White House Statement Following Meetings With Republican Leaders of Congress on the Legislative Program.

THE PRESIDENT invited the Republican leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives to meet with him today for a general preliminary discussion of some of the legislative program which the President wilt submit to the Congress at the next session.

Today's conference dealt primarily with the domestic program of the Administration. Other domestic recommendations to be made by the President will be discussed at later meetings.

A bi-partisan conference will be held tomorrow on the subjects of foreign policy, mutual security and national defense.

At the conference this morning the Director of the Bureau of the Budget and the Secretary of the Treasury presented an analysis of our present fiscal situation and the prospects for our estimated position at the end of the present fiscal year.

The Secretary of State then outlined the present state of affairs throughout the world, and will continue tomorrow with detailed suggestions for legislative action.

The Secretary of Defense discussed the need for salary increases for the military, increased medical care, survivors' benefits and better housing for families of military personnel. Together with the President, the Secretary will join in a presentation of the security plans for the nation at the meeting tomorrow morning.

The Director of Foreign Operations briefly outlined the work of his agency and will return tomorrow for a further discussion of mutual security requirements for the coming fiscal year.

During the morning session, other subjects discussed were:

1. Extension of the Reorganization and Defense Production Acts.

2. Continuation and expansion of the Small Business Administration.

3. Statehood for Hawaii.

4. Revision of the Constitution to lower the voting age.

5. Legislation dealing with suffrage and self-government in the District of Columbia.

6. The foreign economic policy recommendations growing out of the report of the Randall Commission.

At the afternoon session six additional subjects were discussed. They were:

Highway Program--The Assistant to the President outlined proposals made to date, including those of the Governors' Conference, for the establishment of a ten-year national highway construction program. Final recommendations on this program await the report of the President's Committee on a National Highway Program, to be submitted before the Congress convenes in January.

Health Program--A national health program, including an improved health reinsurance program was outlined by the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare.

Labor Program--Suggested revisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and amendments to the Labor-Management Relations Act were discussed by the Secretary of Labor.

Civil Service and Postal Pay Increases--The Postmaster General and the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission outlined proposals for wage adjustments and the elimination of inequities in pay scales in the postal and classified Civil Service systems. It was pointed out that any increase in postal pay should be coordinated with corresponding increases in revenue.

Public Housing--The Housing and Home Finance Administrator discussed the program for public housing to be undertaken by the agency for the next two years. He also reviewed briefly the results of the "windfall" investigation within the Housing Administration.

Agriculture--The Secretary of Agriculture presented a review of the farm situation and discussed various proposals that are presently being considered by the Department to permit operators of small farms greater opportunities of sharing the benefits of the agricultural programs.