THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND, Mr. LON ALSUP, Executive Secretary-Director, Land Commission for the Blind, Land Office Building, Austin, Tex. DEAR MR. ALSUP: I have your letter of July 6, and shall immediately attempt to answer the inquiries you raise in it: The rumors you have heard about the federation are partly based on fact and partly on fiction. Our concern as your concern is to improve the programs for the blind and not particularly to improve the position of various classes of workers for the blind; many of them have little interest in the blind or knowledge of their needs and capacities. Accordingly, it is certainly correct that the National Federation does not always cooperate with State or Federal agencies administering programs for the blind. If we find that the heads of such agencies are not interested in the real welfare of the blind or actually have policies which in our judgment are harmful to the welfare of the blind we not only then do not cooperate with such agencies but we fight them with every ounce of energy and manpower we possess. One such agency is the Bureau of Public Assistance in the Federal Security Administration. In fact, the National Federation came into existence in 1940 largely because of the misquided policies of that Bureau and some of its superiors. They insisted on administering public assistance in a very narrow framework requiring rigorous, humiliating, and depressing investigations into the itemized and individual need of each recipient and systematically discouraging blind people from attempting to improve their lot. We began our opposition to this attitude and to this program by discussions with the Federal administrators involved and by attempting to persuade them to change their ways. They proved wholly unreceptive. We then formulated a legislative program which year by year we had introduced into Congress and vigorously supported. The high point of success in this legislative program was achieved last year when Congress adopted and the President approved our proposal of $50 a month earned income exemption. We had the opposition step-by-step of the Federal Security Agency which 2 years earlier had induced the President to veto our bill when it got through Congress. It certainly is a fact that we have not cooperated with the Federal Security administrators. They have spurned and resisted all efforts on our part to bring about improvements in the public assistance program which we tried first to work out with them. Last year, cooperating with our affiliate in Illinois, we carried on a vigorous fight with the public assistance administration in that State. The Illinois Welfare Department had worked out a device to prevent some of the blind of Illinois from receiving the advantages of our Federal earned income amendment. Again we began by trying to convince the Illinois Welfare Department of the error of its ways. That department, however, was adamant. We then took our case to the Illinois Legislature and to the Illinois attorney general. The latter officer held that the action of the Illinois Welfare Department was illegal. So here again is an illustration of the situation in which we did not cooperate with a State agency, although we first exerted every effort to work out our differences with that agency. On the other hand, I can also list many instances of cooperation with agencies administering programs for the blind. Here in California, for instance, in the last session of the legislature we worked very cooperatively and very harmoniously with the State welfare department both in fighting certain attacks upon the welfare system and in procuring positive legislation of our own. In California and Oregon we have long worked very closely with the rehabilitation agencies. You can see from the foregoing that whether we cooperate with existing agencies or not depends entirely upon whether the objective of those agencies is the same as ours. If the agency is really interested in the welfare of the blind and is prepared to work for its improvement they will find us a potent force in support of their efforts. If they are doing nothing, or if, as in the case of Illinois and the Federal Security Agency, they institute policies which are restrictive and niggardly, then we think it is our business to fight them. My letter to you was occasioned by the attitudes which you displayed at our convention. Frankly, they seemed to me to be an excellent expression of the very ideas which we have been advocating for 11 years. You showed that you believed in the blind; that you thought many more of them were capable of earning their own livelihood than most people say is so, if they are but given reasonable assistance and opportunity; that you believe the function of rehabilitation is to encourage and assist the blind in becoming self-supporting and not to stand in their way or to fail to support them when they want to do things that sighted people think they cannot do. To a man with these attitudes we want to lend our support. Unfortunately, in Texas we do not have an affiliate. Hence it seemed to me that we could work together to advance the welfare of the blind of Texas and of the Nation by trying to organize in that State a solid body of solid blind people to work toward the goals we both have in mind. Since everything depends upon agreement as to objective I am herewith enclosing a couple of speeches of mine and a number of resolutions of the National Federation which set out the principles for which we are working. Many blind people in Texas and in Oklahoma have spoken to me very highly of your work. They think you are really interested in advancing the lot of the broad masses of the blind and not just in keeping your job. These reports together with what you had to say at our convention have emboldened me to set forth the proposal contained in my letter. The rumors which have reached you about the federation have also come to our ears. More than that we