2d Session

No. 1966

REORGANIZE THE FEDERAL POWER COMMISSION

JUNE 18, 1930.-Ordered to be printed

Mr. PARKER, from the committee of conference, submitted the following

CONFERENCE REPORT

[To accompany S. 3619]

The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendments of the House to the bill (S. 3619) entitled "An act to reorganize the Federal Power Commission," having met, after full and free conference, have agreed to recommend and do recommend to their respective Houses as follows:

That the Senate recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the House and agree to the same with amendments as follows: Page 3, line 7, of the engrossed House amendment, change the word "session" to read sessions.

Page 3, line 14, of the engrossed House amendment, insert the words a solicitor, after the comma following the word "counsel". Page 3, line 18, of the engrossed House amendment, change the word "Classificaton" to read Classification.

Page 5, section 4, of the engrossed House amendment, strike out said section 4 and insert in lieu thereof the following:

Sec. 4. This Act shall be held to reorganize the Federal Power Commission created by the Federal Water Power Act, and said Federal Water Power Act shall remain in full force and effect, as herein amended, and no regulations, actions, investigations, or other proceedings under the Federal Water Power Act existing or pending at the time of the approval of this Act shall abate or otherwise be affected by reason of the provisions of this Act.

And the House agree to the same.

JAMES S. PArker,
HOMER HOCH,

SAM RAYBURN,

Managers on the part of the House.

JAMES COUZENS,

JAMES E. WATSON,

KEY PITTMAN,

Managers on the part of the Senate.

STATEMENT OF THE MANAGERS ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

The managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendment of the House to the bill (S. 3619) to reorganize the Federal Power Commission, submit the following written statement in explanation of the effect of the action agreed upon by the conferees and recommended in the accompanying conference report:

The Senate recedes from its disagreement to the amendment of the House which struck out all after the enacting clause and inserted a substitute, with amendments making clerical corrections, providing for a solicitor in addition to other officers provided for in the reorganization of the Federal Power Commission under the bill, and substituting in lieu of the language contained in section 4 of the House amendment, which declared that the act should be held to reorganize and continue the existing Federal Power Commission and not to create a new commission, other language which has the same legal effect. JAMES S. PARKER,

TO PROVIDE FOR THE ADVANCE PLANNING AND REGULATED CONSTRUCTION OF CERTAIN PUBLIC WORKS, FOR THE STABILIZATION OF INDUSTRY, AND FOR AIDING IN THE PREVENTION OF UNEMPLOYMENT DURING PERIODS OF BUSINESS DEPRESSION

JUNE 19, 1930.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. GRAHAM, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany S. 3059]

The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill S. 3059, after hearing (Serial 11) and consideration, report the same favorably with amendments and recommends that the bill, as amended do pass.

The committee amendments are as follows:

Page 3, line 9, after the word "during", strike out the word "the" and insert in lieu thereof the word "any".

Page 3, line 10, strike out the words "preceding action".

Page 3, line 11, after the word "the" strike out the word "two" and insert in lieu thereof the word "three".

Page 4, line 4, after the word "to" strike out the word "prevent" and insert in lieu thereof the words "aid in preventing".

Page 4, after sec. 6 (d) add a new section, as follows:

(e) For prosecuting other public works similar in character to those mentioned in subparagraphs (a) and (b) above but provided for in other acts as now or hereafter amended and supplemented.

Pages 5 to 9, inclusive strike out sections 7 to 12, inclusive.

Page 10, line 2, strike out figure "13" and insert "7".

Page 10, line 4, after the word "to" strike out the word "prevent” and insert in lieu thereof the words "aid in preventing".

Amend the title so as to read:

A bill to provide for the advance planning and regulated construction of certain public works, for the stabilization of industry, and for aiding in the prevention of unemployment during periods of business depression.

