In respect to multifamily mortgages, consideration and approval of a commitment probably should require less than a week (depending upon the complications of the particular case) and the volume of applications then under consideration.

Related Programs: GNMA performs a type of service which is not duplicated by any other Federal agency.

FNMA REGIONAL OFFICES

LOCATION OF OFFICES AND AREA SERVED

Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, 34 Peachtree Street, N. E.: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee.

Chicago, Illinois, 60603, 1112 Commonwealth-Edison Building, 72 West Adams Street: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin.

Dallas, Texas, 75201, 411 North Akard Street: Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas.

Los Angeles, California, 90005, 3540 Wilshire Boulevard: Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107, 211 South Broad Street: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, West Virginia. Sales Office: 20 Exchange Place, Room 3303, New York, N.Y. 10005. The FNMA Regional Offices perform all of the day-to-day operations for the Government National Mortgage Association, and Sellers should feel free to consult management of these offices on any pertinent matters relating to the purchasing, servicing, and sales activity of the Government National Mortgage Association.

V. Department of the Interior-Bureau of Indian Affairs

STATEMENT BY COMMISSIONER ROBERT L. BENNETT TO BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS EMPLOYEES, WASHINGTON, D.C.-APRIL 29, 1966

I accepted the position of Commissioner because I have faith and confidence in the Indian people, their abilities and capabilities.

I believe that it should be the basic premise of policy that we place expectations on Indian people. We have not entirely accepted, as we have moved along in our development of programs, the leadership, the contributions, which I think Indian people can make and which are so necessary to the solution of problems.

We must eliminate where it exists paternalism and the stifling effects which it has on people. We need to eliminate attitudes of dependency which paternalism creates in the minds of Indian people. I believe that we need to reappraise our relationship with Indian people-because there is a disturbing degree of failure expectancy which ranges from the Head Start program to the prevocational program in Seattle. There must be a reason why so many young Indian people enter these programs with this high degree of failure expectancy.

As I see it, we must bring about a real, genuine, partnership with Indian leadership. There is no question, at least in my mind, that Indian leadership must be brought aboard to the fullest extent possible as we deal with their problems.

We need to talk about our changing role. The Bureau for many years has been the prime source of service and opportunity for Indian people. There are now many agencies in the field of service to all people and we need to examine the resources that are available and, as a part of our changing role, make these more readily available to Indian people than they have been in the past. The Bureau of Indian Affairs should not be a go-between for the Indian people. We need to bring Indian people face-to-face with reality and with their friends and neighbors in local, state and national government and the business community.

I believe we need to talk to Indian people about their assuming more responsibility for making decisions which affect their daily lives. I believe too that there is much that can be done within our administrative structure to provide the Indian people this opportunity. Some of our procedures and regulations and instructions in the manual need to be reviewed so that every opportunity is provided the Indian people to assume responsibility to make decisions and learn to live with them. One of the problems which is going to receive immediate and serious attention is our relationship with Congress and with the members of the committees who have responsibility for both substantive legislation and also for appropriations to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. This relationship needs to be improved and a great deal of my time and that of other people in Washington will be taken up with this very vital part of our responsibility.

The Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee has designated Senator Lee Metcalf, Subcommittee Chairman, to work closely with the Bureau to examine and evaluate programs on a continuing basis. I am sure that we can work together and that the Senator will have all the information he asks from us in order to make his reports to the full committee.

I believe that we can do much to improve our public image. And this is going to receive much attention in the future. We have a role to perform. I believe we can perform it effectively. I think the people throughout the country need to know some of the good things that we are doing. It is my hope that they learn it from us and from others as time goes on. I believe that we need to be particularly sensitive to these situations that will affect our relationship either at the state level or at the national level, whether it be with other agencies, state legislaures, or the Congress.

Reorganization of the Bureau is controlled to a large extent by its mission, trusteeship, and service responsibilities. The objectives of the present reorganization are:

1. Decision-making on a timely basis by streamlining the organization.

2. Sensitivity to force which will have an impact on the lives of Indian people.

3. Flexibility to deal with situations on a project basis rather than on a strictly functional basis.

4. Philosophical consistency.

5. Upgrading of education and liaison activities.

In my thirty years of service, I have survived several changes in administration and reorganizations. You will, I believe, survive this one because there is always room for competent people who are willing to carry more than their share of the load. What I am concerned most about is your attitude, not so much your aptitude.

I want you to feel that in this office there will be a very welcome reception for any ideas and recommendations; that we will welcome hearing from you when you and the Indian people feel a particular program has merit, even though it may be in conflict with established policy and regulations. We can make exceptions to the regulations; we can waive requirements, if justified. There are no "sacred cows" in the Bureau so far as I am concerned.

We are going to move. A right decision made too late, is no decision. We can't wait for perfection-let's get the issues before the people. There are going to be decisions made there are going to be policies issued. I welcome you aboard.

I have been one of you for over thirty years. I am now the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, but I am still one of you. Whether I am to be a great Commissioner or even a good one depends on you.

I look to the future with hope and enthusiasm. The Indian people are ready to move. I am ready, and I hope you are too, because together we need to provide the leadership and create the environment by which Indian people can emerge into the fullness of their destiny.

VI. Department of the Interior-Geological Survey

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY,

Washington, D.C., September 1, 1967.

