Senator HAYDEN. Now, is there any other data that you want to put in the record? Mr. DEMARAY. No, sir; that tells the complete story of the situation. Senator HAYDEN. I must go upon the floor at 11 o'clock, so I am going to ask that Mr. Monahan be heard next. INDIAN AFFAIRS STATEMENT OF ARTHUR C. MONAHAN, ASSISTANT TO THE COMMISSIONER, BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS ROAD CONSTRUCTION Senator HAYDEN. Mr. Monahan is from the Indian Office. Mr. Monahan, this bill as it passed the House of Representatives carries an appropriation of $2,000,000 each year this year, an authorization of $2,000,000 for each succeeding year for work on roads on Indian reservations. The bill as it passed the House the road bill as it passed the House-both the House and the Senate, and went to the President, authorizes $4,000,000 for that purpose. Will you please tell the committee, Mr. Monahan, what sums of money were allocated to the Indian service for road construction during the past year; what expenditures have been made, and what justifications you have for a continuation of such appropriation? Mr. MONAHAN. Might I read this? Senator HAYDEN. Yes. Mr. MONAHAN. It has been approved by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. There are nearly 200 Indian reservations in 103 jurisdictions with a population of approximately 300,000 Indians. At the present time the population is very much greater we do not know how muchbut we have had a number of Indians going back to the reservations because they were unable to get work in other places. Because of a checker-boarded arrangement, there is probably an equal number of white people within Indian reservations who use roads built by the Indian Service. Prior to the fiscal year 1928, practically no appropriations were made for Indian roads. For 1928 and the following years a total of a little less than $7,000,000 has been appropriated or provided, $4,000,000 of which was Public Works money being expended during the present year. Let me place in here that the area of the Indian reservations is approximately twice the size of the New England States, twice the territory. Senator ADAMS. How many are there in Arizona? Mr. MONAHAN. There is a very, very large amount in Arizona. Arizona has about one-fourth of the State, as I remember, in Indian reservations. Senator HAYDEN. We have more full-blood Indians in the State of Arizona than any other State; over 44,000. Twenty-two percent of the Indian population is in Arizona. Mr. MONAHAN. Now, this $4,000,000 which we received on August 14, 1933-between that date and April 1, the last date that we have actual reports-we have completed the construction of 1,450 miles of roads; 2,941 miles of roads were maintained; 330 miles were surfaced; 345 new bridges were constructed; 146 old bridges were repaired; and 1,957 culverts were constructed. By June 30, 1934, practically all of the $4,000,000 will have been expended, and the above figures will be increased by from 30 to 50 percent. WORK DONE BY INDIANS The construction of Indian roads is a relief matter as well as a roadbuilding program. Some 25,000 different Indians have been employed during the present year. We have alternated our work crews a week at a time. As many as 12,000 have been working at one time. Only about 335 white men have been employed, and these in engineering and supervisory positions where qualified Indians could not be obtained. About 70 percent of the expenditures have been made in wages to Indian labor. During the coming year, if money is available for road work an even larger percentage will be paid for labor, as considerable machinery is now on hand and much of the engineering work has been done. Four million dollars a year for 3 years will maintain and improve present roads, build other essential roads, and permit the Indian-reservation road program to somewhat approximate the conditions in the United States forests, national parks, and so forth. Our understanding is that the Forest Service has had $163,000,000 for roads in national forests, and the National Park Service has had $64,000,000 for roads on national parks. Very few Indian roads have been surfaced. It would require considerably more than the total requested in the 3 years to gravel such roads. The Indian Service is not interested in building high-type roads but is interested in building roads which will permit the Indians (and the whites living on the reservations) to and I or take their products to market, to transport their children to schools, and for general administrative purposes. It is planned on several reservations to leave large areas without roads, in order that primeval land and forest conditions may be maintained. Without consideration of these areas, the $4,000,000 a year for 3 years is needed. Estimates from our superintendents of road needs total $12,000,000 for the coming year. We are receiving urgent requests, also, for relief funds. Road money will go far in making other relief