Old-age security laws in United States, May 2, 1935-Continued Law becomes State-wide and mandatory July 1, 1935. Only approximate estimates can be given in regard to the expense of the proposed system of old-age assistance in the District of Columbia. A survey of the situation, taking into account the existing relief load of persons 65 years of age and older who would be eligible under the law; the inmates of the home for the aged at Blue Plains who would be able to take advantage of it, and other old persons in need not now on relief, indicates that the total number would not exceed 2,000. Of this number, probably not more than 1,200 or 1,500 would qualify during the first year. It is estimated that the cost per pensioner per month will not exceed $20. At this rate 2,000 pensioners would cost $480,000. It must be remembered that the Federal Government will match dollar for dollar up to a total of $15 on every pension; also that the present expense of maintaining old persons at Blue Plains would be somewhat reduced, and that many persons now on relief would simply be transferred from relief rolls to pension lists without involving much additional expense. With all factors taken into consideration and with the Federal Government carrying 5 percent of administration expenses, as provided in H. R. 7260, the economic security bill, and appropriation of $250,000 would undoubtedly be sufficient to carry on this system of aid for the first year. Old-age pensions have been definitely established as the cheapest form of relief and this relief is not charity or a dole-it is a dividend which the State pays to those who in their working years helped to make its wealth, for, in the words of Lloyd George: A workman who has contributed health and strength, vigor and skill, to the creation of the wealth by which taxation is borne, has made his contribution already to the fund which is to give him a pension when he is no longer fit to create that wealth. The principle of old-age assistance has the approval of the administration, as is evidence by the provision for Federal contribution to State funds for this purpose embodied in the economic security bill. It also has the endorsement of the following local organizations: The American Association of Social Workers, Washington Branch. The Monday Evening Club. The League of Women Voters, District of Columbia. The Council of Jewish Women. The North East Citizens' Association. The United Hebrew Relief. The Visiting Nurses Association. The Association of Graduate Nurses of the District of Columbia. The Fraternal Order of Eagles. The Catholic Charities. The Federal Bar Association. The Board of the Jewish Community Center. The Social Service Committee of the District of Columbia Federation of Churches. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The Association of Oldest Inhabitants. The Society of Natives. The District of Columbia Federation of Teachers. The Progressive Citizens Association. The Petworth Citizens Association. The South West Citizens Association. The North Cleveland Park Citizens Association. The Columbia Heights Citizens Association. The Conduit Road Citizens Association. The Mid City Citizens Association. The Burleith Citizens Association. The Sixteenth Street Heights Citizens Association. The Logan-Thomas Circle Citizens Association. Columbia Lodge No. 174, International Association of Machinists. The Twentieth Century Club. The American Federation of Labor. The Commissioners of the District of Columbia submitted a report recommending favorable action. A copy of that report is hereto appended. COMMISSIONERS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, In re H. R. 6623, a bill to amend the Code of Laws for the District of Columbia Chairman Committee on the District of Columbia, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR MADAM: The aim of this legislation is directed to the correction of a situation which well deserves careful attention. There is at the present time no question of the value or need of a well-drafted and carefully administered oldage pension law. We understand that the text of H. R. 6623 has been carefully examined by the Acting Director of the President's Economic Security Committee and has his approval. The bill appeals to the Commissioners as both practical and sufficently flexible to admit of effective administration. The Commissioners desire to suggest one amendment. We have, as you know, a home for the aged and infirm, located at Bluefields. We understand that nothing in this bill is intended to interfere in any way with the use or management of that institution. Moreover, it seems to me that there are many cases in which the best interests of the indigent aged require that they be given institutional care. To make certain what we believe to be the intent of the bill, we urge that an amendment be inserted providing that the Commissioners or their designated agency may in their best judgment, when the interests of the person so require, exercise the option of either admitting the person to the home or awarding the pension. With this amendment I have the honor to report that the Commissioners give the bill hearty accord. Very respectfully, M. C. HAZEN, President, Board of Commissioners, District of Columbia. DISBURSING OFFICERS OF THE ARMY IN CERTAIN CASES MAY 14, 1935.