In making the above statement, we do not wish to be misunderstood. We all know that we have among our patients in the Veterans’ Hospitals some of the best type of men anywhere to be found; some of the most ambitious; some who are exceedingly anxious to have their health restored and be returned to an earning status in life at the earliest possible moment; but, unfortunately, this does not apply by any manner of means to all the patients whom we are hospitalizing. Out of the disabled arising from an army of nearly five million men, naturally there will bob up representative types of every manner of man in existence. As representatives of Veterans’ Hospitals we owe to our Government as well as to our patient our best efforts to help, not only toward the rehabilitation of every soldier who can be rehabilitated but we are also obligated to help develop this program upon the most economical basis without sacrificing efficiency and the most satisfactory constructive results.” MR. BURKE: stated that the subjects were now open for discussion, and called on Colonel Patterson for a few words. COLONEL PATTERSON, of the U.S. Veterans’ Bureau,: stated that it had been a great personal loss to him that he had been unable to attend all of the meetings. He then spoke on the policy of the Veterans’ Bureau with respect to the utilization of contract hospitals and Government institutions. He stated that the Bureau has been for some months endeavoring to take the beneficiaries of the Bureau out of contract institutions and put them into Governmental institutions for several reasons—first, the law says we must utilize to the maximum extent the Government facilities in existence. Another reason is that the majority of contract hospitals are unsatisfactory from the treatment standpoint, if from no other reason, as many of these contract hospitals are purely boarding houses which originated merely for the purpose of making money out of the Government, by taking care of beneficiaries of the Veterans’ Bureau. Of course there are many contract hospitals in which this is not true, but it has been determined that better treatment at least equal cost can be obtained in the Government hospital. Another reason is that the civilian hospital is not particularly interested and does not desire to make the necessary reports. He also mentioned discipline. The contract hospitals do not like to discipline a man because it may lead to the loss of that patient. He stated that every time the Hospital Section of the Medical Division recommends the closing of a contract hospital the Bureau is immediately bombarded by letters from Congressmen, Senators, the American Legion, United Veterans, and other organizations, but the Veterans’ Bureau has been trying to stand firm.