Reports on Committee Meetings

CROP INSURANCE

Committee on Agriculture: The committee met to study crop insurance (no bill) and Gus Geissler, Manager, Crop Insurance Corporation, continued yesterday's outline for a program and submitted recommendations for future operation.

MILITARY

Committee on Armed Services: The committee ordered H. R. 1605 (to amend the act appointing additional commissioned officers in the Regular Army) reported to the full committee. H. R. 2234 (providing leave of absence for employees of the United States and the District of Columbia who are members of the Enlisted Reserve Corps) was held over for further consideration. HOUSING

Committee on Banking and Currency: The committee met and heard Raymond M. Foley, Administrator, National Housing Administration, on H. R. 2549 (housing and rent control). Hearings continue on Monday. SURPLUS GAS-TANK CARS

Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments: The committee met on the proposed disposal of liquefied petroleum gas tank cars which were declared surplus by the U. S. Army in May of 1946. Testimony was heard from James B. Harvey, Acting Deputy Director, General Industrial Equipment Division, WAA; Erwin Lerten, attorney in the office of the General Counsel, WAA, assigned to the General Industrial Equipment Division; R. C. Jopling, vice president, Phillips Petroleum Co., Bartlesville, Okla.

GREEK-TURKISH LOAN

Committee on Foreign Affairs: The committee met on H. R. 2616 (to provide for assistance to Greece and Turkey) and heard the testimony of Hon. Dean Acheson, Acting Secretary of State, in support of same. ENEMY DAMAGES

Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce: The committee met on H. R. 873 and H. R. 1823

(holding enemy property to satisfy claims of United States citizens for damage resulting from enemy acts) and heard the testimony of 21 witnesses.

MONOPOLIES

Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee No. 2 continued hearings on H. R. 515, to amend sections 7 and 11 of the Clayton Act to prohibit a corporation from acquiring physical properties of a competing corporation in restraint of trade. Testimony was heard from Howard W. Ambruster, Westfield, N. J.; Edward Wimmer, public relations director, Community Progress Foundation, Cincinnati, Ohio; Willis Ballinger, vice president, National Federation of Small Businesses, Inc., Washington, D. C.

CIVIL SERVICE STRUCTURE

Committee on Post Office and Civil Service: A subcommittee met to investigate Civil Service structure and heard Commissioner Arthur S. Fleming, Civil Service; James B. Burns, American Federation of Government Employees; Donald Murray, United Public Workers of America.

AMENDING RECLAMATION PROJECT ACT

Committee on Public Lands: Subcommittee on Irrigation and Reclamation met on H. R. 1886, H. R. 1977 and H. R. 2583 (amending the Reclamation Project Act of 1939), and heard F. O. Hagie, National Reclamation Association, who testified on H. R. 1886.

SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITY

Committee on Un-American Activities: The committee met on the Gerhart Eisler-Leon Josephson case and heard the testimony of Fred Beale, Liston Oak, and *Alwin Cole, handwriting expert, Treasury Department. SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCES

Committee on Veterans' Affairs: The Subcommittee on Education, Training, and Rehabilitation met in open hearing on H. R. 161, H. R. 870, and H. R. 1617 (subsistence allowances). Dr. Kenneth Little, registrar, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis., testified on cost of living and number of veterans who dropped courses for economic reasons. Miss Jean Rieder, student at Mexico City College, Mexico City, testified favoring H. R. 870.

TAX REDUCTION

Committee on Ways and Means: The committee met and reported out H. R. 1 with two amendments: (1) To provide a 30 percent reduction in tax liability on all surtax net income for $1,000 or less and proportionate reduction in tax on surtax net incomes between $1,000 and $1,395.83; (2) technical amendment whereby taxpayer who has certain pension, annuity, or retirement pay now excluded from taxable income may elect to take either his present exclusion or the additional exemption provided in cases of persons 65 years old or over.

HIGHLIGHTS

Monday, March 24, 1947

Chamber Action

Routine Proceedings, pages 2424-2430.

BILLS INTRODUCED

BILLS REPORTED

Bills were reported, as follows: H. R. 1713, to provide for the promotion of substitute employees in the postal service (S. Rept. No. 64); H. J. Res. 154, to assist in the eradication of the hoof-and-mouth disease (S. Rept. No. 65); H. R. 2413, to amend the Federal Reserve Act relative to purchase of Government securities (S. Rept. No. 70); H. R. 1240, to provide for the suspension of navigation and vessel-inspection laws as applied to ships operated by War Department (S. Rept. No. 71); H. J.

The following executive communications were received: Report from the American Red Cross on foreign war relief operations (Committee on Foreign Relations); letter from the Acting Secretary of State, transmitting a draft of proposed legislation relating to the promotion of the interchange of persons, knowledge, and skills between the United States and other countries and public dissemination abroad of information about the United States (Committee on Foreign Relations); letter from the Civil Service Commission, transmitting a draft of proposed legislation to amend the act relating to the payment of Government employees for accumulated or accrued annual leave (Committee on the Civil Service); letter from the President transmitting a supplemental estimate of appropriation for the Federal Security Agency, fiscal year 1948 (Committee on Appropriations).