receive a great deal of very bitter criticism. We are not an organization of workers for the blind, we are an organization of blind people, many of whom earn their living in fields unrelated to work for the blind. Consequently, we see our function in a much broader framework than the protection of the vested interests of workers for the blind whether they be blind or sighted. This fact plus the battles we have fought in behalf of the blind generally by way of the improvement of existing programs and the institution of new ones has accounted for our unpopularity in many quarters. Since many of us earn our livings independently we cannot be silenced by those who control the distribution of public aid or by being on the payrolls of some who administer programs for the blind. I think, I saw some of the same independence in you. Naturally, I would be happy to try to answer any further questions that you may have. Above all, do not feel apologetic or hesitant about asking me to clear up any of the numerous rumors which are constantly perpetrated about us. We are used to them. None of the officers of the National Federation receives any pay for his services. All of the officers of the National Federation are blind. Consequently, we have only the interests of the blind at heart. May I thank you again for your letter and for your frankness. Hon. PRICE DANIEL, EXHIBIT B JACOBUS TEN BROEK, President. LONE STAR STATE FEDERATION OF THE BLIND, INC., Governor of Texas, DEAR GOVERNOR DANIEL: At the recent State convention of the Lone Star State Federation of the Blind, held in Dallas, March 23 and 24, a resolution was adopted instructing me, as president, to express our protest and indignation against Lon Alsup, executive director of the State Commission for the Blind, for his conduct and misuse of administrative power. He has interfered and prevented blind people in Texas from organizing or associating themselves together for the improvement and betterment of the blind of Texas. This action has been taken, among other ways, by writing a letter hereto attached, to the Houston Federation of the Blind, in which he made many false assertions and declarations against the National Federation of the Blind, an independent, democratic, and representative organization of the blind of the United States, with affiliates in 43 States, with leaders thereof among the most prominent and learned blind people in America-president is the Honorable Jacobus ten Broeck, Ph. D., graduate of Harvard Law School, and head of the Speech Department of the University of California; also in the same letter he threatened the employment security of a vending stand operator subject to the jurisdiction of the commission on grounds in no way related to his competency to operate a stand. 38450-5915 Further, he has stirred up organizational rivalry between the Texas Federation of the Blind and the Lone Star State Federation of the Blind by instructing his employees and blind people who have received benefits from the State Commission for the Blind to join the Texas Federation of the Blind; he has unduly criticized our organization and other legitimate organizations of the blind; and through the threat of agency reprisal, he has thrown fear and apprehension into the minds of many blind people and they can no longer be independent and voice their opinions. His improper interference and wrongful abuse of administrative power have abrogated the constitutional, political, and moral rights of the blind of Texas. He is appointed by the six commissioners of the State Commission for the Blind, who are in turn appointed by the Governor, and this matter is rightfully within your jurisdiction; wherefore, you are urged and requested to admonish and direct the executive director of the State Commission for the Blind to desist and refrain from further using his office and position in the unlawful manner heretofore set forth. Sincerely yours, MARCUS E. ROBERSON. EXHIBIT C HOUSE RESOLUTION 427 Whereas Lon Alsup of Carthage and Panola County established himself as a devoted public servant by serving the people of his district and of the State of Texas as a member of the house of representatives in excess of six terms; and Whereas in recognition of his outstanding ability to organize and to carry out responsibility he was appointed to the position of director of the State Commission for the Blind in 1942, and has held this position since that time; and Whereas through his constant efforts the program of the commission was expanded and many new rehabilitation programs were set up to enable many of the visually handicapped citizens of Texas to achieve economic independence and transfer from the welfare rolls to the tax rolls; and Whereas Lon Alsup is a shining example of a visually handicapped person who has the willpower and determination to succeed in his work: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Texas, That this house of representatives pay tribute to Lon Alsup for his many years of public service and for the exceptional program and work that he has brought to the visually handicapped of the State of Texas. WAGGONER CARR, Speaker of the House. I hereby certify that House Resolution 427 was adopted by the house on May 2, 1957. [SEAL] EXHIBIT D DOROTHY HALLMAN, Chief Clerk of the House. THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU OF LUBBOCK, INC., Re National Federation of the Blind, Berkeley, Calif. and Madison, Wis. In July of 1953, the subject organization submitted the following information to this office. The National Federation of the Blind, an organization composed solely of blind persons, was organized in 1940 and incorporated in the District of Columbia on March 16, 1949 as a nonprofit organization. The stated purpose of the organization is to promote the social and economic welfare of the blind by "Stimulating individual blind to become productive members of society; assisting State and other organizations of the blind in pooling and