operation of the Exchange Stabilization Fund and stabilization agreements; (3) advising the Secretary regarding the financial aspects of international treaties, agreements, organizations, or operations in which the United States Government participates; (4) participation in negotiations with foreign governments with respect to the foregoing responsibilities; and (5) maintains liaison with foreign governments and with the State Department and other interested United States Government agencies with reference to international financial and monetary matters. In addition to his other responsibilities the Assistant Secretary serves on the following as a representative of the Treasury: National Advisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Problems, Advisory Committee on Occupied Area Affairs, Advisory Committee on Requirements, Interdepartmental Committee on Scientific and Cultural Cooperation. Size of the organization: Number of employees, 162. Estimated annual expenditures for fiscal year 1949, $1,200,000. Position title: Fiscal Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. Section of bill: 5 (a). Present salary: $10,330. Date salary established: June 30, 1940, by Reorganization Plan No. III of 1940. Responsibilities: The Fiscal Assistant Secretary exercises supervision over the administration of financing operations; supervises the fiscal service established in the Treasury effective June 30, 1940, pursuant to Reorganization Plan No. III; and through the Commissioner of Accounts supervises the administration of the accounting functions and activities in the Treasury Department. The execution of these responsibilities involves (1) the supervision of the three bureaus listed below; (2) making contacts with the departments, boards, corporations, and other branches of the Government with respect to their financial operations; coordinating such operations with those of the Treasury; representing the Secretary in such contacts in a liaison capacity; and keeping the Secretary fully informed at all times; (3) supervision of the preparation of periodical estimates of the future cash position of the Treasury for use of the Department in connection with its financing and the preparation of calls for the withdrawal of funds in special depositaries to meet current expenditures; (4) direction of the transfer of governmental funds between the Federal Reserve banks when necessary; and (5) direction of fiscal agency functions of the Federal Reserve banks. The Fiscal Assistant Secretary exercises direct supervision over the following organizational units of the Department: Bureau of Accounts, Bureau of the Public Debt, Office of the Treasurer of the United States. The Fiscal Assistant Secretary serves on the following interdepartmental committees: Interdepartmental Savings Bond Committee (Chairman); representative of the Secretary on a joint committee, composed of the Secretary of the Treas ury, the Comptroller General of the United States, and the Director of the Budget, for the purpose of developing policies and procedures for the improvement of the accounting systems of the Government. The Fiscal Assistant Secretary was designated by the President as United States representative on the Fiscal Commission of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Size of organization: Number of employees (as of Mar. 31, 1949), 12,471. Estimated annual expenditures for fiscal year 1949, $70,648,000. (Does not include $4,250,000 allotted to the United States Savings Bonds Position title: Commissioner of Internal Revenue. Section of bill: 5 (a). February 24, 1919, by Public State: Rhode Island. Responsibilities: The Commissioner of Internal Revenue is responsible for the assessment and collection of all internal-revenue taxes and other miscellaneous taxing acts of Congress, and the assessment of taxes and penalties on liquors, the administration of the Federal Alcohol Administration Act, and the suppression of illicit distilling. The execution of these duties and responsibilities involves (1) the issuance of regulations and instructions, tax forms, etc.; (2) the collection of taxes due; (3) the audit and review of tax returns; (4) the inspection of taxpayers, records; (5) the apprehension of willful evaders of the tax laws and recommendation that they be prosecuted; and (6) the settlement of disputed assessments, either by negotiation or litigation. The affairs of the Bureau of Internal Revenue are administered through 142 principal field offices scattered throughout the United States. It is estimated that the Bureau of Internal Revenue will collect $43,264,000,000 in taxes during the fiscal year 1950. Size of organization: Number of employees (as of March 31, 1949), 54,173. Estimated annual expenditures for fiscal year 1949, $193,588,500. Position title: Commissioner of Customs. Section of bill: 5 (a). Date salary established: July 3, 1930, by Public Law Responsibilities: The Commissioner of Customs administers the tariff and related laws, the laws pertaining