972—and even later if he plans to enter a specialty. The costs of construction and operation are mounting. Only six schools of medicine has been opened in the last decade: and the number of graduates has risen only 15 percent. Over the same period, student applications to medical schools have declined sharply. Our ratio of active physicians to population is less today than it was 10 years ago, and growing worse, and in the next 10 years we shall need to expand existing medical and dental school facilities, and to construct 20 new medical and 20 new dental schools. We must also provide financial help to talented but needy students. I have previously expressed concern over the fact that medicine is increasing attracting only the sons and daughters of high income families 43 percent of the students in our Nation's medical schools in 1959 came from the 12 percent of the U.S. families with an annual income of $10,000 or more. A survey has shown that 4 years in medical school cost each student of the 1959 graduating class an average of $11.600. More than half of them had to borrow substantial sums to complete their education, and one-third of the group had an average debt of $5,000. Many of these students still have from 1 to 7 years of additional professional training, at low stipends, still facing them. Obviously, further loans and further debts are not the answer. Also, modern health care is extremely complex. It demands the services of a skilled and diversified team of specialists and technical personnel. But there are shortages in almost every category, and the shortages are particularly severe in nursing. Last year I authorized the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service to set up a consultant group on nursing, and a comprehensive study of this field is well underway. I expect to receive their report in the near future. III. IMMUNIZATION. There is no longer any reason why American children should suffer from polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, or tetanus diseases which can cause death or serious consequences throughout a lifetime, which can be prevented, but which still prevail in too many cases. I am asking the American people to join in a nationwide vaccination program to stamp out these four diseases, encouraging all communities to immunize both children and adults, keep them immunized, and plan for the routine immunization of children yet to be born. To assist the States and local communities in this effort over the next 3 years, I am proposing legislation authorizing a program of Federal assistance. This program would cover the full cost of vaccines for all children under 5 years of age. It would also assist in meeting the cost of organizing the vaccination drives begun during this period, and the cost of extra personnel needed for certain special tasks. In addition, the legislation provides continuing authority to permit a similar attack on other infectious diseases which may become susceptible of practical eradication as a result of new vaccines or other preventive agents. Success in this effort will require the wholehearted assistance of the medical and public health professions, and a sustained nationwide health education effort. IV. HEALTH RESEARCH The development of these immunization techniques was made possible by medical research, just as it has made possible the new drugs, surgical techniques, and other treatments which have virtually conquered many of the leading killers of a generation ago-tuberculosis, pneumonia, rheumatic fever, and many others. But conquest of the infectious diseases, by increasing our lifespan, has made us more vulnerable to cancer, heart disease, and other long-term illnesses. Today two persons die from heart disease and cancer in the United States every minute. Last year more than 1 million Americans fell victim to these merciless diseases. They are not merely diseases of old age. Cancer leads all other diseases as the cause of death in children under age 15. Of the 10 million Americans who suffer from heart disease, more than half of them are in their most productive years, between 25 and 64. Fortunately, medical research, supported to an increasing degree over the past 15 years by the Federal Government, is achieving exciting breakthroughs against both cancer and heart disease as well as on many other fronts. We can now save one out of every three victims of cancer, compared to only one out of four saved less than a decade ago. Our nationwide cancer chemotherapy program is saving many children and adults who would have been considered hopeless cases only a few years ago. And advances in heart surgery have restored to productive lives many thousands, while full prevention of many forms of heart disease seems increasingly within our reach. We must, therefore, continue to stimulate this flow of inventive ideas by supporting medical research along a very 72100-s J-87-2-8 broad front. I have proposed substantially increased funds for the National Institutes of Health for 1963, particularly for research project grants, and the training of specialists in mental health. Expenditures by the Institutes in 1963 are estimated to exceed $740 million, an increase of more than $100 million from the current year and a fourfold increase in the last 5 years. I am also renewing my recommendation that the current limitation on payment of indirect costs by the National Institutes of Health in connection with research grants to universities and other institutions be removed. In keeping with the broadening horizons of medical research, I again recommend the establishment of a new Institute for Child Health and Human Development within the National Institutes of Health. Legislation to create this new Institute was introduced in the last session of Congress. We look to such an Institute for a fullscale attack on the unsolved affiictions of childhood. It would explore prenatal influences, mental retardation, the effect of nutrition on growth, and other basic facts needed to equip a child for a healthy, happy life. It would, in addition, stimulate imaginative research into the health problems of the whole person throughout his entire lifespan-from infancy to the health problems of aging. As a parallel action I am requesting authorization for contracts and cooperative arrangements for research related to maternal and child health and crippled children's services. This legislation, introduced in the last