unnecessary. This is particularly true of the drought area, where it is proposed an extensive road-building program will be carried out to furnish relief. WORK IN LIEU OF RELIEF Senator HAYDEN. Is it customary to carry in the Interior Department appropriation bill each year considerable relief for distress among the Indians? Mr. MONAHAN. Yes. Senator HAYDEN. I understand from your statement that the Indian Bureau finds employing Indians on road work ordinarily better than giving relief; in other words, it is better to give them work than it is relief? Mr. MONAHAN. Yes; but I want to correct your statement to the effect that there is a considerable sum of money provided for relief. During the present year it is $50,000, which is so small an amount that when you give consideration to the number of children that must be taken care of and the old Indians, that it is furnishing practically no relief. Senator HAYDEN. So far as I am concerned, I find, Mr. Monahan, only one other road matter that I would like to mention in connection with it. When the road bill was under consideration in the Senate- Senator HAYDEN. About a week ago. Senator MCKELLAR. Last Friday, I think. ALASKA, PUERTO RICO AND VIRGIN ISLANDS Senator HAYDEN. Passed a week ago last Monday. There was an amendment adopted providing that out of the general fund there should be allocated by the President not to exceed $1,500,000 for roads in Alaska, $1,000,000 for Puerto Rico, and $250,000 in the Virgin Islands. The Senate adopted that, and when we took it to conference the House conferees maintained, and I think properly so, on consideration, that it was improper to deduct from the allotment of funds to the States' money for these three purposes, these three possessions, and that in the Public Works Act the President was authorized to expend money in those three possessions, territories, or island possessions out of the Public Works fund and for that reason the Senate conferees receded. Senator MCKELLAR. And I promised that when this bill came up for consideration before this committee we would seek to have earmarked or similar authorizations made to take the place of those, and I want, for the record, to say that when the bill is taken up, when it Sen comes to marking up the bill, that I will offer a motion to that effect. duc Senator TYDINGS. I think that it ought to be done. You may count my vote for it, if I am absent. Senator HAYDEN. If you will excuse me, I have got to go up on the floor. Senator DICKINSON. I thought you made the statement that that bill did not increase the amount of the appropriation and here we are now with supplemental requests for pretty nearly every phase of the program. Senator HAYDEN. I made no statement that there was no increase. I stated that the program was 3 years, and the House accepted that. RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION STATEMENT OF JESSE H. JONES, CHAIRMAN RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION Senator ADAMS. All right, Mr. Jones, you may proceed. Senator BYRNES. I may say, Mr. Chairman, possibly I am responsible for Mr. Jones coming here. At the request of Senator Dickinson, or Senator Hale, I asked the clerk to communicate with Mr. Jones and request him to advise this committee of the amount of money that was available under the language of title II, making available unexpended balances of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. Senator ADAMS. We will be glad to hear from Mr. Jones. Mr. JONES. I sent you a letter. Did you get that letter, Senator? Senator ADAMS. I did not get it. Mr. JONES. Then, there are other features to this bill that I want to discuss with you, if I might, while I am here. Senator MCKELLAR. Can we take up this unobligated balance matter first? Mr. JONES. Yes, sir. Well, I have a copy of that letter, that I have sent you. The issuing power of the Corporation is sufficient to take care of the commitments now outstanding and have available for all other purposes, including all activities of the Corporation during the fiscal year 1935, a billion to a billion and a quarter dollars. That amount would be added to the repayments on loans. Senator GLASS. What percentage of repayments do you get? Mr. JONES. We had estimated, Senator, before that, our repayments would be from four to five hundred million, but I think that it will be less than that for the reasons that our repayments have been much more during this year than we expected, and that has been due in a large measure to the activities of the home owners' loans and farm credits, and to the banks, the paying up by the banks. The banks paid us off all but about some $300,000,000, I think, now. Most of that Sen Senator GLASS. Would a fair estimate of the repayments be $300,000,000? Sen r Ser Mr a me ent Mr. JONES. I think that would be a conservative estimate. Senator GLASS. That would give you a billion uncommitted, or a billion and a half? Mr. JONES. A billion three, to a billion and a half. Se M Se M al M |