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1st Session

No. 943

CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS

JUNE 7, 1937.-Ordered to be printed

Mr. CONNERY, from the committee of conference, submitted the

following

CONFERENCE REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 6551]

The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendment of the Senate to the bill (H. R. 6551) to establish a Civilian Conservation Corps, 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 House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate 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:

That there is hereby established the Civilian Conservation Corps, hereinafter called the Corps, for the purpose of providing employment and training for citizenship for youthful citizens of the United States who are unemployed and in need of employment, and to a limited extent as hereinafter set out, for war veterans and Indians, through the performance of useful public work in connection with the conservation and development of the natural resources of the United States, its Territories, and insular possessions: Provided, That the provisions of this Act shall continue for the period of three years after July 1, 1937, and no longer.

SEC. 2. The President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, is authorized to appoint a Director at a salary of $10,000 per annum. The Director shall have complete and final authority in the functioning of the Corps, including the allotment of funds to cooperating Federal departments and agencies, subject to such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the President in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 3. In order to carry out the purpose of this Act, the Director is authorized to provide for the employment of the Corps and its facilities on works of public interest or utility for the protection, restoration, regeneration, improvement, development, utilization, maintenance, or enjoy

H. Repts., 75-1, vol. 2-48

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ment of the natural resources of lands and waters, and the products thereof, including forests, fish and wildlife on lands or interest in lands (including historical or archeological sites), belonging to, or under the jurisdiction or control of, the United States, its Territories, and insular possessions, and the several States: Provided, That the President may, in his discretion, authorize the Director to undertake projects on lands belonging to or under the jurisdiction or control of counties, and municipalities, and on lands in private ownership, but only for the purpose of doing thereon such kinds of cooperative work as are or may be provided for by Acts of Congress, including the prevention and control of forest fires, forest tree pests and diseases, soil erosion, and floods: Provided further, That no projects shall be undertaken on lands or interests in lands, other than those belonging to or under the jurisdiction or control of the United States, unless adequate provisions are made by the cooperating agencies for the maintenance, operation, and utilization of such projects after completion.

SEC. 4. There are hereby transferred to the Corps all enrolled personnel, records, papers, property, funds, and obligations of the Emergency Conservation Work established under the Act of March 31, 1933 (48 Stat. 22), as amended; and the Corps shall take over the institution of the camp exchange heretofore established and maintained, under supervision of the War Department, in connection with and aiding in administration of Civilian Conservation Corps work-camps conducted under the authority of said Act as amended: Provided, That such camp exchange shall not sell to persons not connected with the operation of the Civilian Conservation Corps.

SEC. 5. The Director and, under his supervision, the heads of other Federal departments or agencies cooperating in the work of the Corps, are authorized within the limit of the allotments of funds therefor, to appoint such civilian personnel as may be deemed necessary for the efficient and economical discharge of the functions of the Corps, in accordance with the civil-service laws and regulations made thereunder, and their compensation shall be fixed in accordance with the Classification Act of 1923, as amended: Provided, That the employment of employees of the Emergency Conservation Work and of the cooperating Federal agencies whose compensation is paid from Emergency Conservation Work funds, as of June 30, 1937, and for at least two months prior thereto, may be continued, and such employees who do not have a competitive classified civil-service status appropriate for the positions to be occupied shall be permitted to take an appropriate noncompetitive examination to be given by the Civil Service Commission within a period of ten months and those employees who do not receive an eligible rating as a result of said examination shall be dropped from the rolls not later than June 30, 1938: Provided further, That the provisions of this section shall not apply to Reserve officers on active duty with the Corps, enrollees of the Corps, or unskilled labor: Provided further, That notwithstanding any contrary provisions of this or any other Act the employment of Indians shall be in accordance with section 12 of the Act of June 18, 1934 (48 Stat. 984).

SEC. 6. The President may order Reserve officers of the Army and officers of the Naval and Marine Reserves and warrant officers of the Coast Guard to active duty with the Corps under the provisions of section 37a of the National Defense Act and the Act of February 28, 1925, respectively.

SEC. 7. The Director is authorized to have enrolled not to exceed three hundred thousand men at any one time, of which not more than thirty thousand may be war veterans: Provided, That in addition thereto camps or facilities may be established for not to exceed ten thousand additional Indian enrollees and five thousand additional territorial and insular possession enrollees.

SEC. 8. The enrollees in the Corps (other than war veterans, enrollees in the Territories and insular possessions, Indians, not to exceed one mess steward, three cooks, and one leader per each company) shall be unmarried male citizens of the United States between the ages of seventeen and twenty-three years, both inclusive, and shall at the time of enrollment be unemployed and in need of employment: Provided, That the Director may exclude from enrollment such classes of persons as he may consider detrimental to the well-being or welfare of the Corps, except that no person shall be excluded on account of race, color, or creed: Provided further, That enrollments shall be for a period of not less than six months and reenrollments shall not exceed a total term of two years: Provided further, That in the discretion of the Director continuous service by the enrollee during his period of enrollment shall not be required in any case where the enrollee attends an educational institution of his choice during his leave of absence: Provided further, That the Director shall be authorized to issue certificates of proficiency and merit to enrollees under such rules and regulations as he may provide.