to the entrance, clearance, documentation, and admeasurement of vessels, and the laws pertaining to the entrance and clearance of aircraft. The execution of these responsibilities involves the issuance of regulations and the supervision of the following functions of the customs service: (1) enter and clear vessels; (2) supervise the discharge of cargo; (3) ascertain the quantities of imported merchandise, appraise and classify such merchandise, and assess and collect the duties thereon; (4) control the customs warehousing of imported merchandise; (5) enforce customs and other laws by patrolling the international borders and inspecting international traffic by vessel, highway, railway, and air; (6) review protests against assessments of duties; (7) determine and certify for payment the amount of draw-back due upon the exportation of articles manufactured or produced from duty-paid or tax-paid imports; (8) prevent smuggling of contraband merchandise and the release of prohibited articles; (9) prevent and detect undervaluations and frauds on the customs revenue; (10) apprehend violators of the customs laws; (11) enforce the Antidumping Act, and perform certain duties under the Foreign Trade Zones Act; (12) administer the navigation laws and related laws pertaining to the registry, enrollment and licensing of vessels, including the issuance of commissions to yachts and the assignment of signal letters; the measurement of vessels; the collection of tonnage duties and tolls; the entry and clearance of aircraft, the operation of vessels in the coasting and fishing trades and limitation of the use of foreign vessels in waters under the jurisdiction of the United States; the recording of sales, conveyances, and mortgages of vessels; and the protection of steerage passengers; (13) administer the laws governing the remission and mitigation of fines, penalties, and forfeitures incurred under laws governing the foregoing matters; and (14) cooperates with other departments and agencies of the Government in the collection of taxes, fees, and other charges, and in the enforcement of preventive, sanitary, and other laws under their respective administrations relating principally to persons and articles coming into this country and in some cases to articles sent out of the country. The affairs of the customs service are administered through 46 district offices located throughout the United States. Customs receipts for the fiscal year 1948 amounted to $421,723,028. Entries of merchandise imported into the United States during the same period of time amounted to 3,771,628. The Commissioner of Customs serves as chairman of the Committee on Establishment of Airports of Entry. Size of organization: Number of employees (as of March 31, 1949), 8,550. Estimated annual expenditures for fiscal year 1949, $50,400,000. Position title: Administrator of Veterans' Affairs. Section of bill: 2 (a). Date salary established: July 3, 1930, by Public Law 536 of Seventy-first Congress. Proposed salary: $20,000. Incumbent: Carl R. Gray, Jr. State: Wisconsin. Responsibilities: Under the direction of the President, the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs is charged by statute with the control, direction, and management of the various programs authorized by statute providing benefits for veterans and the dependents of veterans of the military and naval forces of the United States. There are at present approximately 18,668,000 living veterans. The magnitude of these responsibilities is revealed by the following examples of major programs: Insurance-The amount of insurance in force is larger than that of any other organization; the insurance in force is more than one-fourth of all ordinary insurance in force in the United States; United States Government life insurance with 505,419 policies in force with a face value of $2,201,411,667 on February 28, 1949, and national service life insurance with 7,193,000 policies in force with a face value of $41,416,000,000 on March 31, 1949. Claims (compensation and pension)-With 2,898,130 living and deceased veterans' cases involved in current awards beginning with dependents of deceased veterans of the Mexican War, with a gross expenditure of $162,917,103 for the month of March 1949. Vocational rehabilitation for service-connected disabilities, and educational training under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, as amended-With 219,666 in training at the end of March in the first group and 2,325,930 in training in the latter group (of all students enrolled in colleges and universities between 40 and 50 percent are beneficiaries under these programs) the gross expenditure certified for the month of March 1949 on these two training programs totaled $307,740,269. Hospitalization and domiciliary care-With the largest hospital program in the world under a single agency, with 127,966 authorized beds, with 126 hospitals and 15 domiciliary units, and 110,821 VA patients receiving hospitalization in VA and non-VA hospitals in