other States. The State game and fish departments may spend these funds for any of the following activities: Purchase of lands and waters for resting, feeding, and breeding grounds; development of areas to improve food, cover, and other essentials of the habitat; investigations of problems relating to practical wildlife management, and maintenance of completed projects. Before a State may become eligible to participate in the program it must have assented to the terms of the act. Further, there must be no diversion of fees paid by hunters for purposes other than administration of the game and fish departments. This feature, which is also included in the Federal aid to fisheries bill, has been heartily endorsed by the administrators and sportsmen. It has prevented "raids" on game funds in many States. All of the States have taken the necessary steps to become eligible to share in benefits of the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Act, and all are actively participating in the program at the present. The Pittman-Robertson program, now in its eleventh year of operation, has been hailed by conservationists as an outstanding contributor to wildlife restoration. All State game and fish administrators have heartily endorsed this cooperative program. To assure continuing smooth operations, members of the Fish and Wildlife Service meet periodically with the Pittman-Robertson Committee of the International Association of Game, Fish, and Conservation Commissioners, to devise new policies and work out current administrative problems. Through this cooperative approach, differences of opinion are kept from reaching the stage where they can cause acrimonious debate or stifle progress. The tax in question, now imposed by section 3706 of the Internal Revenue Code and in effect since October 1, 1941, is a wartime excise tax and probably will be discontinued some time in the future unless made permanent. The proposed legislation contemplates that the tax shall be continued and set aside in a special fund to carry out the purposes of the bill. TREASURY AND POST OFFICE DEPARTMENTS JUNE 29, 1949.-Ordered to be printed Mr. GARY, from the committee of conference, submitted the following CONFERENCE REPORT To accompany H. R. 3083) The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on certain amendments of the Senate to the bill (H. R. 3083) making appropriations for the Treasury and Post Office Departments and funds available for the Export-Import Bank and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1950. 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 amendments of the Senate numbered 5 and 7 and agree to the same.. Amendment numbered 6: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 6, and agree to the same with an amendment as follows: In lieu of the sum proposed by said amendment insert $226,300,000; and the Senate agree to the same. J. VAUGHAN GARY, Managers on the Part of the House. BURNET R. MAYBANK. CARL HAYDEN, H. M. KILGORE, JOHN L. MCCLELLAN. OLIN D. JOHNSTON, GUY CORDON, CLYDE M. REED, STYLES BRIdges. Managers on the Part of the Senate. H. Repts., 81-1, vol. 4 -95 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. 3083) making appropriations for the Treasury and Post Office Departments and funds available for the Export-Import Bank and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1950, and for other purposes, submit the following report in explanation of the conference report as to each of such amendments, namely: Amendment No. 5, relating to salaries and expenses of the Bureau of Internal Revenue: Deletes the limitation on personal services as proposed by the Senate. Amendment No. 6: Appropriates $226,300,000 for salaries and expenses of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. It is the direction of the conference committee that the Bureau of Internal Revenue shall increase its field enforcement groups by not more than 4,250 employees at the end of the fiscal year 1950. Amendment No. 7: Provides a limitation on personal services for the Bureau of Internal Revenue in the District of Columbia of not to exceed $17,509,000, as proposed by the Senate. 2 J. VAUGHAN GARY, Managers on the Part of the House. О PROVIDING FOR THE CONFERRING OF THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE UPON GRADUATES OF THE UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY JUNE 29, 1949.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. GARMATZ, from the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 242) The Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 242) to provide for the conferring of the degree of bachelor of science upon graduates of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. This bill would amend the act of May 25, 1933, as amended by Public Law 705, Seventy-ninth Congress (60 Stat. 968), relating to the conferring of the degree of bachelor of science upon the graduates of the Naval, Military, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine Academies, so as to authorize the Superintendent of the Merchant_Marine Academy under such rules and regulations as the Maritime Commission may prescribe, to confer the degree upon all graduates of the Academy from and after the date of the accrediting of said Academy by the Association of American Universities. Amendment of the act of May 25, 1933, as amended by Public Law 705 is necessary in order to make the intent of that law effective in the case of the Merchant Marine Academy. The Association of American Universities is specifically named as the agency to act upon accreditation of the Merchant Marine Academy as a prerequisite to the exercise of authority by the Superintendent of the Academy to confer the bachelor of science degree upon graduates. The Association of American Universities has withdrawn from the field of accreditation and therefore this amendment is desirable in order to achieve the intent of Public Law 705 by eliminating specific reference to particular accrediting organization. If this bill is enacted accreditation of the Merchant Marine Academy may be made by some other recognized accrediting organization. The favorable report of the United States Maritime Commission is as follows: Hon. SCHUYLER OTIS BLAND, UNITED STATES MARITIME COMMISSION, Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of Representatives. MY DEAR JUDGE BLAND: On February 4, 1949, you requested the views of the Maritime Commission on H. R. 242, a bill to provide for the conferring of the degree of bachelor of science upon graduates of the United States Merchant Marine Academy. This bill would amend the Act of May 25, 1933, as amended by Public Law 705, Seventy-ninth Congress (60 Stat. 968) relating to the conferring of the degree of bachelor of science upon the graduates of the Naval, Military, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine Academies, so as to authorize the Superintendent of the Merchant Mariné Academy under such rules and regulations as the Maritime Commission may prescribe, to confer the degree upon all graduates of the Academy from and after the date of the accrediting of said Academy by the Association of American Universities. The bill further provides that after the accrediting of said Academy, the Superintendent thereof, may under such rules and regulations as the Maritime Commission may make, confer the degree of bachelor of science upon such other living graduates as shall have met the requirements of the Academy for such degree. The Commission has recently received notice from the committee on the classification of universities and colleges of the Association of American Universities that the association has decided to withdraw from the field of accreditation. The bill would require accreditation of the Academy before it could issue degrees, without, however, specifically requiring that it be accredited by the Associa‐ tion of American Universities or any other organization. To expedite compliance with this condition the Commission has already submitted an application for such accreditation to the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, which is one of the nationally recognized accrediting agencies. Cadet midshipmen must be between 17 and 21 years of age when admitted to the Academy. They must pass the rigid physical examination required for appointment as midshipmen in the United States Naval Reserve, and a national competitive scholastic test. The scholastic examination given is the preengineering inventory, prepared and graded by the educational testing service. Cadet midshipmen must also present satisfactory high-school credentials and character recommendations as conditions of admission. The students of the Academy are given a 4-year course of study and training. 3 years in theoretical study ashore and 1 year in practical training aboard a ship. During the last part of the last year they sit for examination as third mate or third engineer, depending upon the particular department of study chosen by each student. The curriculum of the Academy is given in detail in Senate Report No. 1725, Seventy-ninth Congress. The congressional Boards of Visitors to the Academy have invariably reported favorably on its educational program and the fine type of graduates therefrom Every student of the school is a midshipman in the Merchant Marine Reserve of the United States Naval Reserve, and upon graduation, is commissioned as ensign, USNR, and receives a diploma and professional merchant marine officer's license and an appointment as ensign in the United States Maritime Service. Al graduates are subject to call to active duty in the United States Naval Reserve. The enactment of this bill will result in no additional expense to the Government. For the foregoing reasons, the Commission recommends favorable consideration of the bill. The Director, Bureau of the Budget, advises that there would be no objection to the submission of this report to your committee. Sincerely yours, PHILIP B. FLEMING, Chairman. о |