Evening star., 1924-01-07
VETERAN HOSPITAL
FUNDS S11,5)D,O(O
Langley Estimates This
Amount From Surplus and
New Appropriations.

Expectation that $11,5O0.00O will
soon be made available for continu.
ing the disqualification worl, of the
veterans Bureau was expressed to
day by Chairman Langley of the
House committee on public buildings
and grounds after conference with
Gen. Frank T. Hines. director. Of the
bureau.
This includes s5,000,0O0 left over
from the appropriation last year.
$6'OO0,oOO for which Chairman Lang
ley has already introduced a bill and
an additional 100000 which Gen.
Hines estimates is absolutely neces-
sary.
Confirming his statement, Chairman
Langley showed a letter from Gen.
Hines which states that 'in conso-
nance with the spirit of the message
or The President before Congress on
December s, wherein he specifically
urged that immediate steps be taken
TO enlarge and complete new hospi-
talS TO serve all such cases and in
accordance with studies made as to
the adequacy of existing hospital fa-
cilittes and facilities under construc-
tlon or being planned, i addressed a
letter to the director of the bureau
or the budget on December "a, stating
that $6,500,000 should be appropri-
ated for additional hospital construc-
tion over and above the $4,000, 900
1922"
Contingent upon this additional
construction is the question of relin-
gushing certain leased hospitals and
contract facilities and the taking of
benefciaries of the bureau from un-
suitable non -fireproof structures or
structures clinically and structurally
unsuitable for the purposes for which
they are now used. and placing them
In modern fireproof facilities.
New Hospitals Planned.
Director Hines ,explaips that this
ropsychiatric hospital in district No.
2 (the states Of New York, New Jer-
sey and ConnecticuD: a tuberculosis
hospital In the third district (the
ware); the replacing by permanent
construction of temporary frame hos
|pital facilities for general and tuber-
cular cases in the fourth district
and the District Of CoIumbia1: the
unit in the eighth district (Wiscon-
sin. Illinois and Michigap); the con-
the tenth district (the states Of Mon
tana, North and South Dakota and
Minnesota), and the purchase OF a
leased hospital now used to capacity
by the bureau.
Two of these projects-those in the
second and fourth districts, are to
replace existing wholly unsuitable
hospital facilities, and the other four
are to provide permanent government
owned facilities in areas now served
by either contract hospitals or by leased
hospitals.
Replying to Chairman Langley's re-
quest for specific information as TO
how the director proposes to expend
the $5,000,0O0 balance authorized last
year which has not yet been appro-
priated, Gen. Hines points out that
under the provisions of that act the
present and estimated prospective
obligations total $16,642,130
Actual obligations, including awards
to date made against the project at
Livermore, Calf, total approximate
ly $14,686,667 The balance of the
estimated prospective obligations in
cludes, the projects in Southern Cali
fornia and Pfkesville. KY, for which
contracts have not yet been awarded
Estimated Obligations.
These obligations and estimated OBJ
ampton, Mass; Tupper Lake, n. Y;
Memphis, Tenn: Gulfport, Miss; Chill
licothe, Ohio; Camp Custer, Mich.
Dwight, ILL.,; Knoxville, Iowa; Excel
American Lake, Wash; Livermore,
Calf; and Pikesville, KY, and south
ern California. Gen. Hines calls at
tention that the total estimated OBJ
legations against these funds are ap-
proximately s16.437,131 which Is
slightly less than the total item.
Chairman Langley said that he ex-
poets at an early opportunity to in
vite Gen. Hines to appear before the
committee on public buildings and
grounds in support of increasing the
amount of funds to be authorized
from s6,000,000 to s6,500,000.