SUPPLEMENTAL DATA Statement furnished by Representative Leroy Johnson of Stockton, Calif., Information submitted October 6 and 10, 1947, pursuant to request, re utilization of space in San Francisco port of embarkation and at Oakland Extension of remarks by Colonel Breckinridge, submitted September 17, 47, 51, 52 Extension of remarks by Admiral Gaffney, furnished September 17, and Appraisal data on property in Islais Creek area, furnished subsequent to Tabulation of Government lease holdings in San Francisco, submitted by Public Buildings Administration on October 9, 1947. Extension of remarks of Francis V. Keesling, Jr., dated October 25, 1947, Report issued by the San Francisco Bay Area Council entitled "Bay Area Property Owned and Leased by the Federal Government" (maps included in this report are on file with the Surplus Property Subcom- A description of and a plan for the location and consolida- Letter from War Department special staff, dated August General Order No. 92, Establishment of Sixth Army Joint Utilization Board, dated July 11, 1947. Letter from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C., to Hon. Ross Rizley, dated August 15, 1947, containing statement of policy rela- List of facilities being currently utilized jointly, sub- mitted by Commandants, of the 11th 12th and 13th Letter from the Secretary of the Navy to commandants, naval districts, commanders, naval bases, command- ants, river commands, dated May 1, 1947, concerning Description of Navy storage facilities system.. Discussion covering the Marine Corps supply system Letter from the Navy Department to the general counsel, Surplus Property Subcommittee, in relation 14-A Letter from the Assistant Secretary of the Navy in connection with various pieces of property that have been released in the city of San Francisco, and a list of the properties that are intended to be permanently Series of questions to the Navy Department from the staff of joint committee herein involved, and the 17 Descriptive matter on Port Hueneme Construction Battalion Center, contained in a letter to Mr. Ander- son from Vice Adm. J. B. Oldendorf, U. S. Navy, (NOTE. Material supplementing this exhibit is on file with the Surplus Property Subcommittee.) 17-A Communication from the Commandant, Twelfth Naval District, to Chief of Naval Operations, con- cerning postwar plan for U. S. Naval Station, 17-B Memorandum, dated September 15, 1947, submitted by Rear Adm. J. C. Boone, U. S. Navy_ Status report of nonindustrial real property. Report of the industrial facilities in the inventory of War Assets Administration in this area Compilation made by the staff of the Surplus Property Subcommittee, listing the real property holdings in the San Francisco Bay area, including holdings of the Army, Navy, War Assets Administration, Federal Works Agencies, the Maritime Commission, the Statement of real estate owned and/or leased by the United States Maritime Commission on Pacific coast SURPLUS REAL PROPERTY AND CONSOLIDATION OF SUPPLY FACILITIES OF THE ARMED SERVICES, SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1947 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SURPLUS PROPERTY SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON EXPENDITURES IN THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND SUBCOMMITTEE ON PROCUREMENT AND SUPPLY OF THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES, San Francisco, Calif. The subcommittees met at 10 a. m. in room 207, United States Post Office and Courthouse Building, Seventh and Mission Streets, San Francisco, Calif., Hon. Jack Z. Anderson, presiding. Present from Surplus Property Subcommittee: Representatives Ross Rizley (chairman) and Chet Holifield; Edmond J. Donohue, Jr., general counsel; Paul F. Morrison, chief investigator. Present from Subcommittee on Procurement and Supply: Representative Jack Z. Anderson (chairman); Bryce N. Harlow, professional staff member. Present from Committee on Armed Services: Representative Franck R. Havenner. Mr. ANDERSON. The committee will be in order. The chairman desires to make a brief opening statement as to the purpose of the hearing to be conducted here this week. In response to numerous demands from interested citizens in this part of the country the chairman of the Armed Services Committee has authorized the Subcommittee on Procurement and Supply, of which I am the chairman, to conduct hearings in the San Francisco Bay area in connection with surplus Government property, and has asked Congressman Rizley, of the House Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments, to sit in as cochairman with me. We intend to ascertain, to the best of our ability, to what extent Federal property now held by Federal agencies might be returned to the local tax rolls, and where consolidations of armed services supply functions, warehousing, maintenance, and equipment might be effected. As you all know, there has been a top-level consolidation of the services under the so-called Merger Act of 1947, and it is the purpose of our committees to ascertain whether or not consolidations can be effected at the lower levels. Witnesses will be called. They will not have to be sworn. We will see how the hearing progresses as we go along. I want to clear up one misunderstanding. There seems to be in the minds of some of the citizens in the various communities around 1 the bay area an idea to the effect that the purpose of our committees is to select the location of a general supply depot. That is not our purpose. That is purely an administrative function which must be handled by the armed services. We do not consider ourselves in any sense of the word military experts and when it comes to the establishment or location of supply depots, or other military depots, we consider that not to be our function. Congressman Rizley, as cochairman of this hearing, do you have any further statement you wish to make before the first witness is called? Mr. RIZLEY. Congressman Anderson, I think you have about covered the situation so far as my subcommittee is concerned. Under the Reorganization Act we the Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments, were given the function of investigating the various branches of the executive department of the Government. A subcommittee was set up for the purpose of continuing an investigation that had been made by a special committee theretofore of the disposition of surplus war assets. I am the chairman of that subcommittee. A preliminary survey made by our staff disclosed that throughout the United States there is something like twenty-two billions of dollars in real property that has either been declared surplus or is still being held by the Army, Navy, or some other branch of the Federal Government. That is an enormous amount of real estate. We were directed to make such investigations as were necessary for the purpose of determining, first, whether the Army and Navy are unnecessarily hoarding surplus real estate; not only the Army and Navy, but other branches of the Government as well. When we realize that about 25 percent of the real estate in the country is now owned by the Federal Government, and that an enormous amount of acquisitions was made during the war, it is evident that a serious problem confronts the municipalities and other divisions of local government. We are glad to be here to participate with your subcommittee in making this investigation, and during the course of this investigation we will perhaps look into the surplus real estate that is being held by WAA in this particular vicinity. Mr. ANDERSON. Thank you very much, Congressman Rizley. Following the completion of our hearings each of our subcommittees will make a joint report with recommendations to our full committees, and based thereon the full committees will, in turn, make such recommendations as they deem necessary to the various interested agencies of the Government. Now, Mr. Donohue, will you call the first witness, please? TESTIMONY OF FRANCIS V. KEESLING, JR., ATTORNEY AT LAW, Mr. DONOHUE. Give your full name and your position to the reporter, please. Mr. KEESLING. Francis V. Keesling, Jr., attorney at law. I represent a majority of the property owners, former property owners of the Islais Creek Marine Corps Depot property. |