SEC. 9. The compensation of enrollees shall be in accordance with schedules approved by the President, and enrollees with dependent member or members of their families shall be required, under such regulations as may be prescribed by the Director, to make allotments of pay to such dependents. Other enrollees may make deposits of pay in amounts specified by the Director with the Chief of Finance, War Department, to be repaid in case of an emergency or upon completion of or release from enrollment and to receive the balance of their pay in cash monthly: Prorided, That Indians may be excluded from these regulations: Provided further, That the pay of enrollees shall not exceed $30 per month, unless such enrollees are used as leaders or for special services for which an additional amount of pay is justified.

SEC. 10. Enrollees shall be provided, in addition to the monthly rates of pay, with such quarters, subsistence, and clothing, or commutation in lieu thereof, medical attention, hospitalization, and transportation as the Director may deem necessary: Provided, That burial, embalming, and transportation expenses of deceased enrolled members of the Corps, regardless of the cause and place of death, shall be paid in accordance with regulations of the Employees' Compensation Commission applicable to employees injured in line of duty: Provided further, That the provisions of the Act of February 15, 1934 (U. S. C., 1934 ed., title 5, sec. 796), relating to disability or death compensation and benefits shall apply to the enrolled personnel of the Corps.

SEC. 11. The Chief of Finance, War Department, is hereby designated, empowered, and directed, until otherwise ordered by the President, to act as the fiscal agent of the Director in carrying out the provisions of this Act: Provided, That funds allocated to Government agencies for obligation under this Act may be expended in accordance with the laws, rules, and regulations governing the usual work of such agency, except as otherwise stipulated in this Act: Provided further, That in incurring expenditures,

the provisions of section 3709, Revised Statutes (U. S. C., 1934 ed., title 41, sec. 5), shall not apply to any purchase or service when the aggregate amount involved does not exceed the sum of $300.

SEC. 12. The President is hereby authorized to utilize the services and facilities of such departments or agencies of the Government as he may deem necessary for carrying out the purposes of this Act.

SEC. 13. The Director and, under his supervision, the cooperating departments and agencies of the Federal Government are authorized to enter into such cooperative agreements with States and civil divisions as may be necessary for the purpose of utilizing the services and facilities thereof.

SEC. 14. The Director may authorize the expenditure of such amounts as he may deem necessary for supplies, materials, and equipment for enrollees to be used in connection with their work, instruction, recreation, health, and welfare, and may also authorize expenditures for the transportation and subsistence of selected applicants for enrollment and of discharged enrollees while en route upon discharge to their homes.

SEC. 15. That personal property as defined in the Act of May 29, 1935 (49 Stat. 311), belonging to the Corps and declared surplus by the Director, shall be disposed of by the Procurement Division, Treasury Department, in accordance with the provisions of said Act: Provided, That unserviceable property in the custody of any department shall be disposed of under the regulations of that Department.

SEC. 16. The Director and, under his supervision, the heads of cooperating departments and agencies are authorized to consider, ascertain, adjust, determine, and pay from the funds appropriated by Congress to carry out the provisions of this Act any claim arising out of operations authorized by the Act accruing after the effective date thereof on account of damage to or loss of property or on account of personal injury to persons not provided for by section 10 of this Act, caused by the negligence of any enrollee or employee of the Corps while acting within the scope of his employment: Provided, That the amount allowed on account of personal injury shall be limited to necessary medical and hospital expenses: Provided further, That this section shall not apply to any claim on account of personal injury for which a remedy is provided by section 10 of this Act: Provided further, That no claim shall be considered hereunder which is in excess of $500, or which is not presented in writing within one year from the date of accrual thereof: Provided further, That acceptance by any claimant of the amount allowed on account of his claim shall be deemed to be in full settlement thereof, and the action of the Director or of the head of a cooperating department or agency upon such claim so accepted by the claimant shall be conclusive.

SEC. 17. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as may be necessary for the purpose of carrying out the purposes of this Act: Provided, That no part of any such appropriation shall be used in any way to pay any expense in connection with the conduct, operation, or management of any camp exchange, save and except such camp exchanges as are established and operated, in accordance with regulations to be prescribed by the Director, at such camps as may be designated by him, for real assistance and convenience to enrollees in supplying them and their supervising personnel on duty at any such camp with articles of ordinary use and consumption not furnished by the Government: Provided further, That

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