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House and ordered to be printed Mr. COSTELLO, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 5225] The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 5225) to provide relief for disbursing officers of the Army in certain cases, reported back to the House and recommended that the bill do pass. This bill authorizes the General Accounting Office to relieve disbursing officers of the Army from responsibility for any losses or deficiency which occur without fault or negligence on the part of the officer provided that the Secretary of War shall determine that the officer incurred the loss or deficiency in line of duty and without fault or negligence on his part. In addition, all cases of relief which are granted under the authority of the bill must be reported to Congress by the Secretary of War. The same authority is now exercised by the Secretary of the Navy. A letter of the War Department, requesting this legislation, is submitted herewith. The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. JANUARY 30, 1935. DEAR MR. SPEAKER: There is enclosed the draft of a bill to provide relief for disbursing officers of the Army in certain cases, which the War Department presents for the consideration of the Congress, with a view to its enactment into law. The object of the proposed measure is to grant to the Secretary of War the same authority enjoyed by the Secretary of the Navy in similar cases under an act approved July 11, 1919 (41 Stat. 132), which reads as follows: The_accounting officers of the Treasury shall relieve any disbursing officer of the Navy charged with responsibility on account of loss or deficiency while in the line of his duty, of Government funds, vouchers, records, or papers, in his charge, where such loss or deficiency occurred without fault or negligence on the part of said officer: Provided, That the Secretary of the Navy shall have determined that the officer was in the line of his duty, and the loss or deficiency occurred without fault or negligence on his part: Provided further, That the determination by the Secretary of the Navy of the aforesaid questions shall be conclusive upon the accounting officers of the Treasury: Provided further, That all cases of relief granted under this authority during any fiscal year shall be reported in detail to the Congress by the Secretary of the Navy." The enclosed proposed bill would grant the same relief to disbursing officers of the Army. Under existing law, in the case of a physical loss of public funds a disbursing officer may obtain relief only at the hands of the Congress or the Court of Claims, and in the case of deficiency in his accounts due to other reasons such officer may be relieved only through an act of Congress. To obtain relief through the Court of Claims places the burden of the cost of the suit upon the disbursing officer, whether or not he is relieved by the court. To obtain relief through an act of Congress requires considerable time both of Members of Congress and of the War Department. Bills for such relief must await a session of Congress, and even then, due to the number and importance of other matters to be considered by the Congress, action on the relief bills is frequently delayed. The last sentence of the proposed bill places a safeguard on the exercise of the authority conferred in requiring a detailed report to Congress of all cases of relief granted under the statute. The proposed bill, if enacted into law, would create no appreciable charge upon the Public Treasury. The War Department has been authorized to submit the above proposal to Congress as a departmental measure. A similar letter has been addressed to the Chairman Committee on Military Affairs, United States Senate. Sincerely yours, GEO. H. DERN, Secretary of War. O DIRECTING THE CONVEYANCE OF CERTAIN LANDS TO THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO MAY 14, 1935.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. DEMPSEY, from the Committee on Public Lands, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 6871] The Committee on Public Lands, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 6871) directing the conveyance of certain lands to the regents of the University of New Mexico, after careful consideration of same, report favorably thereon with the recommendation that the bill do pass the House with an amendment as follows: Line 4, strike out the words "quitclaim deed" and substitute the word "patent". Facts concerning the proposed legislation are set forth in the favorable report of the Secretary of the Interior under date of April 23, 1935, and the report is herein below set out in full and made a part hereof: Hon. RENÉ L. DEROUEN, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Chairman Committee on the Public Lands, House of Representatives. MY DEAR MR. DEROUEN: I have received your letter of March 26, requesting report on H. R. 6871, which proposes to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey by quitclaim deed, to the regents of the University of New Mexico, for archeological purposes, that part of the unappropriated lands belonging to the United States located in fractional sec. 30, T. 13 N., R. 4 E., New Mexico Principal Meridian. The bill makes provision for reversion of title to the United States in the event of failure on the part of the university to use the lands for the purposes mentioned, or in case of an attempt to alienate such lands. The plats of survey show that a large portion of said sec. 30 in T. 13 N., R. 4 E., is embraced within private land claims and, as shown by the records, some of the lands within said section, surveyed as public lands of the United States, have been disposed of under the homestead law. It appears that the remaining public lands in said sec. 30 are the NW and lots 7, 8, and 9, embracing a total of 218.13 acres, which lands are found to have been withdrawn from disposition under the public-land laws and included in a stock |