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Byrd Explains Economy
Git in Veterans Bureau
(The following statement is« issued from the office of Senator Harry F. Byrd, August 28.)
The Veterans Administration, •s an “economy” move, has oilier-' ed consolidation of its Richmond, Philadelphiafi New York, and Boston district offices at Philadelphia. ■' ■« • Naturally I have received numerous oral and written requests to oppose removal of the district office from Richmond, and in re-* sponse to these requests I have «• endeavored to establish the facts in the case. i - . '% fe As a result of my investigation ;* I am assured that ‘there is nobasis for fear that service to vet- ’ - erans or their dependents Will bar impaired by the consolidation.’ 4
The savings resulting rom the , consolidation of these four district offices are real, and it be-* lieve they will total more than $1,800,000 per year.
As chairman of the Joint Committee dta Reduction of Non-essen-, tial Federal Expenditures, I know from my own investigation. that the Veterans Administration has been over-staffed and over-organised, and I have frequently call-; ed upon it to reduce its non-! essential expenditures. I believe that this can be done without impairment o its legitimate services to deserving veterans. As of July, 'the Veterans Administration was employing more than 182,000 per* sons with a payroll of more than half a billion dollars a year. Thia is an employee for every 100 veterans of all wan whether they are participating in veterans pro. grams or not. 1 ^ Wo are faced with the possibility of confiscatory taxation which would destroy the free enterprise system and bleed white those of us paying individual income taxes even in the lower and middle income brackets.
If we are to survive we must change this course. We must submit to economies in non-essentials , both at Washington and at the State levels o federal agency operatioa.
Under the circumstances I cannot oppose a' sincere effort for economy through consolidation in a federal agency when I am assured that the economy is real and that essential services will not be impaired. On the contrary, it i$incumbent upon, the Veterans! Administration to institute such efficiency whenever and wbereever it is possible. - Naturally I regret that I am unable to accede to the wishes of those who requested me to oppose thia consolidation, but I do not) feel that I can sincerely talk economy in Washington and oppose economy in federal * operations in Virginia.
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