February 1949, and 15,983 veterans domiciled in VA homes during the same month; during January 1949 there were 529,235 out-patient medical examinations for treatment or rating purposes and 416,400 out-patient treatments (medical) afforded, the medical program under the VA Department of Medicine and Surgery has produced a definite leadership in the advance of medical care and treatment. Readjustment allowances-Through February 1949 paid $2,896,151,000 plus $552,983,000 for self-employed. Loan guaranty program (homes, farms, and business loans)-1,540,227 loans involving $3,965,073,000 in guaranty commitments. Size of organization: Number of employees, 190,898 average. Estimated annual expenditures for fiscal year 1949, $6,860,000,000. Position title: Deputy Administrator of Veterans' Affairs. Section of bill: 3 (a). Present salary: $10,330. Date salary established: July 11, 1948, by Public Law 900 of Eightieth Congress. Proposed salary: $18,000. Incumbent: Omer W. Clark. State: Ohio. Responsibilities: The Deputy Administrator of Veterans' Affairs, as the term implies, is the principal assistant of the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs. He takes independent action in the name of the Administrator with respect to all problems affecting the Veterans' Administration which do not require the Administrator's personal attention. During the absence of the Administrator he acts as Administrator in all matters affecting the Veterans' Administration within the limits of the authority delegated to him by the Administrator. The magnitude of these responsibilities is revealed by the following examples of major programs: Insurance-The amount of insurance in force is larger than that of any other organization; the insurance in force is more than one-fourth of all ordinary insurance in force in the United States; United States Government life insurance with 505,419 policies in force with a face value of $2,201,411,667 on February 28, 1949, and national service life insurance with 7,193,000 policies in force with a face value of $41,416,000,000 on March 31, 1949. Claims (compensation and pension)—with 2,898,130 living and deceased veterans' cases involved in current awards beginning with dependents of deceased veterans of the Mexican War, with a gross expenditure of $162,917,103 for the month of March 1949. Vocational rehabilitation for service-connected disabilities, and educational training under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, as amended-With 219,666 in training at the end of March in the first group and 2,325,930 in training in the latter group (of all students enrolled in colleges and universities between 40 and 50 percent are beneficiaries under these programs) the gross expenditure certified for the month of March 1949 on these two training programs totaled $307,740,269. Hospitalization and domiciliary care-With the largest hospital program in the world under a single agency, with 127,966 authorized beds, with 126 hospitals and 15 domiciliary units, and 110,821 VA patients receiving hospitalization in VA and non-VA hospitals in February 1949, and 15,983 veterans domiciled in VA homes during the same month; during January 1949 there were 529,235 out-patient medical examinations for treatment or rating purposes and 416,400 out-patients treatments (medical) afforded, the medical program under the VA Department of Medicine and Surgery has produced a definite leadership in the advance of medical care and treatment. Readjustment allowances-Through February 1949 paid $2,896,151,000 plus $552,983,000 for self-employed. Loan guaranty program (homes, farms, and business loans)-1,540,227 loans involving $3,965,073,000 in guaranty commitments. Size of organization: Number of employees, 190,898 average. Estimated annual expenditures for fiscal year 1949, $6,860,000,000. Position title: Administrator, War Assets Administration. Section of bill: 5 (a). Present salary: $12,000. Date salary established: September 18, 1945, by Public Law 181 of Seventy-ninth Congress.26 Proposed salary: $15,000. Incumbent: Jess Larson. State: Oklahoma. Responsibilities: 1. As provided by the Surplus Property Act of 1944, as amended, the War Assets Administrator has final responsibility in the general supervision, care, maintenance, and disposition of all domestic surplus property, both real and personal, declared prior to July 1, 1948. Under this program, property has been disposed of which originally cost the Government approximately $25,000,000,000. The total inventory yet remaining to be disposed of is $2,208,000,000. In carrying out his responsibilities, the Administrator is subject to all applicable provisions of the Surplus Property Act and the laws and regulations issued by Government agencies which have authority to control surplus inventory declared prior to July 1, 1948. In finally approving terms of disposal, the Administrator is called upon to pass judgment upon all forms of credit, financing, and analyzing of property values. Likewise, he is