NAVY PERSONNEL AND FORMER NAVY PERSONNEL MAY 23, 1944.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. DICKSTEIN, from the Committee on Claims, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 4606] The Committee on Claims, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 4606) to provide for reimbursement of certain Navy personnel and former Navy personnel for personal property lost or damaged as the result of a fire in the bachelor officers' quarters, naval operating base, Argentia, Newfoundland, on January 12, 1943, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. The purpose of the proposed legislation is to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to pay such sum or sums, amounting in the aggregate not to exceed $8,080.61, as may be required by the Secretary of the Navy to reimburse, under such regulations as he may prescribe, certain Navy personnel and former Navy personnel for the value of personal property lost or damaged in a fire in the bachelor officers' quarters, naval operating base, Argentia, Newfoundland, on January 12, 1943. The Navy Department transmitted this request to the Speaker of the House of Representatives for this legislation. Therefore, your committee recommend favorable consideration to the bill. Appended hereto is a letter from the Secretary of the Navy. Hon. SAM RAYBURN, Speaker of the House of Representatives. NAVY DEPARTMENT, MY DEAR MR. SPEAKER: There is transmitted herewith a draft of a proposed bill to provide for reimbursement of certain Navy personnel and former Navy personnel for personal property lost or damaged as the result of a fire in the bachelor officers' quarters, naval operating base, Argentia, Newfoundland, on January 12, 1943. The purpose of this proposed bill is to authorize and direct the Secretary of the Treasury to pay out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated the sum of $8,080.61 or such portion thereof as may be necessary to reimburse certain Navy personnel and former Navy personnel for the value of personal property lost or damaged as the result of a fire in the bachelor officers' quarters, naval operating base, Argentia, Newfoundland, on January 12, 1943. The cause of the fire is undetermined. A large number of Navy personnel, including officers and two enlisted men who occupied certain quarters, lost their private personal property. There is no other authority of law by virtue of which the claims may be adjusted. The Navy Department is of the opinion that provision should be made for the payment of these claims, in that the personnel involved were assigned to duty at said station by orders of the Navy Department and the loss of and damage to their property occurred without fault or negligence on their part. These claims were submitted to the Navy Department Claims Board, which found the value of the property lost and damaged to be $8,080.61. The additional cost to the Government should this proposed legislation be enacted would not exceed $8,080.61. The Navy Department recommends that the proposed legislation be enacted. The Navy Department has been advised by the Bureau of the Budget that there would be no objection to the submission of the proposed legislation to the Congress. Respectfully, JAMES FORRESTAL, Actin. 2d Session No. 1507 ESTABLISHING THE FILIPINO REHABILITATION MAY 23, 1944.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. BELL, from the Committee on Insular Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. J. Res. 94) The Committee on Insular Affairs, to whom was referred the joint resolution (S. J. Res. 94), having considered the same, report favorably thereon with amendments and recommend that the joint resolution as amended do pass. The amendments are as follows: Strike out all of lines 3 and 4 on page 1 and insert in lieu thereof the following: That section 13 of the Act of March 24, 1934, as amended, is hereby further amended by striking out the proviso and inserting in lieu thereof the following: After first striking out at the beginning of line 5 in the accompanying resolution the words and figures "Sec. 13". On page 2 after the word "Philippines:" insert the words: each appointee shall serve at the pleasure of his appropriate appointing authority. On page 2 line 24 after the word "present" insert the words "or heretofore agreed upon". On page 2 line 25 strike out the word "replace" and insert in lieu thereof the words "make adjustments for". On page 3 line 1 after the word "Japanese" strike out the remainder of the line, strike out all of lines 2 and 3 and the word "of" in line 4 and insert following the word "Japanese" the words "in order to reestablish" Amend the title so as to read: Joint Resolution to amend section 13 of Philippine Independence Act, as amended, establishing the Filipino Rehabilitation Commission, defining its powers and duties. and for other purposes This joint resolution amends section 13 of the act entitled "An act to provide for the complete independence of the Philippine Islands, to provide for the adoption of a constitution and a form of government for the Philippine Islands, and for other purposes," approved March 24, 1934. As amended by this joint resolution, the section will provide for the appointment of representatives of the Government of the United States and the government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, to constitute a commission to investigate all matters affecting post-war economy, trade, finance, economic stability, and rehabilitation of the Philippine Islands. The Commission will consist of three United States Senators appointed by the President of the Senate, three Members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House, three persons appointed by the President of the United States, and nine representatives of the Philippines to be appointed by the President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. The Commission is authorized to formulate recommendation based upon its investigations and recommendations for future trade relations between the United States and the independent Philippine Republic when established and to consider the extension of the present trade relations. The Commission is required to make annual reports to the President and the Congress of the United States and to the President and Congress of the Philippines. If may make reports more frequently if it so desires and may make such recommendations from time to time as it deems necessary. The joint resolution contains administrative provisions authorizing the Commission to employ and fix the compensation of necessary assistants, to establish offices, to make