6. IS THERE A PUBLIC DEMAND FOR ACTION?

Since July 1936 the press has widely discussed venereal-disease control. During that period the American Institute of Public Opinion has taken six polls to analyze public opinion on the various issues of the campaign. It has found a support consistently around 10 to 1 for all phases of the program. In addition to members of the Conference of State and Provincial Health Officers and the American Social Hygiene Association, national lay organizations, such as, the American Legion, the General Federation of Women's Clubs, the American Youth Congress, Lions International, the Episcopal Church, the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce, and the United States Conference of Mayors, have expressed their support of this legislation. It has the approval of the health officers of all 48 States.

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 2a of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill are shown as follows (secs. 3 and 4 of the act of July 9, 1918, are printed in roman type, and the new sections added to such act by the bill are shown in italics):

SEC. 3. That there is hereby established in the Bureau of the Public Health Service a Division of Venereal Diseases, to be under the charge of a commissioned medical officer of the United States Public Health Service detailed by the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service, which officer while thus serving shall be an Assistant Surgeon General of the Public Health Service, subject to the provisions of law applicable to assistant surgeons general in charge of administrative divisions in the District of Columbia of the Bureau of the Public Health Service. There shall be in such division such assistants, clerks, investigators, and other employees as may be necessary for the performance of its duties and as may be provided for by law.

SEC. 4. That the duties of the Division of Venereal Diseases shall be in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury (1) to study and investigate the cause, treatment, and prevention of venereal diseases; (2) to cooperate with State boards or departments of health for the prevention and control of such diseases within the States; and (3) to control and prevent the spread of these diseases in interstate traffic: Provided, That nothing in this chapter shall be construed as limiting the functions and activities of other departments or bureaus in the prevention, control, and treatment of venereal diseases and in the expenditure of moneys therefor.

(a) For the purpose of assisting States, counties, health districts, and other political subdivisions of the States in establishing and maintaining adequate measures for the prevention, treatment, and control of the venereal diseases; for the purpose of making studies, investigations, and demonstrations to develop more effective measures of prevention, treatment, and control of the venereal diseases, including the training of personnel; for the pay, allowances, and traveling expenses of commissioned officers and other personnel assigned to duties in carrying out the purposes of this Act in the District of Columbia and elsewhere; and for the printing of reports, documents, and other material relating thereto, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1939, the sum of $3,000,000; for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1940, the sum of $5,000,000; for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1941, the sum of $7,000,000; and for each of the ten fiscal years thereafter, such sum as may be needed to carry out the purposes of this Act.

(b) Prior to the beginning of each fiscal year the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service shall determine, out of the appropriations made pursuant to section 4 (a), the sum to be allotted to the several States, including the District of Columbia, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii. The Surgeon General shall then allot such sum to the several States upon the basis of (1) the population, (2) the extent of the venerealdisease problem, and (3) the financial needs of the respective States. Upon making such allotments he shall certify the amounts thereof to the Secretary of the Treasury. The amount of an allotment to any State for any fiscal year remaining unpaid at the

end of such fiscal year shall be available for allotment to the States for the succeeding fiscal year in addition to the amount appropriated and available for such fiscal year. (c) Prior to the beginning of each quarter of the fiscal year the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service shall determine the amount to be paid to each State for such quarter from the allotment to such State, and shall certify the amount so determined to the Secretary of the Treasury. Upon receipt of such certification, the Secretary of the Treasury shall, through the Division of Disbursement of the Treasury Department and prior to audit or settlement by the General Accounting Office, pay in accordance with such certification. The moneys so paid to any State shall be expended in carrying out the purposes specified in section 4 (a), and in accordance with plans presented by the health authority of such State and approved by the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service.

(d) With the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury and after consultation with a conference of State and Territorial health officers, the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service is authorized to prescribe the rules and regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act.

(e) This Act shall not be construed as superseding or limiting the functions, under any other Act, of the Public Health Service relating to the prevention, treatment, and control of venereal diseases, or the expenditure of money therefor.

O

75TH CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 3d Session

{

REPORT No. 2176

AMENDING THE ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE SECRETARY OF WAR TO PERMIT ALLOTMENTS FROM THE PAY OF MILITARY PERSONNEL AND PERMANENT CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES UNDER CERTAIN

CONDITIONS

APRIL 21, 1938.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. MAY, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 9760]

The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred H. R. 9760, to amend the Act of March 2, 1899, as amended, to authorize the Secretary of War to permit allotments from the pay of military personnel and permanent civilian employees under certain conditions, having considered the same, submit the following report thereon, with the recommendation that it do pass:

This bill, which is proposed by the War Department for enactment into law, has the approval of the Bureau of the Budget and entails no additional expense to the Government.

It has been the practice of the War Department for more than 15 years to permit allotments by retired personnel of the Army in favor of the Army Mutual Aid Association. Exception has been taken to this practice by the Comptroller General for lack of legal authority therefor. In the opinion of the War Department, the extension of the existing authority for allotments of pay by retired personnel of the Army in their advancing years for the restricted classes of purposes for which such allotments are now made would be only reasonable and considerate to such personnel, especially since this minor service can be rendered to such personnel without appreciable additional work and without any additional expense to the Government.