MEMORANDUM

To: Division Chiefs, Chairmen, Field Center Committees.

From: Director.

Subject: Public Information Act.

The Public Information Act became effective July 4, 1967 (Section 552 of Title 5, U.S. Code, as amended by P.L. 90-23 which codified P.L. 89.487). In summary the law requires all agencies of the Executive Branch to make identifiable records available upon request unless the records fall within categories excluded from the provisions of the Act. The term "identifiable record" contemplates that the person requesting access to the agency record shall furnish a reasonable description of the letter, photograph, application, microfilm, etc., sufficient to enable the agency employee to locate that particular record. The burden of identification is with the member of the public and it seems clear that Congress did not intend to authorize indiscriminate searches.

Survey employees shall be guided by the Attorney General's Memorandum of June 1967 on the Public Information Section of the Administrative Procedure Act and the regulations of the Department of the Interior as published in Title 43, Public Lands; Interior, Sub Title A, Office of the Secretary of the Interior, Part 2, Records and Testimony (Federal Register, Vol. 32, No. 130, Friday, July 7 1967). In addition, Survey Order 202, dated September 25 1950, describes

the Geological Survey's obligation to the public and its responsibilities to safeguard other information in the national interests and the protection of confidential information received from private sources.

It appears from a review of the above documents that the Survey's traditional position on public disclosure will not be basically changed. We cannot, however, foresee the effect of possible changes in the nature of requests. At this time, the following procedures will continue to be observed:

1. In most instances the Survey Official who is custodian of the record can make the decision as to its public availability.

2. In questionable areas where the distinctions are not clear, the request and the requested record should be forwarded to the Division Chief for decision as to its public availability.

3. In those cases where a doubt exists as to the public availability of a record that cannot be reconciled by the Division Chief, he may request advice from the Office of the Director.

The following nine exemptions from the disclosure requirements with Survey's amplification are repeated for your information and guidance. Matters that are:

1. "Specifically required by Executive Order to be kept secret in the interest of the national defense or foreign policy." Included in this category are records required by Executive Order 10501, as amended, which are graded Top Secret, Secret, or Classified.

2. "Related solely to the internal personnel rules and practices of an agency." Included in the category are personnel policies, procedures, and instructions; internal staffing plans; requirements, authorizations, controls and supporting data relating to position management and manpower utilization; and, information involved in the determination of qualifications of candidates for employment or promotion. 3. "Specifically exempted from disclosure by statute." Geological Survey does not have such statutory exemptions.

4. "Trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person and privileged or confidential." Included, but not limited to, is information that is customarily confidential, such as: (1) information received in confidence such as trade secrets, inventions and discoveries, and proprietary data; (2) technical reports and data, designs, drawings and specifications, formulae or other proprietary information which are generated or developed by the Geological Survey or for the Geological Survey under contract; (3) statistical data or other information concerning oil, gas and mineral leasing, if received in confidence, from a contractor concerning his own production, income, profits, losses, and expenditures or future plans and programs; and, (4) information concerning incomplete projects prior to formal publication or open filing.

5. "Interagency or intra-agency memorandums or letters which would not be available by law to a party other than an agency in litigation with the agency." Examples include, but are not limited to: (1) reports, memorandums, letters, correspondence, work papers, minutes of meetings and staff papers prepared for use within the Executive Branch of the government; (2) advance information on proposed plans to acquire or dispose of materials, real estate facilities or functions when such information would provide undue or unfair advantage to any person; (3) evaluation of contractors or

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products; (4) financial accounts and records and supporting documents, budget documents and supporting papers used or arising in the preparation of a budget or multi-year plan.

6. "Personnel and medical files and similar files the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy." This includes personnel folders and related files, including grievance and disciplinary files, confidential statements of employment and financial interests, performance evaluations and test scores. 7. "Investigatory files compiled for law enforcement purposes except to the extent available by law to a party other than an agency. Included in this category are (1) Civil Service investigation files and reports: (2) employee disciplinary investigation files or reports; (3) audit investigation files or reports; (4) FBI investigation files or reports; and, (5) litigation files compiled by the government and files prepared for adjudication.

8. "Contained in or related to examination, operating or condition reports prepared by, on behalf of, or for use of an agency responsible for the regulation or supervision of financial institutions." It is unlikely that the Geological Survey would have custodianship of such information.

9. "Geological and geophysical information and data, including maps, concerning wells." This exemption in particular seems to apply to and support Survey's longstanding and traditional public disclosure policies and practices.

All information of economic significance gathered through investigation and observation by the Survey employees must be held confidential and not be disclosed until it can be released through publication or other means of public availability. The exemptions to this rule include: (1) the placing of statistical non-interpretive water data in open files; (2) the furnishing of photographic or other copies of unpublished and usually only partially completed topographic maps; and, (3) the furnishing of administrative maps, well information, sub-surface interpretations and related data to lessees and operators as necessary for enforcement of the mineral leasing laws and the promotion of sound prospecting and development practices.

The Geological Survey's record of integrity and impartiality will be continued through the observance of these rules and regulations. Maximum scientific contribution to the Nation can be assured without compromising the needs of the public for access to public records, or the needs of the government to safeguard certain categories of information.

As a Federal agency dedicated to the public service, the Geological Survey is under obligation to conduct its scientific and engineering investigations and to make their results available in such manner as