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

Pages 2424-2425

The Senate passed seven bills on the regular call of the Calendar, as follows: S. 565, to amend section 3539 of the Revised Statutes relating to taking trial pieces of coins, without amendment; S. 547, to provide annual and sick leave for rural letter carriers, with amendments; S. 918, to establish an Office of Selective Service Records, without amendment; S. 214, to change the name of 'Lugert-Altus irrigation project in the State of Oklahoma to the W. C. Austin project, without amendment; S. J. Res. 86, to authorize Herschel V. Johnson to be reappointed to the Foreign Service, without amendment; S. 874, to appoint Lt. Comdr. Paul A. Smith to the Interim Council of the Provisional International Civil Aviation Organization, without amendment; S. 875, to appoint Maj. Gen. Laurence S. Kuter, as representative

of the United States to the Interim Council of the Provisional International Civil Aviation Organization, without amendment. Senator McCarran entered a motion to reconsider the passage of S. 565, which has the effect of holding this legislation in suspension until the motion is disposed of. Pages 2430-2439

LILIENTHAL NOMINATION

The Senate began debate on the nomination of David E. Lilienthal to be a member of the Atomic Energy Commission.

Pages 2449-2459

Reports on Committee Meetings

FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE

Committee on Appropriations: The committee reported without amendment, H. J. Res. 154, to control and eradicate foot-and-mouth disease and rinderpest, after hearing Government officials from the Bureau of Animal Industry; Armistead W. Gilliam, American Meat Institute of Chicago; F. E. Mollin, American National Livestock Association; and Judge Joseph Montague, Texas-Southwestern Livestock Association. All of the witnesses were in agreement that immediate action was necessary to conduct a joint program with the Mexican Government to eradicate widespread disease among livestock in Mexico and to adopt preventive measures to eliminate the threat of its spread in the United States.

The committee begins open hearings on March 27, on H. R. 2436, Treasury-Post Office appropriation bill. ARMY-NAVY NURSES ACT OF 1947

Committee on Armed Services: Maj. Gen. Norman T. Kirk, Surgeon General of the Army, Col. Florence A. Blanchfield, Superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps, and Rear Admiral Clifford A. Swanson, Surgeon General of the Navy, testified before the committee in support of H. R. 1943, to establish a permanent Nurse Corps of the Army and Navy and a Womens' Medical Specialist Corps in the Army. The committee will continue tomorrow on the National Defense Establishment (S. 758).

FEDERAL RESERVE-GOVERNMENT OBLIGATION Committee on Banking and Currency: In executive session, the committee considered and unanimously voted to report H. R. 2413, to amend the Federal Reserve Act relative to the purchase of Government securities by the 12 Federal Reserve banks, after hearing Marriner S. Eccles, Chairman of the Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System. For report number see Bills Reported under Senate Chamber.

RENT CONTROL

Committee on Banking and Currency: The committee in afternoon session agreed that Frank R. Creedon, Expeditor of the National Housing Agency, should administer rent control.

GOVERNMENT CAFETERIAS

Committee on Civil Service: The subcommittee continued its investigation in pursuance of S. Res. 42, to investigate cafeterias on Government reservations, with Mr. H. W. Longfellow, Executive Assistant for Legislation, Veterans' Administration; Mr. R. C. McCarthy, National Park Service Auditor (headquarters in Chicago); and Mr. N. N. Romm, proprietor, East Potomac Bicycle concessionaire, testifying. Mr. Longfellow recited the long-standing need for cafeteria facilities in the main building for the veterans, but admitted the situation has eased in recent months, although the Administrator has insisted there be a cafeteria for the Veterans' Administration employees. He stated that, inasmuch as the Veterans' Administration is a "tenant" of Public Buildings Administration, the PBA would carry considerable weight in selecting an operator of the cafeteria. He also felt that the wishes of the Veterans' Administration would be considered.

PUBLIC HEALTH

Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments: The committee continued hearings on S. 140 and S. 712, to create a Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, with the following witnesses testifying: Dr. James R. Miller, Member, board of trustees, American Medical Association; Dr. Roscoe Sensenich, Chairman, board of trustees, American Medical Association; Dr. Reginald F. Atwater, executive secretary, American Public Health Association; and Dr. V. A. Getting, Association of State and Territorial Health Officers.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Committee on Finance: Dr. Clair Wilcox, Director of the Office of International Trade Policy, State Department, continued his testimony on the relationship of the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act to the proposed International Trade Organization Charter, explaining each article. Hearings continue tomorrow.

GREEK-TURKISH LOAN

Committee on Foreign Relations: The committee held open hearings on the administration's proposal to extend assistance to Greece and Turkey (S. 938), with Under Secretary of State Acheson, Secretary of War Patterson, and Secretary of the Navy Forrestal testifying. Hearings continue tomorrow.

