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TITLE IV-TIME LIMIT AND SHORT TITLE

SEC. 401. Titles I and II of this Act shall remain in force during the continuance of the present war and for six months after the termination of the war, or until such earlier time as the Congress by concurrent resolution or the President may designate.

SEC. 402. This Act may be cited as the "First War Powers Act, 1941".

[Excerpt from Public Law 365 (78th Cong.)]

(LOAN AGENCIES COMMERCE)

Administrative expenses: Of the funds available for administrative expenses to the agencies placed under the supervision of the Secretary of Commerce by section 402 of Reorganization Plan Numbered I under authority of the Reorganization Act of 1939 and Executive Order Numbered 9071 of February 24, 1942, $120,000 is hereby made available to the Secretary for expenses in accordance therewith, including personal services in the District of Columbia and elsewhere; printing and binding ($2,500); lawbooks, books of reference and periodicals; not to exceed $10,000 for the temporary employment of persons or organizations for special services by contract or otherwise without regard to section 3709 of the Revised Statutes and the civil-service and classification laws; payment when specifically authorized by the Secretary of actual transportation and other necessary expenses and not to exceed $10 per diem in lieu of subsistence to persons serving while away from their home, without other compensation from the United States, in an advisory capacity to the Secretary: Provided, That none of the funds made available by this Act for administrative expenses of said agencies shall be obligated or expended unless and until an appropriate appropriation account shall have been established therefor pursuant to an appropriation warrant or a covering warrant, and all such expenditures shall be accounted for and audited in accordance with the Budget and Accounting Act, as amended.

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AUTHORIZING POSTMASTERS IN ALASKA TO ADMINISTER
OATHS AND AFFIRMATIONS

FEBRUARY 8, 1945.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed

Mr. BURCH, from the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 304]

The Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 304) to amend the act authorizing postmasters in Alaska to administer oaths and affirmations, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass.

A similar bill (H. R. 4919) was reported favorably by your committee and passed unanimously by the House in the Seventy-eighth Congress but did not reach the floor of the Senate for consideration.

The

purpose

PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION

of the bill is stated in the title. All the bill is existing

law except the words "or of the Legislature of the Territory of Alaska," appearing on page 2, line 3.

By reason of unique conditions existing in Alaska, vast in area and sparse in population, numbers of the citizens of the Territory live in so that many of them are required to travel long distances when it small villages or in isolated camps remote from centers of population becomes necessary for them to take oaths or make acknowledgments Stat. 1219), Congress gave relief by providing that oaths, affirmarequired by law. In 1939, by act approved August 5 of that year (53 tions, or acknowledgments might be taken where "authorized, permitted, or required by any act or acts of Congress."

created is not sufficient because oaths to birth certificates and other Now under actual experience it has been found that the relief thus papers are required under acts of the Legislature of Alaska. The convenience of many residents of the Territory would be greatly served by permitting those residents to take oaths or affirmations whether

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required by acts of Congress or by the Territorial legislature before the nearest postmaster. Alaska is fairly well supplied with mail service, and postmasters may be found in practically every community and settlement in the Territory.

The passage of this legislation will not impose any financial burden whatever upon the Federal Government or the Territorial govern

ment.

The enactment of this legislation was recommended by the Post Office Department in a letter dated September 1, 1944, addressed to the chairman of the committee by the Postmaster General which also indicates that the Bureau of the Budget has no objection to the measure. The Postmaster General's letter follows:

Hon. THOMAS G. BURCH,

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., September 1, 1944.

Chairman, Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads,

House of Representatives.

MY DEAR MR. BURCH: Reference is made to your request for a report upon H. R. 4919, a bill to amend the act authorizing postmasters in Alaska to administer oaths and affirmations.

The only difference between existing law and H. R. 4919 is the addition of the final clause "or of the Legislature of the Territory of Alaska."

No doubt this proposed amendment would be beneficial to the residents of Alaska, and this Department has no objection to the enactment of the measure. It has been ascertained from the Bureau of the Budget that this report is in accord with the program of the President.

Sincerely yours,

FRANK C. WALKER,
Postmaster General.

In compliance with paragraph 2a of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, as introduced, are shown as follows (new matter is printed in italics, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman):

ACT OF AUGUST 5, 1939 (53 STAT. 1219)

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That each postmaster within the Territory of Alaska is hereby authorized and directed to administer oaths and affirmations and to take acknowledgments, and to make and execute certificates thereof, and to perform all other functions of a notary public within said Territory, whenever an oath, affirmation, or acknowledgment or a certificate thereof is authorized, permitted, or required by any Act or Acts of Congress, or of the Legislature of the Territory of Alaska.

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AUTHORIZING PAYMENTS OF REWARDS TO POSTAL EMPLOYEES FOR INVENTIONS

FEBRUARY 8, 1945.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. MCKENZIE, from the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 744]

The Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 744) authorizing payments of rewards to postal employees for inventions, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do

pass.

A similar bill (H. R. 3998) was reported favorably by your committee and passed unanimously by the House in the Seventy-eighth Congress, but failed to reach the floor of the Senate for consideration. The purpose of this proposed legislation is to encourage inventions and suggestions by employees which result in improvements and economies in the Postal Service, and to provide for the payment of suitable rewards for same.

There is quoted below a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House by the Postmaster General under date of January 4, 1944, recommending this legislation and explaining its desirability, as follows:

Hon. SAM RAYBURN,

Speaker, House of Representatives.

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., January 4, 1944.

66 committee

MY DEAR MR. RAYBURN: On April 14, 1943, there was appointed at each of the 15 division headquarters for the States within such divisions, a on suggestions and experiments for the Postal Service" with a central committee in Washington. The purpose was to interest postal personnel in suggesting improvements in the service.

Many of our best suggestions have been presented by postal workers and placed in effect without any thought of recognition, or hope of reward. However, believing that outstanding contributions to efficient postal service should be recognized, and rewarded in a financial way, legislation to that end is recommended.

H. Repts., 79-1, vol. 1—15

There is submitted herewith a draft of a proposed bill authorizing payment of rewards to postal employees for inventions or suggestions in a sum not exceeding $25,000 in any one fiscal year, or $1,000 for any one invention, suggestion, or series of suggestions, to be paid from appropriations for postal activities benefiting, as the Postmaster General may determine. The suggestion program idea has been successful in practically all large industries. The Post Office Department, as the result of a Bulletin notice to officers and personnel, now has on hand some 2,500 suggestions, a number of which will produce economies in operation and improved service beyond the cost of any rewards that may be given.

It has been ascertained from the Bureau of the Budget that this recommendation for legislation is in accord with the program of the President.

Very truly yours,

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