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The office of the Adviser on Negro Affairs has resubmitted the survey of Negro white-collar and skilled workers to the Works Progress Administration. The project has been revised several times and is now being reviewed by the statistical coordinator of the Works Progress Administration. The Adviser's office has been told that the proposed survey is receiving favorable consideration.

The office of the Adviser on Negro Affairs has concerned itself with relations between the Negro employees and the Department of the Interior and the Public Works Administration. This office has been particularly interested in the classification of Negro employees and the promotion of competent colored workers from the status of messengers to clerical positions.

The Adviser on Negro Affairs has published several articles and delivered speeches concerning the work of the Public Works Administration and the Department of the Interior as it affects Negroes. These articles and speeches have been intended to give colored citizens a true statement of what is being done in their behalf by the Public Works Administration and the Department of the Interior.

The Adviser on Negro Affairs has offered suggestions to other administrations concerning their relation with Negroes. Memoranda have been prepared and conferences have been held with the following agencies: (1) The Labor Department in relation to the proposed Security Act; (2) the Rural Resettlement Administration in relation to its general policy and its labor relation; (3) the Youth Administration in relation to its general policy and labor relations. This office also has furnished information to other agencies, including the N. R. A. and the F. E. R. A.

As a result of the precedent established by the Housing Division in the Public Works Administration, we believe that the Rural Resettlement Administration is going to take steps to set up standards which will do much to assure equitable distribution of employment between white and Negro workers.

WAR MINERALS RELIEF COMMISSION

(ROSCOE FERTICH, Commissioner)

Acting under the War Minerals Relief Act (40 Stat. 1272) as amended February 13, 1929 (40 Stat. 1166), the Secretary of the Interior made 13 awards and 3 disallowances during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1935.

Three awards, totaling $49,649.71, carried over from the previous fiscal year, and six awards, totaling $15,428.96, were paid through the Treasury deficiency appropriations bill (Public, No. 21, 74th Cong., 1st sess.) in the total amount of $65,078.67. Seven awards, totaling $10,455.88, were certified to the General Accounting Office to be paid through a future Treasury deficiency appropriation.

Record of cases filed under the act as amended Feb. 13, 1929 Total cases filed...

Total cases dismissed by court (hearing, abatement, or failure to prosecute

348

33

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In Supreme Court of the District of Columbia.
Decrees by Supreme Court of the District of Columbia pending in the
War Minerals Relief Commission, June 30, 1935----

118

45

348

ACTION IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF

COLUMBIA

Eight cases were heard and dismissed by the court, which held: (1) Ore buying, independent milling operations, and manufacture of ferro-alloys were not admissible items of loss within the meaning of the War Minerals Relief Act; (2) claims were not assignable by operation of law, and death of claimant and dissolution of corporation relieved the Government of liability under the act.

Nine cases were abated through failure to substitute Ickes for Wilbur as Secretary of the Interior.

One case was dismissed by court for failure of plaintiff to prosecute

the case.

During the fiscal year 19 decrees were certified to the Secretary of the Interior.

IN THE CONGRESS

Three bills to further amend the War Minerals Relief Act were filed in the Seventy-fourth Congress. One bill, to permit claimants who did not file petitions under the 1929 amendment to submit claims for reconsideration by the Secretary of the Interior without recourse to the courts, and to permit claims to pass by operation of law to a legal successor; and two bills, to direct reimbursement for interest paid or accrued on borrowed money from March 2, 1919, to date. These bills were not enacted within this fiscal year.

