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EQUIPMENT ALLOWANCE TO THIRD-CLASS POSTMASTERS

MAY 3, 1935.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. ROMJUE, from the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 5596]

The Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, having had under consideration the bill (H. R. 5596) granting equipment allowance to third-class postmasters, report the same back to the House with the recommendation that the bill do pass.

This measure is intended to correct the injustice and unbusinesslike practice of requiring approximately 8,000 postmasters of the third class to provide fixtures and equipment for use in these post offices at their own expense, without any consideration, while the Government benefits from the revenues derived from the rentals on the lockboxes, which are a part of the postmasters' personal property.

It is believed by your committee that the Government should own all necessary equipment used in these post offices. Until this can be done, however, the pending bill would provide relief to the postmasters. The bill specifically states that such relief shall be stopped when post-office fixtures and equipment are furnished by the Post Office Department.

The Post Office Department's report on the bill reads as follows: POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, March 6, 1935.

Hon. JAMES M. MEAD,

Chairman Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads,
House of Representatives.

MY DEAR MR. MEAD: The receipt is acknowledged of your letter of the 18th ultimo, requesting a report on H. R. 5596, a bill granting equipment allowance to third-class postmasters.

This Department does not feel warranted in recommending favorable action upon this bill in view of the additional cost which would be approximately $943,000 per annum.

Very truly yours,

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THREATENING COMMUNICATIONS IN THE MAILS

MAY 4, 1935.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed

Mr. ASHBROOK, from the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 6717]

The Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, having had under consideration the bill (H. R. 6717) to amend section 1 of the act of July 8, 1932, reports the same back to the House with the following amendments:

Page 1, line 4: After "U. S. C." insert "Sup. VII".

Page 2, lines 2 and 3: Strike out the words "or at the place at which it is directed to be delivered by the person to whom it is addressed".

Page 2, line 19: Strike out the comma at the end of the line and insert a period in lieu thereof.

Page 2, lines 20, 21, and 22: Strike out the words "or in the judicial district in which it was caused to be delivered by the United States mail to the person to whom it was addressed."

So amended, the committee recommends that the bill do pass. The purpose of the bill is to make the offense of mailing extortion letters subject to trial at the place of delivery as well as at the place of mailing.

The bill meets with the approval of the Post Office Department. The Postmaster General's report reads as follows:

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., April 19, 1935.

Hon. JAMES M. MEAD,

Chairman Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads,

House of Representatives.

MY DEAR MR. MEAD: The receipt is acknowledged of your letter of the 8th instant, requesting a report on H. R. 6717, a bill to amend section of the act of July 8, 1932.

The amendment to the existing law proposed in H. R. 6717 would permit prosecution of the senders of extortion letters in the jurisdiction where such mail is delivered. While no cases have arisen in which the change in the law would

have been beneficial, it is conceivable that cases might arise in which the provision permitting prosecution in the jurisdiction where the mail is delivered would be of considerable value.

Very truly yours,

W. W. HOWES, Acting Postmaster General.

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 2a of rule XIII of the House, the changes proposed by the bill (H. R. 6717) in existing law (sec. 1 of the act of July 8, 1932; U. S. C., Supp. VII, title 18, sec. 338a) are shown as follows (the matter proposed to be stricken out by the bill is shown in black brackets and the new matter proposed to be inserted by the bill is shown by italics; the existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman):

Whoever, with intent to extort from any person any money or other thing of value, shall knowingly deposit or cause to be deposited in any post office or station thereof, or in any authorized depository for mail matter, to be sent or delivered by the post-office establishment of the United States, or shall knowingly cause to be delivered by the post-office establishment of the United States according to the direction thereon or at the place at which it is directed to be delivered by the person to whom it is addressed, any written or printed letter or other communication with or without a name or designating mark subscribed thereto, addressed to any other person, and containing any threat (1) to injure the person, property, or reputation of the addressee or of another or the reputation of a deceased person, or (2) to kidnap any person, or (3) to accuse the addressee or any other person of a crime, or containing any demand or request for ransom or reward for the release of any kidnaped person, shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both: Provided, That any person violating this section may be prosecuted in the judicial district in which such letter or other communication is deposited in such post office, station, or authorized depository for mail matter, or in the judicial district into which such letter or other communication was carried by the United States mail for delivery according to the direction thereon, or in the judicial district in which it was caused to be delivered by the United States mail to the person to whom it was addressed.

The changes proposed by the bill as amended by the committee are shown below in the same manner:

Whoever, with intent to extort from any person any money or other thing of value, shall knowingly deposit or cause to be deposited in any post office or station thereof, or in any authorized depository for mail matter, to be sent or delivered by the post-office establishment of the United States, or shall knowingly cause to be delivered by the post-office establishment of the United States according to the direction thereon, any written or printed letter or other communication with or without a name or designating mark subscribed thereto, addressed to any other person, and containing any threat (1) to injure the person, property, or reputation of the addressee or of another or the reputation of a deceased person, or (2) to kidnap any person, or (3) to accuse the addressee or any other person of a crime, or containing any demand or request for ransom or reward for the release of any kidnapped person, shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both: Provided, That any person violating this section may be prosecuted in the judicial district in which such letter or other communication is deposited in such post office, station, or authorized depository for mail matter, or in the judicial district into which such letter or other communication was carried by the United States mail for delivery according to the direction thereon.

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AMEND JOINT RESOLUTION FOR RELIEF OF PUERTO

RICO

MAY 4, 1935.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. KOCIALKOWSKI, from the Committee on Insular Affairs, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. J. Res. 129]

The Committee on Insular Affairs, to whom was referred the joint resolution (H. J. Res. 129) to permit an adjudication with respect to liens of the United States arising by virtue of loans under the "Joint resolution for the relief of Puerto Rico", approved December 21, 1928, and for other purposes, having considered the same, report thereon with amendments, and, as so amended, recommend that the bill do pass.

The committee amendments are as follows:

On page 2, line 3, strike out beginning with the word "Baltimore" down through the word "and" in line 5 and insert in lieu thereof "Baltimore or".

On page 2, line 6, strike out beginning with the word "acting" down through the comma in line 7.

On page 4, line 12, strike out beginning with the word "Baltimore" through the word "and" in line 13 and insert in lieu thereof "Baltimore or".

On page 4, line 17, strike out beginning with the word "bank" down through the word "and" and insert in lieu thereof "Federal Land Bank of Baltimore or".

On page 4, line 21, strike out beginning with the word "in" down through the word "Corporation" in line 23 and insert in lieu thereof "or the said corporation".

On page 5, line 7, strike out beginning with the word "Baltimore" down through the word "and" in line 8 and insert in lieu thereof "Baltimore or".

On page 5, line 9, strike out "acquire or deem" and insert in lieu thereof "acquires or deems".

H. Repts., 74-1, vol. 2- -39

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