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Mary LaskerMary Lasker
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Part:         Session:         Page of 1143

attention to these recommendations, nor did the Bureau of the Budget, nor did the President ever hear of them.

The '56 Budget recommendations were only five million over what had been voted in the budget for fiscal '55-- n other words, 73 million 958 thousand in comparison with 68 million 423 thousand. Most of these increases were in the teaching and training area of the Mental Health Institute. This we were gratified about, as there was and undoubtedly still is need for additional funds in this area, but we couldn't understand why there was no general increase across the boards for research in cancer and heart diseases.

Q:

What was the immediate reason for the increase in the mental health area? Was there any propaganda nationally?

Lasker:

Yes, we had been propagandizing in this area through our National Committee Against Mental Illness, of which Mrs. Mahoney and I are co-Chairmen and of which we have about 46 Governors as Honorary Chairmen, and the states are pretty well aware that they don't have, or were aware that they didn't have as much money as they needed to to train people.

Q:

Was there any specific localized incident which made this...

Lasker:

If there was, I don't recall it. There may have been, but I don't recall it.





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