work has accumulated because of the economic depression preceding World War II and because of the scarcity of material and labor during and immediately following World War II. Therefore, many reclamation project facilities have deteriorated rapidly in recent years. Also, engineering techniques have improved in recent years and extensive rehabilitation work is needed. The expense of major rehabilitation and betterment work is often beyond the immediate repayment ability of the water users. This bill will permit the Secretary of the Interior to extend the time within which repayment can be made. Clarifying amendments recommended by the Department of the Interior have been adopted by the committee. Pertinent comments from the Department's favorable report are as follows: Subject to the minor amendments hereinafter suggested being made, we recommend the enactment of legislation along the lines of H. R. 1694. Primarily because of labor and material shortages immediately prior to and during World War II, many items of irrigation project maintenance were of necessity deferred. Immediately after the war, a portion of the funds appropriated to the Bureau of Reclamation for general investigations was used for a survey of all existing Bureau projects in order to determine, with estimates of costs, the work necessary to place each project in first-class operating condition. The high level of present-day farm commodity prices and the favorable financial condition of some water users' organizations have enabled some organizations to finance a portion of the necessary rehabilitation and betterment work through increased assessments for operation and maintenance. There are many cases, however, where this has not been possible-where the work contemplated includes major repairs which, if included in the annual operation and maintenance assessments, would result in charges beyond the repayment ability of the water users. The enactment of legislation along the lines of the enclosed draft is not required to authorize the rehabilitation and betterment work in question, since that work is already authorized by law. It is required only to permit, in those cases where current financing of the necessary rehabilitation work is beyond the means of the irrigation water users, the deferral of payment therefor to the extent necessary. In other words, it would permit the repayment of those rehabilitation and betterment costs to be scheduled in accordance with the repayment ability of the water users. The following amendments are suggested for the consideration of the committee: (1) In line 1 on page 2 of the bill strike the word "may"; substitute "shall, to the fullest practicable extent,". (2) In line 1 on page 2 of the bill delete: "in whole or in part". (3) In line 11 on page 2 after the period following the citation of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939, insert the following: "Such rehabilitation and betterment work may be performed by contract, by force-account, or, notwithstanding any other law and subject only to such reasonable terms and conditions as the Secretary of the Interior shall deem appropriate for the protection of the United States, by contract entered into with the organization concerned whereby such organization shall perform such work." The amendments suggested above were worked out in conference with the legislative committee of the National Reclamation Association with which this proposed legislation was discussed. The first two amendments are designed to implement a policy of collecting these rehabilitation and betterment costs as soon as practicable. The last amendment is designed to authorize suitable arrangements between the Government and the irrigation district and other water users' organizations where those districts or organizations have staff and machinery or other practical means of accomplishing the required work and where it would seem to be more economic to have them do the work or arrange for its performance. The Committee on Public Lands unanimously recommend the enactment of this legislation. HOUSING ACT OF 1949 REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE ON BANKING AND CURRENCY TO ACCOMPANY H. R. 4009 A BILL TO ESTABLISH A NATIONAL HOUSING MAY 16, 1949.-Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1949 CONTENTS IV. Declaration of national housing policy. V. Slum clearance and community development and redevelopment--- X. Maximum rates of financial commitments under the bill. XI. Section-by-section analysis of the bill as amended. Page |