disseminating information about new methods and opportunities in their work and providing legislative and consultative services; showing the general public that the blind can speak and do for themselves and showing employers that the blind are good employees; research and analyzing and evaluation present programs for the blind, including rehabilitation programs and making recommendations for their improvement; studying and advocating improvements in State and Federal social welfare, rehabilitation employment and other legislation." The Treasury Department has ruled contributions to the organization deductible for income tax purposes. The federation reported that it had 31 affiliated groups in 30 States carrying on similar activity on a local level. The officers were listed at the time as: president, Dr. Jacobus ten Broek, Professor of Speech, University of California, Berkely, Calif.; vice president, Mr. George Card, Madison, Wis., and Mr. Clyde Ross, bench machinist, Akron, Ohio; treasurer, Mr. Emil Arndt, rehabilitation office, State of Illinois, Springfield, Ill.; and secretary, Mr. Rosario Epsora, aircraft worker, Baltimore, Md. The executive committee was reported to number eight persons. The executive director, Mr. A. Lamar Archibald, was reported in 1953 to receive a salary of $5,000 annually. The federation also advised that they employed two secretaries at a salary of $2,400 a year each. One solicitor was employed in Madison, Wis., on a straight salary basis of $150 a month plus expenses. The federation described itself as an organization of blind people and it was characterized as a movement of blind people. As such, we understand that the organization attempts to attain its goal principally through legislative and lobbyist action. The 1953 financial goal of solicitation was reported to be $20,000, and the organization reported that their solicitation was conducted primarily by mail and was concentrated during White Cane Week, May 15-21. The organization stated to us at that time that they did not employ any outside fund-raising firm, but that they expected to experiment with this method. The organization also reported in 1953 that fund raising was carried on by local affiliates and, therefore, fund-raising percentages varied. The federation submitted a copy of their audited statement of income and expenditure for the year ended December 31, 1952, a copy of which is attached to this report. In April 1953 the Milwaukee Better Business Bureau reported that Mr. George Card, chairman of the White Cane Week committee, forwarded the information that the federation had agreed to a test mailing of 5,000 packages of cards. It was further indicated by Mr. Card that this mailing was handled by the Bernard Gerchen and Nat Rosenblum firm of St. Louis. According to the terms of the agreement, the federation was guaranteed 10 percent of the $1.25 purchase price on all packages actually sold, plus any and all moneys donated in excess of the $1.25. According to Mr. Card, this test mailing paid the federation approximately 14 percent per package sold. At that time, the St. Louis Better Business Bureau also reported that Bernard Gerchen and Nat Rosenblum had a business of sending out unordered Christmas cards and greeting cards in the name of the sponsoring organization. The St. Louis B.B.B. also reported at that time that their investigation of the White Cane promotion in that area showed that its local expenses were far beyond the 25 percent permitted by the local charity ordinance. In February 1954 the Milwaukee Better Business Bureau reported that the majority of the federation's income was derived from a nationwide fund-raising campaign known as White Cane Week. The campaign is held annually from May 15 to 21, inclusive. Funds are solicited through the sale of White Cane Week stamps, braille bookmarks, and white miniature plastic canes. The campaign is conducted by the White Cane Week committee, which was organized by the National Federation of the Blind for that purpose. The committee consists of White Cane Week chairmen of each affiliated organization and a national chairman, who was reported to be George Card of Madison, Wis. Mr. Card is blind and operates a successful vending machine business in Madison. It was reported that no member of the committee received any remuneration. It was also reported by Milwaukee that one-half of the net receipts of the White Cane Week campaign is retained by the National Federation of the Blind. The other half is returned to the affiliated organizations in the States in which the funds are received and the program for that State is carried out by the affiliate. NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND SPRINGFIELD, ILL. Statement of cash receipts and disbursements for the year ended Dec. 31, 1952 Public Relations Representative, salary--- Public Relations Representative, postage and supplies. Legislative information service_-_. Publicity expense-- West Coast, office rent.. $899.43 30.00 1, 120, 70 7,742.90 10.00 16, 000, 00 25, 803. 03 1,080. 50 567.81 1.249.98 1, 125.00 188.00 1,275.00 30,00 180.00 4,327.37 91.25 360.00 Mrs. GREEN. Now, we have two more witnesses. First, without any objection, I would like to ask that the statement of Congressman Sikes of Florida be made a part of the record immediately after the statements that were presented by Congressman McIntire of Maine. Congressman Sikes has been interested in this problem I know, over a period of years. The next witness is Mr. William Wood. STATEMENT OF WILLIAM WOOD, DENVER, COLO. Mr. WOOD. Madam Chairman and members of the committee, my name is William Wood. I am president of the Colorado Federation of the Blind. I am employed as a piano technician by a large store in Denver, a large musical company in Colorado. Mrs. GREEN. May I make this suggestion: that your statement as it appears on page 77 will be made a part of the record, your complete statement, and would it be possible for you to summarize what |