REGULATE THE PRESCRIBING AND USE OF WATERS FROM THE HOT SPRINGS RESERVATION AT HOT SPRINGS, ARK. FEBRUARY 14, 1931.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. FULLER, from the Committee on the Public Lands, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 14275] The Committee on the Public Lands, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 14275) to regulate the prescribing and use of waters from the Hot Springs Reservation at Hot Springs, Ark., and for other purposes, having considered the same, report it favorably to the House and recommend that it do pass with the following amendment: Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert: That section 369, title 16, United States Code, being a provision of the sundry civil appropriation act approved June 5, 1920 (41 Stat. 874), is hereby amended so as to read as follows: "The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to assess and collect from physicians who desire to prescribe the hot waters from the Hot Springs National Park, reasonable fees for examination and registration; and he is also authorized to assess and collect from bath attendants and masseurs operating in bathhouses receiving hot water from the park, reasonable annual charges to cover the cost of physical examinations.' Amend the title to read: "To regulate the prescribing and use of waters from the Hot Springs National Park at Hot Springs, Arkansas, and for other purposes." The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to assess and collect from physicians who desire to prescribe the hot waters from the Hot Springs National Park, reasonable [charges for the exercise of such privilege, including fees for examination and registration;] fees for examination and registration; and he is also authorized to assess and collect from bath attendants and masseurs operating in [all] receiving hot water from the [said] park reasonable [charges for the exercise of such privileges. The moneys received from the exercise of this authority shall be used in the protection and improvement of the said park.] annual charges to cover the cost of physical examinations. This bill has been amended as suggested by the Director of the National Park Service which, as amended, is recommended by the Secretary of the Interior. The letter of the Secretary of the Interior 2-19-31 transmitting the memorandum of the Director of the National Park Service is set forth and made a part of this report. Hon. DoN B. COLTON, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Washington, February 13, 1931. Chairman Committee on the Public Lands, House of Representatives. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: In compliance with your request of December 3, for a report on H. R. 14275, which is a bill to regulate the prescribing and use of waters from the Hot Springs Reservation at Hot Springs, Ark., and for other purposes, I transmit herewith a memorandum on the subject that has been submitted by Director Albright of the National Park Service. After a review of the proposed measure, I agree with Mr. Albright. RAY LYMAN WILBUR, Secretary. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Memorandum for the Secretary. This will refer to the request of December 3, 1930, from the chairman Committee on the Public Lands, House of Representatives, for a report on H. R. 14275, "A bill to regulate the prescribing and use of waters from the Hot Springs Reservation at Hot Springs, Ark., and for other purposes. The purpose of this bill is to prohibit the collection of annual privilege fees from physicians who have been authorized to prescribe the use of hot water from Hot Springs National Park, and from attendants and masseurs employed by bathhouses receiving water from the park, which fees are being collected pursuant to a provision contained in the sundry civil act approved June 5, 1920 (41 Stat. 874, 918). The records of the service show that the purpose of the law authorizing the collection of the privilege fees, as well as fees for examination and registration, was to increase the amount of money available for the park, the income from the fees being made available for protection and improvement. Since then a provision of law has been enacted providing that all revenues from the national parks shall be covered into the Treasury; and appropriations for Hot Springs National Park are made from the Treasury. The annual privilege fee prescribed for physicians is $60 while that for attendants and masseurs is $12; the Government receiving an income of approximately $9,000 a year from these sources. From time to time the physicians at Hot Springs have protested the payment of the privilege fees and I do not see how they can be justified on any sound ground. The superintendent of the park recommended their abolishment. However, I am in favor of collecting fees from the physicians to cover the cost of examination and registration, and also the collection of reasonable fees from attendants and masseurs employed by bathhouses to cover thecost of physical examinations which they are required to undergo periodically. The views outlined above could be best accomplished by amending the provision of law of June 5, 1920, and, therefore, I recommend that the following amendments be made to H. R. 14275: Strike out the word "Reservation" in the title to the bill and insert in lieu thereof "National Park." Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert: "That section 369, title 16, United States Code, being a provision of the sundry civil appropriation act approved June 5, 1920 (41 Stat. 874, 918) is hereby amended so as to read as follows: 'The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to assess and collect from physicians who desire to prescribe the hot waters from the Hot Springs National Park, reasonable fees for examination and registration; and he is also authorized to assess and collect from bath attendants and masseurs operating in bathhouses receiving hot water from the park, reasonable annual charges to cover the cost of physical examinations."" HORACE M. ALBRIGHT, Director. O 3d Session No. 2680 INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1932 FEBRUARY 16, 1931.-Ordered to be printed Mr. WASON, from the committee of conference, submitted the following CONFERENCE REPORT [To accompany H. R. 16415] The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendments of the Senate to the bill (H. R. 16415) making appropriations for the Executive Office and sundry independent executive bureaus, boards, commissions, and offices for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1932, 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 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 71, 72, and 73. That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendments of the Senate numbered 37 and 67, and agree to the same. Amendment numbered 3: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 3, and agree to the same with an amendment as follows: In lieu of the matter inserted by şaid amendment insert the following: Provided further, That no part of this appropriation shall be used to pay for the cost of reconstructing and paving B Street northwest, as provided in the approved project, except for such portions as may abut upon Government-owned property, and not in excess of 40 per centum of the cost of such reconstructing and paving of that portion of the said street which so abuts. And the Senate agree to the same. 1 Amendment numbered 13: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 13, and agree to the same with an amendment as follows: In lieu of the sum proposed, insert $863,370; and the Senate agree to the same. Amendment numbered 17: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 17, and agree to the same with an amendment as follows: In lieu of the sum proposed, insert $1,658,342; and the Senate agree to the same. Amendment numbered 22: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 22, and agree to the same with an amendment, as follows: In lieu of the sum proposed insert $4,730,980; and the Senate agree to the same. Amendment numbered 74: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 74, and agree to the same with an amendment, as follows: In lieu of the sum proposed, insert $1,052,777,010; and the Senate agree to the same. The committee of conference have not agreed on amendments numbered 38, 53, 69, and 70. EDWARD H. WASON, JOHN W. SUMMERS, Managers on the Part of the House. HENRY W. KEYES, REED SMOOT, W. L. JONES, CARTER GLASS, Managers on the Part of the Senate. 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. 16415) making appropriations for the Executive Office and sundry independent executive bureaus, boards, commissions and offices for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1932, and for other purposes, submit the following statement in explanation of the effect of the action agreed upon and recommended in the accompanying conference report as to each of such amendments, namely: The following amendments, with respect to which the accompanying conference report recommends that the Senate shall recede, deal exclusively with underaverage salary increases: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 71, and 73. No. 3: Pertaining to the Arlington Memorial Bridge appropriation, and the share of the Federal Treasury in the cost of reconstructing and paving of B Street NW., under the approved project. Proposes perfected language, in lieu of that adopted by the House and in lieu of that proposed by the Senate, so as to provide: That no part of this appropriation shall be used to pay for the cost of reconstructing and paving B Street NW., as provided in the approved project, except for such portions as may abut upon Government-owned property, and not in excess of 40 per cent of the cost of such reconstructing and paving of that portion of the said street which so abuts. Nos. 13 and 17 (Civil Service Commission): Eliminates the Senate proposal of $9,060 for underaverage salary increases; provides $13,800, as proposed by the Senate, for three additional positions in the Washington office at $4,600 each per annum, to constitute an appeal board; and corrects the total. No. 22: Corrects a total. No. 37: Strikes out the House language "fiscal year 1931," in correction of a clerical error. No. 67: Inserts the word "appropriation," as proposed by the Senate in the citation of an act, so as to make it read, "Independent offices appropriation act." No. 68: Strikes out the Senate proposal that "No part of the funds of the United States Shipping Board or the United States Shipping Board Merchant Fleet Corporation shall be available for the maintenance of a sea service bureau." No. 72: Strikes out the Senate provision amending the disabled emergency officers' retirement act of May 24, 1928, providing that no person shall on and after July 1, 1931, be entitled to and/or paid retired pay under said act, for any period during which he is receiving a salary, pay and/or compensation from the United States which exceeds $2,000 per annum. No. 74: Corrects the total of the bill. |