MERCHANT MARINE-INSPECTION LAWS Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce: The two following bills were reported unanimously by the

committee, without amendment: H. R. 1240, to suspend from March 31, 1947 (termination date of title V of the Second War Powers Act) to December 31, 1947, the navigation and vessel-inspection laws, as applied to vessels operated by the War Department; and H. J. Res. 76, to provide for waiver of compliance with navigation and vessel-inspection laws administered by the Coast Guard from April 1, 1947, to January 1, 1948 (see Bills Reported for report numbers).

SECOND WAR POWERS ACT

Committee on the Judiciary: The committee ordered favorably reported S. 931 to extend provisions of Second War Powers Act. The bill was substantially amended and provides that the present controls under title III be extended until June 30, 1947. The nomination of Borinquen Marrero Rios to be Associate Justice of the Puerto Rican Supreme Court was approved. Four private claims bills (S. 241, S. 243, S. 254, and S. 425) were favorably reported.

LABOR BILLS

Committee on Labor and Public Welfare: An executive session was held to consider various pending labor bills, with the committee continuing its study of the comparative print of 32 pending bills and their effect upon the provisions of the Wagner Act. Executive sessions are expected to be held throughout the remainder of the week.

PUBLIC LANDS

Committee on Public Lands: The committee met to discuss future policy.

SINGLE APPROPRIATION BILL

Committee on Rules and Administration: Subcommittee on Rules held open hearings on S. Con. Res. 6, resolution by Senators Byrd and Butler, to consolidate appropriation bills, with both Senators speaking in regard to their bill. Also present at this meeting were F. L. Lawton, Acting Assistant Director, Bureau of the Budget; F. H. Weitzel, Assistant to Comptroller General, General Accounting Office; E. F. Bartelt, Fiscal Assistant Secretary, Treasury Department; and Harold Gearhart, Assistant Chief Accountant, Treasury Depart

ment.

Committee meets again Wednesday.

AIRPLANE CONTRACT

Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program: On Saturday, Merrill C. Meigs, of the Hearst Corp., Chicago, and formerly of the War Production Board, testified in executive session in connection with the Kaiser-Hughes flying boat,

Chamber Action

BILLS INTRODUCED

Committee on Armed Services: The following bills were ordered favorably reported by the full committee: H. R. 1362 (service to be counted as requirement for promotion to commissioned warrant officers in Navy. H. R. 1375 (amend clothing allowance law for Marine Corps). H. R. 2247 (permit Maj. Gen. L. S. Kuter to serve on Provisional International Civil Aviation Organization. H. R. 1621 (to assist Boy Scouts in connection with World Jamboree). H. R. 1638 (to include certain persons at Guam in the Missing Persons Act. H. R. 1807 (granting an easement to County of Pittsburg, Okla). H. R. 2248 (granting an easement to Louisiana Power & Light Co.). H. R. 2339 (amending the Army Mail Clerks Act). H. R. 1371 (appointment of supply duty only officers in Marine Corps). H. R. 1605 (clarifying act authorizing appointment of additional officers in Army).

HOUSING AND RENT CONTROL

Committee on Banking and Currency: The committee met on H. R. 2549 (housing and rent control) and heard the testimony of four witnesses.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Committee on the District of Columbia: Subcommittee on the Judiciary met on H. R. 1448 (building license regulations), H. R. 492 (waiving jurisdiction of Juvenile Court), H. R. 493 (control dangerous weapons), H. R. 495 (false pretenses, amend Criminal Code), H. R. 497 (transfer probation system to U. S. Courts). Judge Fay Bentley testified favoring H. R. 492. Mr. George M. Fay, U. S. Attorney, testified favorably on H. R. 493.

SURPLUS GAS-TANK CARS

Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments: The Surplus Property Subcommittee continued its hearing on the proposed disposal of liquefied petroleum gas tank cars, and received the testimony of eleven witnesses.

Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments has postponed indefinitely its executive meeting which was scheduled for March 25, at 10 a. m.

GREEK-TURKISH LOAN

Committee on Foreign Affairs: H. R. 2616 (assistance to Greece and Turkey).The committee heard Hon. Will Clayton, Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, who spoke in behalf of the bill.

AVIATION COUNCIL

Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce: The committee met and heard explanation of various bills by Members introducing them; then held open hearing on H. R. 2220 (aviation council) and heard three wit

nesses.

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee No. 3 continued public hearings on H. R. 1468 and H. R. 1470 (review of orders of certain Government agencies) and heard the testimony of six witnesses.

CUSTOMS-ESPIONAGE-COURTS Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee No. 4 met in executive session and agreed to report favorably to the full committee H. R. 1465 (relating to Collector of Customs), H. R. 1467 (amending the Espionage Act), H. R. 2271 (relating to 3-judge district courts), and H. R. 2272 (amending the Criminal Code).

POSTAL RATES

Committee on Post Office and Civil Service: The committee met on H. R. 2408 (providing for permanent postal rates) and heard the testimony of five witnesses.