session of Congress, would strengthen the programs of the Children's Bureau in these areas, and foster effective coordination between the research activities of this Bureau and those of the proposed new Institute. I also recommend that the present Division of General Medical Sciences at the National Institutes of Health be given the status and title of an Institute. This program supports fundamental research in biology and other sciences, and strengthens the research capabilities of universities and other institutions. Last year, Congress enacted legislation temporarily extending and expanding the program of Federal matching grants for the construction of health research facilities. This This program has been very successful and it should be further extended. In these and other endeavors, including our new National Library of Medicine, we must take steps to accelerate the flow of scientific communication. The accumulation of knowledge is of little avail if it is not brought within reach of those who can use it. Faster and more complete communication from scientist to scientist is needed, so that their research efforts reinforce and complement each other; from researcher to practicing physician, so that new knowledge can save lives as swiftly as possible; and from the health professions to the public, so that people may act to protect their own health. V. MENTAL HEALTH While we have treated the physically ill with sympathy, our society has all too often rejected the mentally ill, consigning them to huge custodial institutions away from the heart of the medical community. But more recently, the signs of progress toward enlightened treatment have been increasing. The discovery and widespread use of tranquilizing drugs over the past 6 years has resulted in an unprecedented reduction of 32,000 patients in the census of our State mental hospitals. But one-half of our hospital beds are still occupied by the mentally ill; and hundreds of thousands of sufferers and their families are still virtually without hope for progress. I want to take this opportunity to express my approval, and offer Federal cooperation, for the action of the Governors of the 50 States at a special national Governors' conference called last November. In accepting the challenge of the report of the Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health, they pledged a greater State effort, both to transfer treatment of the majority of mental patients from isolated institutions to modern psychiatric facilities in the heart of the community, and to provide more intensive treatment for hospitalized patients in State institutions. But this problem cuts across State lines. Since the enactment in 1946 of the National Mental Health Act, the Federal Government has provided substantial assistance for the support of psychiatric research, training of personnel, and community mental health programs. The Government is currently spending over $1 billion annually for mental health activities and benefits. The National Institute of Mental Health alone will use approximately $100 million this year. Approximately $350 million is budgeted by Federal agencies for the care of the mentally ill; over $500 million is spent annually in the form of pensions and compensation for veterans with neuropsychiatric disorders; and additional sums for similar benefits are paid by the social security and other Federal disability programs. But far more needs to be done. Adequate care requires a supply of welltrained personnel, working both in and out of mental hospitals. In 1946, there were only 500 psychiatric outpatient clinics in the Nation. Today, there are more than 1,500. More than 500,000 people received treatment in these clinics last year. We are making progress, but the total effort is still far short of the need. It will require still further Federal, State, and local cooperation and assistance. I have directed the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, the Secretary of Labor, and the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs, with the assistance of the Council of Economic Advisers and the Bureau of the Budget, to review the recommendations of the Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health and to develop appropriate courses of action for the Federal Government. They have been instructed to consider such ques tions as the desirable alinement of responsibility among Federal State, and local agencies and private groups; the channels through which Federal activities should be directed; the rate of expansion possible in the light of trained manpower availabilities; and the balance which should be maintained between institutional and noninstitutional programs. Meanwhile, we must continue our vigorous support of research to learn more about the causes and treatment of mental illness. We must train many more mental health personnel. We must continue to strengthen treatment programs for Federal beneficiaries through our many existing Federal institutions, including St. Elizabeths Hospital. And I have recommended added funds for the National Institute of Mental Health to increase its program for the training of professional mental health workers and physicians. VI. MENTAL RETARDATION The nature and extent of mental retardation is often misunderstood. It is frequently confused with mental illness. While mental illness disables after a period of normal development, mental retardation is usually either present at birth or underway during childhood. It is not a disease but a symptom of a disease, an injury, or some obscure failure of development. It refers to a lack of intellectual ability, resulting from arrested mental development, and manifesting itself in poor learning, inadequate social adjustment, and delayed achievement. Its causes are many and obscure. We are encouraged with each new discovery. but present knowledge of this condition is still so fragmentary that its prevention and cure will require continued and persistent research over an extended period of time. The present limitations of knowledge make diagnosis extremely difficult, particularly since it involves the very young. And a major obstacle to progress is the lack of personnel trained in the special skills required to work effectively with the mentally retarded. Thus, in spite of the progress made in recent years, mental retardation remains one of our most serious health and education problems. Approximately 5 million