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This bill is intended to aid in preventing unemployment during periods of business depression. It creates a board to be composed of the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of Labor whose duty it shall be to advise the President from time to time of the trend of employment and business activity and of the existence or of the approach of periods of business depression and unemployment. It authorizes the President whenever upon recommendation of the board he finds that there exists or is likely to exist a period of business depression and unemployment to transmit to Congress by special message supplemental estimates for emergency appropriations to be expended upon public works. The bill authorizes an appropriation of an amount not to exceed $150,000,000 in any one fiscal year and provides that such appropriations may be used (1) in carrying out the provisions of the Federal highway act; (2) for the preservation and maintenance for existing river and harbor works and for the prosecution of such projects heretofore or hereafter authorized; (3) for the prosecution of flood-control projects heretofore or hereafter authorized; (4) for carrying into effect the provisions of the pubilc buildings act of March 25, 1926; and (5) for prosecuting other public works similar in character to those mentioned in groups 1 and 2 but provided for in other acts of Congress.

The bill has the approval of the American Federation of Labor, the Association for Labor Legislation, and the National Association of Manufacturers and is supported by the views of eminent economists. Unemployment is a serious social problem. Incidents have been cited in the hearings of the efforts of private employers to meet unemployment problems. The withdrawal of the purchasing power of large numbers of our people inevitably affects the prosperity of the country. This bill will provide means by which the Federal Government in making its expenditures for Federal purposes, as set forth above, may stimulate employment and help to relieve the country in periods of business depression, and it is hoped that it will be speedily enacted into law.

I concur in recommendation that the bill pass but desire to protest the striking out of certain vital provisions of the bill.

The bill as amended has eliminated sections 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. These sections comprise the heart of the bill and without them it is difficult to see how any definite service will be rendered to the cause of stabilization of employment by S. 3059.

There is a disposition to minimize the present unemployment and business depression. Proclamation after proclamation is promulgated by the President and his Cabinet officers reiterating that prosperity is in the offing, and with each proclamation unemployment and business adversity increases. The administration must sooner or later face the truth. Why not do it now? "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."

It is rather anomalous that the title of the bill reads: "To provide for the advance planning and regulated construction, etc.," yet the vital parts of the bill providing the advanced planning are stricken from the measure. The bill, therefore, becomes a mere skeleton of its former self. It is quite unrecognizable to its sponsors. It has been handled rather roughly by its "friendly enemies."

For the last decade the President had advocated again and again "Advance planning" of public works. Never has he stated that existent legislation was sufficient for the purpose. It is rather late now to smother this bill by saying that its most important provisions concerning future planning are unnecessary on the score that present law is adequate. I herewith set forth Mr. Hoover's views over the period 1920-1930:

CHRONOLOGY OF PRESIDENT HOOVER AND UNEMPLOYMENT

1920. Report of second industrial conference called by President Wilson; Herbert Hoover, vice chairman. Recommended: 1. Planning of public works as "one of the most useful approaches to the general problem of unemployment." 1921. The President's conference on unemployment; Herbert Hoover, chairman. Recommended: Leadership by the Federal Government “in expanding its public works during periods of depression and contracting execution in periods of active industry.

1923. Report of committee on business cycles and unemployment, appointed by Herbert Hoover: "The committee calls attention to the need for careful drafting of laws to insure a policy of reserving public works projects, if it is to be done effectively.

- 1924. Report of committee on seasonal operation in the construction industries, appointed by Herbert Hoover: "The efforts to encourage long-range planning of public works deserve the support of the public, legislators, and administrative officials."-Foreword by Herbert Hoover.

1928. Herbert Hoover's Department of Commerce indorses the Jones prosperity reserve bill: "Enactment of the bill by the Congress would, in my opinion, encourage measures looking toward the same end on the part of the State and local governments, which would also be in accord with the unanimous recommendations of the President's conference on unemployment and its committee on business cycles and unemployment."-Memorandum by chief of the division of building and housing, Department of Commerce, submitted to the Senate committee by Herbert Hoover.