NATIONAL DEFENSE HOUSING OCTOBER 7, 1940.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. LANHAM, from the committee of conference, submitted the following CONFERENCE REPORT [To accompany H. R. 10412] The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendments of the Senate to the bill (H. R. 10412) to expedite the provision of housing in connection with national defense, and for other purposes, 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 amendments numbered 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, and 13. That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendments of the Senate numbered 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 14, 15, 16, and 17, and agree to the same. That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 1, and agree to the same with an amendment as follows: In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the Senate amendment insert the following: and that such housing would not be provided by private capital when needed; and the Senate agree to the same. FRITZ G. LANHAM, Managers on the part of the House. TOM CONNALLY, THEODORE FRANCIS GREEN, 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 amendments of the Senate to the bill (H. R. 10412) to expedite the provision of housing in connection with national defense, and for other purposes, submit the following statement in explanation of the effect of the action agreed upon by the conferees and recommended in the accompanying conference report: Amendment numbered 1: Section 1 of the House bill limits the providing of housing, under the bill, to those areas or localities in which "the President shall find that an acute shortage of housing exists or impends which would impede national defense activities". This amendment requires an additional finding, by adding the following after the language quoted above: "and that such housing would not be provided by private capital when needed (but such finding shall not be made until notice shall be given to the Federal Housing Administrator of the proposed construction, stating the number of units proposed and the areas in which they are to be located)". The House recedes with an amendment which retains all of the Senate amendment except the part included in parentheses. Amendment numbered 2: Under section 1 of the House bill the Federal Works Administrator is to exercise his authority "acting through the Public Buildings Administration". This amendment strikes out the words above quoted, so that the Federal Works Administrator will not be required to act through the Public Buildings Administration. The House recedes. Amendments numbered 3 and 4: Section 1 (a) of the House bill authorizes the Federal Works Administrator to acquire, for purposes of the program provided for in the bill, improved or unimproved lands, without regard to certain provisions of law, among which is section 355, as amended, of the Revised Statutes, which prohibits spending public money upon any site or land purchased by the United States for the purpose of erecting thereon an arsenal, etc., until the written opinion of the Attorney General shall be had in favor of the validity of the title. Amendment numbered 3 adds language which would authorize the Public Works Administrator to acquire the land in question prior to the approval of title by the Attorney General. Amendment numbered 4 strikes out the reference to section 355 of the Revised Statutes. The House recedes. Amendments numbered 5 and 6: Section 1 (b) of the House bill authorizes the Federal Works Administrator, by contract or otherwise, to make surveys and investigations, plan, design, construct, remodel, extend, repair, or demolish structures, buildings, improvements, and community facilities, on lands acquired under subsection (a), and provides that such authority may be exercised without regard to certain provisions of law, among which is section 355, as amended, of the Revised Statutes referred to in the comment on the preceding amendment. Amendment numbered 5 strikes out the reference to section 355 of the Revised Statutes. Amendment numbered 6 authorizes the Federal Works Administrator to exercise the granted powers prior to the approval of title by the Attorney General. The House recedes. Amendments numbered 7, 8, 10, and 11: Section 1 (b) of the House bill contains a proviso reading as follows: "Provided, That the cost per family dwelling unit shall not exceed an average of $3,000 for those units located within the continental Uuited States nor an average of $4,000 for those located elsewhere, and the cost of no dwelling unit shall exceed $3,950 within the continental United States or $4,750 elsewhere, exclusive of expenses of administration, land acquisition, public utilities, and community facilities, and the aggregate cost of community facilities shall not exceed 3 per centum of the total cost of all projects". These amendments change the amounts specified in such proviso, respectively, as follows: $3,500, $4,500, $4,450, and $5,250. The Senate recedes. Amendment numbered 9: In the proviso of the House bill, above quoted, it is provided that "the cost of no dwelling unit shall exceed $3,950". This amendment inserts the word "family" before the words "dwelling unit". The House recedes. Amendment numbered 12: In the proviso above quoted it is provided that the specified amounts for maximum expenditure shall be exclusive of expenses of administration, land acquisition, public utilities, and community facilities. This amendment modifies this provision by inserting the words "but including" before the words. "land acquisition, public utilities, and community facilities", with the result that the only expenses excluded from the specified limits of cost would be expenses of administration. The Senate recedes. Amendment numbered 13: The proviso above quoted contains the following: ", and the aggregate cost of community facilities shall not exceed 3 per centum of the total cost of all projects". This amendment strikes out this language. The Senate recedes. Amendment numbered 14: Section 6 of the House bill directs that moneys derived from rental or operation of property acquired or constructed under the provisions of the Act shall be returned to the appropriation authorized by the Act and shall be available for expenses of operation and maintenance, including administrative expenses in connection therewith, and provides that the "unexpended "balance" of the moneys so deposited shall be covered into the Treasury at the end of each fiscal year as miscellaneous receipts. This amendment strikes out the word "unexpended" and inserts in lieu thereof the word "unobligated". The House recedes. Amendment numbered 15: This amendment, in conformity with amendment numbered 2, eliminates the requirement that the Administrator shall act through the Public Buildings Administration. The House recedes. Amendments numbered 16 and 17: Section 8 of the House bill provides that "In carrying out the provisions of this Act the Administrator is authorized to utilize employees and facilities of the Federal Works Agency and other Federal agencies and of any local public agency, with the consent of such agency". These amendments eliminate the authority to utilize "employees and facilities of" such agencies, and grant in lieu thereof the authority to "act through" such agencies. The House recedes. FRITZ G. LANHAM, PEHR G. HOLMES, Managers on the part of the House. O SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' CIVIL RELIEF ACT OF 1940 OCTOBER 7, 1940.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. MAY, from the committee of conference, submitted the following CONFERENCE REPORT [To accompany S. 4270] The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendment of the House to the bill (S. 4270) to promote and strengthen the national defense by suspending enforcement of certain civil liabilities of certain persons serving in the Military and Naval Establishments, including the Coast Guard, 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 an amendment as follows: In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the House amendment insert the following: That this Act may be cited as the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940. ARTICLE I-GENERAL PROVISIONS SEC. 100. In order to provide for, strengthen, and expedite the national defense under the emergent conditions which are threatening the peace and security of the United States and to enable the United States the more successfully to fulfill the requirements of the national defense, provision is hereby made to suspend enforcement of civil liabilities, in certain cases, of persons in the military service of the United States in order to enable such persons to devote their entire energy to the defense needs of the Nation, and to this end the following provisions are made for the temporary suspension of legal proceedings and transactions which may prejudice the civil rights of persons in such service during the period herein specified over which this Act remains in force. SEC. 101. (1) The term "persons in military service" and the term "persons in the military service of the United States", as used in this Act, shall include the following persons and no others: All members of the Army of the United States, the United States Navy, the Marine |