PETROLEUM ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD

(CHARLES FAHY, Chairman)

The Secretary of the Interior was appointed Administrator of the Petroleum Industry under the National Industrial Recovery Act by Executive order dated August 28, 1933. The Petroleum Administrative Board functions under an administrative order of the Administrator. During the life of the Code of Fair Competition for the Petroleum Industry (Aug. 19, 1933, to May 27, 1935, on which lastnamed date all codes approved under the National Industrial Recovery Act were invalidated by the Supreme Court of the United States) the Board assisted and advised the Administrator in the administration and enforcement of the code. The Board also assisted and advised the Secretary of the Interior in the administration and enforcement of section 9 (c) of the National Industrial Recovery Act, under which the President by Executive order of July 11, 1933, prohibited the shipment in interstate commerce of petroleum or the products thereof produced in excess of the amount permitted by State law. By Executive order of July 14, 1933, the President had delegated the administration and enforcement of this provision to the Secretary of the Interior. Said section 9 (c) was invalidated by the Supreme Court of the United States on January 7, 1935. On February 22, 1935, Congress reenacted the principles of section 9 (c) by prohibiting shipments in interstate or foreign commerce of petroleum produced in excess of the amount permitted by State law, and the products of such petroleum. Under authority granted by the act the President again by Executive order, dated February 28, 1935, delegated to the Secretary of the Interior the administration of this act with the exception of its provision permitting the suspension under certain conditions of the prohibition of shipments. The Board has assisted the Secretary in his duties under this act.

After the invalidation of the codes Congress on June 14, 1935, amended and extended the National Industrial Recovery Act, which now expires April 1, 1936. By Executive order of June 15, 1935, the President extended existing agencies under the act, including the Administrator for the Petroleum Industry; and the Board in addition to its functions under the Connally Act is engaged in advising and assisting the Administrator in those functions authorized by the amended act which relate to the petroleum industry.

At the end of the fiscal year the Board consisted of Charles Fahy, chairman; Norman L. Meyers, E. B. Swanson, and John W. Frey, members. Mr. Nathan R. Margold had retired as chairman November 22, 1934, to devote his full time to the duties of Solicitor of the Interior Department, and Mr. J. Howard Marshall had resigned as a member of the Board on June 21, 1935.

The labor provisions of the code were administered under the Administrator by the Petroleum Labor Policy Board with such assistance on the part of the Petroleum Administrative Board as the Administrator and the Labor Board desired.

In October 1934 a Federal Tender Board was created in east Texas to aid in the administration of section 9 (c) of the National Industrial Recovery Act, composed of Norman L. Meyers (chairman), J. Howard Marshall, and Ralph Horween, members. Mr. McCorquodale was the attorney for the Tender Board in east Texas. This Board ceased operations when the section was invalidated January 7, 1935. Under the terms of the act of February 22, 1935, above referred to, Federal Tender Board No. 1 was created in east Texas on March 1, 1935, to administer the act in that area. This Board was composed of Norman L. Meyers (chairman), M. S. McCorquodale, and John F. Davis, members. Mr. McCorquodale resigned at the close of the fiscal year. Under the same act Federal Petroleum Agency No. 1, with Mr. George W. Van Fleet as Director, was established on April 25, 1935, to perform the investigational work incident to the operations of Federal Tender Board No. 1.

The Petroleum Administrative Board, the Petroleum Labor Policy Board, the original Tender Board, Federal Tender Board No. 1, and Federal Petroleum Agency No. 1 expended during the fiscal year approximately $560,000 out of a total of $739,345 available for expenditure.

With the invalidation of the code as a result of the Supreme Court decision of May 27, 1935, the activities of the Petroleum Administrative Board and of the Petroleum Labor Policy Board under the National Industrial Recovery Act, though not of the Petroleum Administrative Board under the Connally Act, have been restricted to a series of studies and to research work hereinafter referred to.

The Code of Fair Competition for the Petroleum Industry was in effect during the entire fiscal year except the last 33 days thereof. Under the code, in conjunction with the success achieved beginning in October 1934 by the Federal Tender Board in sharply restricting movements in interstate commerce of illegal crude and gasoline, and particularly under the successful operations of the production and refinery provisions of the code, the petroleum industry as a whole achieved a balance between the production of crude oil and the manu

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