Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-02-04

a
convex or concave.
After having been knocked for loop by
the pneumonia germ before coming here, my
first assigned duty was to report to the Capt.
tol physician. l was quite surprised to find
the good doctor was no less parsonage than
Admiral George Calver, my former command
ing officer in the Navy While he was giving
a listen to the squeaks in the old bellows, we
did a little reminiscing about how we did
things in the old Navy. You know, probably
shouldn't say anything about that. The Blade
might find out that l was an enlisted
man. Just think, another skeleton in my closet
to write editorials about No gold braid or
scrambled eggs and the guy dares to get cleo
ted to Congress-Oh, me, Oh, my! I'll trust
you to keep the secret though
One of the first problems had handed to
me, even before was sworn in, was the can
collation. of the Veterans Hospital construc-
ton program. This of course, included To-
1edo's Veterans Hospital On the surface and
In the immediate future this means that the
program calling for the increase of Veterans
Hospital facilities to 5000 beds has been
cut to 129, 900. Basically ii means that de-
cison on fundamental Veteran care policy has
TO be made by this Congress It Is almost un-
animousy agreed, If not entirely so, that the
government should care for all service con-
nected disability. Some people believe that
service connected or nOn-SerVlce
connected disability should be the RESPONSE
bility of the veteran himself and should be
cared for by private facilities. / cannot agree
with these people and especially so where the
disability Is chronic such as tubercular, psy-
chiatric, arthritic etc. In the first place, al
though it may be difficult for the veteran to
prove service connection, believe it is equal
ly difficult for the government to prove that
the veteran would have suffered the disability
regardless N he nj
believe that anyone so suffering, who cannot
be gainfully employed is medically INDECENT
unless he is wealthy or has wealthy family
and, therefore, the government owes him
proper care because of his service.
AS you have probably read was success
ful in gaining appointment to the House Com
mittee on Education and Labor. This was not
an easy job as there were many many appli-
cants for the few vacancies available Need
less to say had great deal of help in get
ting this assgnemnt particularly from Ohio
Congressman at Large, Steve Young, and
Congressman, John Dingell, who are
both members of the Committee on Commit
tees.
BY the time this appears in print, the an
nouncement will have been made that / am
appointed on the subcommittee for the con-
sideration of repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act. l
am very happy about this appointment as you
can well imagine.
A BOOK could be written about Congress
"A mans mail Almost the whole story of
could be read in such book, The
entire gamut from stark drama to farce COM
sdy is paraded in his mail. In this column /
won't write about the drama and the tragedy
because 1t is too sacred to the folks who are
experiencing it, but would like to give you
some of the lighter side. have recently found
put through my incoming mail, that National
Cemeteries, which | have always considered
rs enshrined places for our heroic dead, are
n reality rank socialism and threat to free
as represented by private owned
Someone in New York is in con-
act with the spirit of George Washington and
s advising me on how to conduct myself in
government through this contact and by way
If daily post card 1.-TWO on Mondays. have
also learned that the government no longer
exists because CIO member has been elected
% Congress. (Shucks. the Blade could have
.old the guy that on November 81
I'll try to take sufficient time out as often
as can to keep you posted on the things as
oon after they happen as possible. There
night even be different version of the items
han the one you read in the daily press. OF
course, the press can't be wrong; the ethics of
lewspaperdom forbid it. Dewey will be cleo
ed In le48.