called upon to exercise final authority on what constitutes aid to independent enterprise and small business, impacts upon domestic markets, and the weighing of claims of various priority claimants. He also has supervisory control over the surplus-disposal activities of the inventory described herein which has been assigned to the Farm Credit Administration and the Federal Works Agency for disposal. Size of organization: Number of employees: 4,709 (WAA only). Estimated annual expenditures for fiscal year 1949: $80,000,000 (estimated Position title: Member, War Claims Commission. Section of bill: 5 (a). Date salary established: July 3, 1948, by Public Law 896 of Eighteith Congress. Proposed salary: $15,000. Incumbents: Three vacancies (members not yet appointed). Responsibilities: As a member of a three-man Commission the incumbent will share responsibility for the performance of the following major functions: 1. Inquire into and report to the President, who will in turn submit such report to Congress, with respect to war claims, except those that may be adjudicated under Public Law 896, supra, arising out of World War II. Such report shall include the categories and types of claims to be considered, the legal and equitable bases therefor, the administrative method by which they should be considered, any applicable priorities or limitations, appropriate recommendations or legislative proposals, and the extent to which such claims have been or may be satisfied under international agreements or domestic or foreign laws. The recommendations of the Commission contained in this report will have a definite bearing on the Government's policies for the liquidation of claims arising out of World War II, and these policies may have an important impact upon the national economy. 2. Receive, adjudicate, and certify for payment by the Treasury out of a trust fund created by Public Law 896 from the proceeds of alien enemy property three classes of claims as follows: (a) Claims of certain civilian American citizen internees for detention benefits. (b) Claims of certain prisoners of war for compensation for food deficiencies. (c) Claims of religious organizations or personnel for reimbursement for certain relief supplies and services furnished members of the United States armed forces or to certain civilian American citizens after December 6, 1941, and before August 15, 1945. The foregoing three classes of claims are estimated to number approximately 127,000 and to involve approximately $16,000,000. As the Commission has not as yet been established, procedures for implementation of the foregoing responsibilities have not been determined. 26 Reference should be made to Executive Order 9689, dated January 31, 1946, and Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1947. 1st Session No. 536 COOPERATIVE FORESTRY PROGRAMS MAY 9, 1949-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. COOLEY, from the Committee on Agriculture, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 2296] The Committee on Agriculture, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 2296) to amend and supplement the act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. 653), having considered the same, report favorably thereon with amendments and recommend that the bill as amended do pass. The amendments are as follows: A bill to amend and supplement the Act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. 653), and for other purposes. Page 3, section 3: Strike out everything after the colon in line 6, and substitute in lieu thereof the following: SEC. 5. The Secretary of Agriculture is hereby authorized and directed, in cooperation with the land grant colleges and universities of the various States or, in his discretion, with other suitable agencies, to aid farmers through advice, education, demonstrations, and other similar means in establishing, renewing, protecting, and managing wood lots, shelter belts, windbreaks, and other valuable forest growth, and in harvesting, utilizing, and marketing the products thereof. Except for preliminary investigations, the amount expended by the Federal Government under this section in cooperation with any State or other cooperating agency during any fiscal year shall not exceed the amount expended by the State or other cooperating agency for the same purpose during the same fiscal year, and the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to make expenditures on the certificate of the appropriate State official that the State expenditures, as provided for in this section, have been made. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated annually, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, not more than $500,000 to enable the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out the provisions of this section. Page 5, lines 7, 10, and 17: Strike out the words "guidance and assistance" where they appear in this section and substitute in lieu thereof in each case the word "services". H. Repts., 81-1, vol. 3—34 |