Under the terms of this bill the Secretary of War is authorized to permit officers, members of the Army Nurse Corps, contract surgeons, and enlisted personnel of the Army, active or retired, and also permanent civilian employees on duty in Alaska, or outside of the continental limits of the United States, to make allotments from their pay under such regulations as he may prescribe, for the support of

their families or relatives, or for other purposes, which in his discretion warrants such action.

Attached hereto and made a part of this report is a letter from the Secretary of War under date of March 1, 1938.

The SPEAKER, House of Representatives.

War DepartmENT, Washington, March 1, 1938.

DEAR MR. SPEAKER: There is enclosed the draft of a bill to clarify existing legislation authorizing allotments of pay by personnel, which the War Department presents for the consideration of the Congress with a view to its enactment into law.

Section 16, act of March 2, 1899 (30 Stat. 91), as amended by the act of October 6, 1917 (40 Stat. 385) provides:

"The Secretary of War is hereby authorized to permit, under such regulations as he may prescribe, any officer or enlisted man on the active list of the Army, any retired officer or enlisted man of the Army on active duty, and any permanent civilian employee under the jurisdiction of the War Department on duty outside of the continental limits of the United States to make allotments of his pay for the support of his wife, children, or dependent relatives, or for such other purposes as the Secretary of War may deem proper. * * *""

It has been the practice of the War Department for more than 15 years to permit allotments by retired personnel of the Army in favor of the Army Mutual Aid Association. Exception has been taken to this practice by the Comptroller General for lack of legal authority therefor. In the opinion of the War Department the extension of the existing authority for allotments of pay by retired personnel of the Army in their advancing years for the restricted classes of purposes for which such allotments are now made would be only reasonable and considerate to such personnel, especially since this minor service can be rendered to such personnel without appreciable additional work and without any additional expense.

In addition it appears desirable to indicate more precisely than does existing law the classes of personnel authorized to make allotments and this is accomplished by specifying "members of the Army Nurse Corps" and "contract surgeons" who manifestly should have the same rights in this respect as other military personnel. No additional expense to the Government will be incurred if the proposed legislation is enacted into law.

This proposed legislation was submitted to the Bureau of the Budget, which advises that there will be no objection on the part of that office to its submission to Congress.

Sincerely yours,

HARRY H. WOODRING,
Secretary of War.

In conformity with paragraph 2a of rule XIII of the House Rules, there is herewith printed in parallel columns the provisions of the existing law and the provisions of the proposed bill:

PROVISIONS OF PROPOSED BILL

The Secretary of War is authorized to permit officers, members of the Army Nurse Corps, contract surgeons, and enlisted men of the Army, active or retired, and also permanent civilian employees on duty in Alaska or outside of the continental limits of the United States, to make allotments from their pay, under such regulations as he may prescribe, for the support of their families or relatives or for other proper purposes which in his discretion warrant such action.

О

EXISTING LAW SECTION 16, ACT OF
MARCH 2, 1899 (30 STAT. 91) AS AMENDED
BY THE ACT OF OCTOBER 6, 1917 (40
STAT. 385)

The Secretary of War is authorized to permit, under such regulations as he may prescribe, any officer or enlisted man on the active list of the Army, any retired officer or enlisted man of the Army on active duty, and any permanent civilian employee under the jurisdiction of the War Department on duty outside of the continental limits of the United States, to make allotments of his pay, for the support of his wife, children, or dependent relatives, or for such other purposes as the Secretary of War may deem proper.

APRIL 21, 1938.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. McGEHEE, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 10004]

The Committee on the District of Columbia, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 10004) to amend an act entitled "An act to incorporate the Mount Olivet Cemetery Co. in the District of Columbia", having considered the same, report favorably thereon and recommend that the bill do pass.

The Mount Olivet Cemetery was chartered by Congress in 1862 which charter provided, among other things, that the real estate dedicated for the purposes of a cemetery shall not be subject to taxation of any kind, thereby failing to exempt the cemetery from public assessments.

The Mount Olivet Cemetery Corporation is a charitable corporation, chartered by Congress, and is nonprofit sharing, and the funds derived from the operation as a cemetery are preserved in a fund for the purpose of providing free burial lots for the indigent, and to maintain the cemetery in future years when all the land available for burial purposes is completely utilized, thereby causing the income of the cemetery to cease. Approximately 30 percent of the graves in Mount Olivet Cemetery are free to those who are unable to pay for burial space, and the expense connected with the digging of said graves and their upkeep is defrayed from this particular fund.

The amendment when adopted will not serve as a precedent, for the reason that Congress has already authorized and permitted another cemetery located in the District of Columbia, known as Oak Hill Cemetery, which was also chartered by Congress, to be exempt from taxes and public assessments.

Special improvements such as new streets, or widening of streets adjoining or touching upon the land of the cemetery does in no wise benefit the cemetery, for the reason that the land does not thereby