people in the United States are mentally retarded; and each year more than 126,000 more babies are born who will suffer from this tragic affliction. I have asked the Panel on Mental Retardation which I appointed last year to appraise the adequacies of existing programs and the possibilities for greater utilization of current knowledge. It will review and make recommendations with regard to (1) the personnel necessary to develop and apply new knowledge; (2) promising avenues of investigation, and the means to support and encourage research along these lines; and (3) improvement and extension of present programs of treatment, education, and rehabilitation. I expect the Panel's report before the end of this year; and we should then be ready for the next phase of the attack upon this problem. I am confident that the work of this Panel will help us chart the path toward our ultimate goal of preventing this tragic condition. VII. TOWARD A MORE HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT There is an increasing gap in our knowledge of the impact upon our health of the many new chemical compounds and physical and biological factors introduced daily into our environment. Every year 400 to 500 new chemicals come into use. Many of them wil improve the public health. Others, regardless of every safeguard, present potential hazards. Each year there are 2 million new cases of intestinal disease. Hepatitis is at an alltime high. We need to apply additional protection against every new hazard resulting from contamination of the air we breathe or the water we drink. As I already mentioned, the water pollution control legislation passed by the Congress last year has permitted us to step up our efforts to purify our water. We should make a similarly accelerated effort in parallel fields. I am therefore recommending: 1. Legislation to strengthen the Federal effort to prevent air pollution, a growing and serious problem in many areas. Fresh air cannot be piped into the cities, nor can it be stored for future use. Our only protection is to prevent pollution. Under the existing Air Pollution Act, the Federal Government is conducting badly needed research on the biological effects of air pollution; developing improved methods for identifying, measuring, analyzing, and controlling pollution; and working with State and local officials to accelerate necessary control programs. I recommend that the Congress enact legislation to provide— (a) authority for an adequate research program on the causes, effects, and control of air pollution, (b) project grants and technical assistance to State and local air pollution control agencies to assist in the development and initiation or improvement of programs to safeguard the quality of air, and (c) authority to conduct studies and hold public conferences concerning any air pollution problem of interstate nature or of significance to communities in different parts of the Nation. Legislation along these lines has already passed the Senate, and I urge final favorable action in this Congress. 2. In order to provide a central focal point for nationwide activities in the control of air pollution, water pollution, radiation hazards, and occupational hazards, I recommend the establishment of a National Environmental Health Center. This center will serve as the base laboratory for research and training activities, and as headquarters for Public Health Service personnel concerned with health hazards in the environment. It will facilitate regular and frequent collaboration between Public Health Service scientists and those with whom they should consult in other Federal agencies. The center will serve also to encourage closer cooperation with industrial research and control groups, with universities and private foundations, and with State and local agencies. 3. Finally, I have recommended an increase in the appropriations for the study and control of water and air pollution and for research into protection against radiation peril. VIII. ENCOURAGEMENT OF GROUP PRACTICE Akin to the problem of increasing our overall supply of professional and technical health personnel is the problem of making more effective use of the personnel we already have. Experience in many communities has proven the value of group medical and dental practice, where general practitioners and medical specialists voluntarily join to pool their professional skills, to use common facilities and personnel, and to offer comprehensive health services to their patients. Group practice offers great promise of improving the quality of medical care. of achieving significant economies and conveniences to physician and patient alike, and of facilitating a wider and better distribution of the available supply of scarce personnel. A major obstacle to the development of group practice, however, particularly in our smaller communities, is a lack of the specialized facilities needed. I therefore recommend legislation which will authorize a 5-year program of Federal loans for construction and equipment of group practice medical and dental facilities, with priority being given to facilities in smaller communities and to those sponsored by nonprofit or cooperative organizations. IX. HEALTH OF DOMESTIC AGRICULTURAL MIGRANT WORKERS Domestic agricultural migrants and their families, numbering almost 1 million persons, have unmet health needs far greater than those of the general population. Their poor health not only affects their own lives and opportunities, but it is a threat to the members of the permanent communities through which they migrate. The poverty of these migrants, their lack of health knowledge, and their physical isolation and mobility. all tend to limit their access to community health services. To help improve their health conditions, I recommend, in addition to expanding the special Public Health Service activities directed to them, the enactment of legislation to encourage the States to provide facilities and services for migrant workers. X. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE REORGANIZATION Changes in recent years have greatly increased the responsibilities of the Public Health Service. Some major organizational changes are necesary in order to help this agency carry out its vital tasks more effectively. I will shortly forward to the Congress a proposal which will make these reorganizational changes possible. It will permit more effective administration of com |