appropriate rules and regulations, and to do such other things as may be necessary for carrying out its functions. The compensation of the United States members of the Commission, other than those holding other official positions, is to be at the rate of $10,000 per annum. All members of the Commission are to be paid by and the amounts of their compensation are to be fixed by the Government by which they are appointed. The other expenses of the Commission are to be divided equally between the United States and the Philippine Government. joint resolution authorizes the appropriation of such sums as may be necessary for the performance of the functions of the Commission. The The amendment after line 4 on page 2 of this resolution makes provision for the naming of members of the Commission in keeping with recognized and established precedents in both the House of Representatives, Senate, and in the executive branch In other words. if there should be a change in the political complexion of any of these three arms of our Government there would be corresponding changes in the personnel of the Joint Commission. In compliance with paragraph. 2a of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives. changes in existing law made by the bill as introduced, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italics, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman): Provided, [That at least two years prior to the date fixed in this Act for the independence of the Philippine Islands, there shall be held a conference of representatives of the Government of the United States and the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippine Islands, such representatives, on the part of the United States, to consist of three United States Senators appointed by the President of the Senate, three Members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House, and three persons appointed by the President of the United States, and, on the part of the Philippines, to consist of nine representatives to be appointed by the President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, with the consent of the Commission on Appointments of the National Assembly, for the purpose of formulating recommendations as to future trade relations between the United States and the independent Philippine Republic, the time, place, and manner of holding such conference to be determined by the President of the United States; but nothing in this proviso shall be construed to modify or affect in any way any provision of this Act relating to the procedure leading up to Philippine independence or the date upon which the Philippine Islands shall become independent. In the event any vacancy occurs in the Commission by reason of the death, resignation, or retirement of any member thereof, such vacancy may be filled by the authority appointing the member whose death, resignation, or retirement caused the vacancy."] There shall promptly be held a conference of representatives of the Government of the United States and the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, such representatives on the part of the Government of the United States to consist of three United States Senators appointed by the President of the Senate, three Members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House, and three persons appointed by the President of the United States, and on the part of the Philippines to consist of nine representatives to be appointed by the President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, each representative shall serve at the pleasure of his appropriate appointing authority; the said Commission to be known as the Filipino Rehabilitation Commission, subject to the following conditions and with the following powers and duties: (a) The members of the Commission shall be appointed not later than fifteen days after the passage of this Act. Within ten days thereafter the ranking member of the Senate appointees and the ranking member of the Filipino appointees shall jointly call a meeting of the Commission to be held in the Capitol of the United States for the purpose of organization. In case of death or resignation of a member, such vacancy shall be filled by the original appointing power. (b) The Commission shall investigate all matters affecting post-war economy, trade, finance, economic stability, and rehabilitation of the Philippine Islands, including the matter of damages to public and private property and to persons occasioned by enemy attack and occupation. (c) To formulate recommendations based upon such investigations and for future trade relations between the United States and the independent Philippine Republic when established and to consider the extension of the present or heretofore agreed upon trade relations or otherwise for a period of years to make adjustments for the period of occupancy by the Japanese in order to reestablish trade relations as provided for in the original Independence Act. (d) The Commission is authorized to employ expert legal and clerical assistance, to establish offices in the Philippine Islands and in the United States, and to make rules and regulations for the transaction of its business pertinent to the provisions of this Act. (e) The Commission shall make annual reports to the President of the United States and to the Congress, and to the President and the Congress of the Philippines, and more frequently if so desired, and make such recommendations from time to time as it deems necessary to carry out the purposes and intents of this Act. (f) The Commission is authorized to fix the salary of all necessary expert and clerical assistance, to provide for travel and other expenses incident to its labor, and to do all other things pertinent to this Act. The annual compensation of the United States members of this Commission, other than those holding official positions under the United States Government, shall be $10,000 per annum. The compensation of the Philippine members of the Commission shall be determined by the Government of the Philippine Commonwealth. The United States, as herein provided, shall compensate the members of the Commission who represent it, and the Commonwealth of the Philippines, or the Filipino Republic, as the case may be, shall compensate the members of the Commission appointed by it or them. Otherwise, the expenses of the Commission shall be equally borne by the United States and the Commonwealth of the Philippines, or the Filipino Republic, as the case may be. SEC. 2. For the purpose of carrying on its duties, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as may be necessary. |