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Show News and Notes FOR AND ABOUT LEGIONNAIRES 2JlS . ' 1 essential program for the sick and disabled veterans of the nation. "We are deeply concerned con-cerned that the proposed eduction educ-tion may bring about curtailment curtail-ment in the number of eminem phvsicians who serve as consultants, con-sultants, restrict the scope of the excellent medical research activities which the VA con-inducts, con-inducts, and prevent pro'tes-sTona" pro'tes-sTona" and technical people from keeping pace adequately with educational opportunities and advances in medicine." Kraabel urged that Congress enact legislation to provide for a more equitable and realistic program of salaries and promotions pro-motions in the VA's Department Depart-ment of Medicine and Surgery He pointed out that this has had extensive study both in and out of the VA over the past several sev-eral years and that full reports have been made available to the House Committee on Veterans Vet-erans Affairs. laMrtiTirifwramwmi MHMaaii The American people want economy in government but not at the expense of the disabled i veteran, T. O. Kraabel. American Ameri-can Legion National Rehabili-j tation Director, told a Congres- j sional committee on April 12. Appearing before the Sub-, committee on Independent Offices Of-fices and General Government Matters of the Senate Appropriations Appropri-ations Committee. Kraabel warned that proposed reductions reduc-tions of $206,600,000 in the VA budget, as passed by the House, may impair the quality and adequacy of service to veterans. veter-ans. He asserted there is ample evidence that the people of this country favor high quality I service 'for veterans. Testifying on the VA budget for fiscal 1958 (H.R. 6070), Kraabel stated: Disabled veterans, vet-erans, and particularly those lying on hospital beds or otherwise other-wise incapacitated, cannot help but be disturbed and disheartened disheart-ened to read that their government govern-ment is planning reductions in the amounts, requested for their modest monetary awards. Need- j less speculation arises," said Kraabel, who asked, "Are these reductions far real? If so, are they to be realized through down-rating certain service-connected service-connected disabilities, or eliminating elimi-nating some of the 10 and 20 ' ratings." Referring to the proposed cuts in hospital building funds which are holding up construction construc-tion in a number of cities, the Legion's rehabilitation chief urged Congress to consider the vital need for hospitals in Cleveland, Cleve-land, Ohio, Washington, D.C. and Oakland, Calif. " In specifying a reduction of $2,568,000 in the budget for insurance in-surance activities, and earmarking earmark-ing at least $18,500,000 for loan guaranty activities, the House placed a rigidity in the VA budget which may make it very difficult to adjust activities to the loan reduction, The American Amer-ican Legion feels. " We fear that there will be impairment of service to policy holders at a time when this service has already been pared to the bone and when its load of policies remains about the same," declared Kraabel. He suggested that if more flexibility flexibil-ity is permitted to adjust funds between general administration, insurance and loan guaranty, the "damaging effect" of the proposed reduction may be modified. The Senate subcommittee was told that The American Legion looks upon medical and hospital services as constituting a most |