Hon. WILLIAM L. DAWSON, COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, Chairman, Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Further reference is made to your letter of April 1, 1957, requesting our comments on H. R. 6316. The bill would amend the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to permit the donation of surplus property to volunteer fire-fighting organizations, volunteer reserve services, squads, and first-aid crews. We have no direct knowledge of the need of those organizations for surplus property of the United States nor of the type, value, or quantity of such surplus property which might be used by those organizations. Therefore, we are not in a position to make a recommendation as to the merits of the bill. We should like to point out, however, that recently several bills have been introduced which would permit the donation of surplus property to similar public organizations. While we do not question the worthiness of such bills we believe that if such legislation is deemed necessary or desirable, the enactment of general legislation is preferable to the enactment of separate legislation for each such category. If the bill is favorably considered it is believed that it should be redrafted since apparently consideration was not given to the recent amendments made to section 203 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, by Public Law 200, approved August 1, 1955 (69 Stat. 430), and Public Law 655, approved July 3, 1956 (70 Stat. 493). Sincerely yours, JOSEPH CAMPBELL, Comptroller General of the United States. Hon. WILLIAM L. DAWSON, COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, Chairman, Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Further reference is made to your letter dated April 2, 1957, acknowledged April 3, requesting our comments on H. R. 6537, 85th Congress, 1st session. H. R. 6537 would authorize the Secretaries of the Army and Air Force to sell, and the Secretary of the Navy and the Commandant of the Coast Guard to sell or donate, obsolete or surplus Government property to the United States Volunteer Lifesaving Corps. We are advised that the United States Volunteer Lifesaving Corps is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 1906 under the laws of the State of New York for the purpose of providing volunteer lifesaving services, instruction in swimming, rescue work, and first aid at locations where people congregate for pleasure on the inland waterways of the State of New York, the several United States, and at coastal watering places where such services are not provided by the United States. However, we have no information relative to the extent of the Corps' activities or the need or desirability of the proposed legislation and consequently we are not in a position to make any recommendation as to the merits of the bill. We have noticed, however, that a number of bills have been introduced in the present Congress to permit donations of surplus property for purposes not presently authorized by law. Such bills would authorize donations to volunteer fire-fighting organizations, volunteer rescue squads, civilian-defense organizations of the States, 4-H Clubs, tax-supported public recreation agencies, and youth camps and centers. In view of the number and types of organizations we suggest that consideration be given to the advisability of enacting general legislation on the subject rather than legislation on an individual basis. Sincerely yours, JOSEPH CAMPBELL, Comptroller General of the United States. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, Hon. WILLIAM L. DAWSON, Chairman, Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Further reference is made to your letter of May 1, 1957, requesting our comments on H. R. 7067. The bill would amend the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, to permit the donation of surplus personal and real property to tax-supported public recreation agencies. We have no direct knowledge as to the need of those agencies for surplus property of the United States nor of the type, value, or quantity of such surplus property which might be used by those agencies. We are not in a position, therefore, to make a recommendation as to the merits of the bill. We should like to point out, however, that recently several bills have been introduced which would permit the donation of surplus property to various public organizations. While we do not question the worthiness of such bills we believe that if such legislation is deemed necessary or desirable, the enactment of general legislation is preferable to the enactment of legislation on an individual basis. Sincerely yours, JOSEPH CAMPBELL, Comptroller General of the United States. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, Hon. WILLIAM L. DAWSON, Chairman, Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Further reference is made to your letter of September 10, 1957, requesting our views on H. R. 9522. The bill would amend the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, to permit the donation of surplus property to certain welfare agencies. The need or desirability of the proposed legislation is not a matter on which we have any special information and, consequently, we are not in a position to make any recommendation as to the merits of the bill. We have noticed, however, that a number of bills have been introduced to permit donations of surplus property for purposes not presently authorized by law. Such bills would authorize donations to volunteer fire-fighting organizations, volunteer rescue squads, 4-H Clubs, and youth camps and centers. In view of the number and types of organizations we suggest that consideration be given to the advisability of enacting general legislation on the subject rather than legislation on an individual basis. Sincerely yours, JOSEPH CAMPBELL, Comptroller General of the United States. Hon. WILLIAM L. DAWSON, COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, Chairman, Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Further reference is made to your letter of January 22, 1958, requesting our comments on H. R. 10118. The bill would amend the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, to authorize the disposal of certain surplus property to public health agencies of a State, its political subdivisions and instrumentalities. Public health agencies are defined as including but not limited to malaria control districts, mosquito and insect control districts, sanitary districts, and drainage districts. While we have no direct knowledge of the need for the agencies included in H. R. 10118 to receive surplus property from the Government, it is recognized that such agencies are carrying out public health purposes and, therefore, we have no objection to those agencies being authorized to receive donations of surplus property from the Government. Sincerely yours, JOSEPH CAMPBELL, Comptroller General of the United States. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, Hon. WILLIAM L. DAWSON, Chairman, Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Further reference is made to your letter of February 5, 1958, requesting our comments on H. R. 10377. The bill would amend the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to permit disposal of surplus property to volunteer fire-fighting organizations. We have no direct knowledge of the need of those organizations for surplus property of the United States nor of the type, value, or quantity of such surplus property which might be used by them. Therefore, we are not in a position to make a recommendation as to the merits of the bill. We should like to point out, however, that several bills have been introduced in the past which would permit the donation of surplus property to similar public organizations. While we do not question the worthiness of such bills we believe that if such legislation is deemed necessary or desirable, the enactment of general legislation is preferable to the enactment of separate legislation for each individual purpose. If the bill is favorably considered it is believed that it should be redrafted since apparently consideration was not given to the amendments made to section 203 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, by Public Law 200, approved August 1, 1955 (69 Stat. 430), and Public Law 655, approved July 3, 1956 (70 Stat. 493). Sincerely yours, JOSEPH CAMPBELL, Comptroller General of the United States. Hon. WILLIAM L. DAWSON, COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, Chairman, Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Further reference is made to your letter of February 21, 1958, requesting our comments on H. R. 10789. The bill would amend the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, to permit the donation of surplus personal and real property to taxsupported public recreation agencies. We have no direct knowledge as to the need of those agencies for surplus property of the United States nor of the type, value, or quantity of such surplus property which might be used by those agencies. We are not in a position, therefore, to make a recommendation as to the merits of the bill. We have noticed that a number of bills have been introduced to permit donations of surplus property to various public organizations. While we do not question the worthiness of such bills we believe that if such legislation is deemed necessary or desirable, the enactment of general legislation is preferable to the enactment of legislation on an individual basis. Sincerely yours, JOSEPH CAMPBELL, Comptroller General of the United States. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, Hon. WILLIAM L. DAWSON, Chairman, Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Further reference is made to your letter of March 12, 1958, requesting our comments on H. R. 11324, a bill to amend the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to permit the donation of surplus property to volunteer fire-fighting organizations. We have no direct knowledge of the need of those organizations for surplus property of the United States nor of the type, value, or quantity of such surplus property which might be used by them. Therefore, we are not in a position to make a recommendation as to the merits of the bill. We should like to point out, however, that several bills have been introduced in the past which would permit the donation of surplus property to similar public organizations. While we do not question the worthiness of such bills we believe that if such legislation is deemed necessary or desirable, the enactment of general legislation is preferable to the enactment of separate legislation for each individual purpose. If the bill is favorably considered it is believed that it should be redrafted since apparently consideration was not given to the amendments made to section 203 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, by Public Law 200, approved August 1, 1955 (69 Stat. 430), and Public Law 655, approved July 3, 1956 (70 Stat. 493). DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Further reference is made to your letter of March 6, 1958, requesting our comments on H. R. 11115, a bill to amend the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to permit the donation of surplus property to volunteer fire-fighting organizations. We have no direct knowledge of the need of those organizations for surplus property of the United States nor of the type, value, or quantity of such surplus property which might be used by them. Therefore, we are not in a position to make a recommendation as to the merits of the bill. We should like to point out, however, that several bills have been introduced in the past which would permit the donation of surplus property to similar public organizations. While we do not question the worthiness of such bills we believe that if such legislation is deemed necessary or desirable, the enactment of general legislation is preferable to the enactment of separate legislation for each individual purpose. If the bill is favorably considered it is believed that it should be redrafted since apparently consideration was not given to the amendments made to section 203 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, by Public Law 200, approved August 1, 1955 (69 Stat. 430), and Public Law 655, approved July 3, 1956 (70 Stat. 493). Sincerely yours, JOSEPH CAMPBELL, Comptroller General of the United States. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, Hon. WILLIAM L. DAWSON, Chairman, Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Further reference is made to your letter of March 21, 1958, requesting our comments on H. R. 11516. The bill would amend the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to permit disposal of certain property to volunteer fire-fighting organizations. We have no direct knowledge of the need of the various volunteer fire-fighting organizations in the States for the type of equipment proposed to be donated to them by the bill nor do we have any information as to the value or quantity of such surplus property which might be used by these organizations. We are not in a position, therefore, to make a recommendation as to the merits of the bill. We should like to point out, however, that several bills have been introduced in the past which would permit the donation of surplus property to similar public organizations. While we do not question the worthiness of such bills we believe that if such legislation is deemed necessary or desirable, the enactment of general legislation is preferable to the enactment of separate legislation for each individual purpose. If the bill is favorably considered it is believed that it should be redrafted since apparently consideration was not given to the amendments made to section 203 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, by Public Law 200, approved August 1, 1955 (69 Stat. 430), and Public Law 655, approved July 3, 1956 (70 Stat. 493). Sincerely yours, JOSEPH CAMPBELL, Comptroller General of the United States. Hon. WILLIAM L. DAWSON, COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, Chairman, Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Further reference is made to your letter of April 28, 1958, requesting our comments on H. R. 12025. The bill would amend the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to permit disposal of certain property to volunteer fire-fighting organizations. We have no direct knowledge of the need of the various volunteer fire-fighting organizations in the States for the type of equipment proposed to be donated to them by the bill nor do we have any information as to the value or quantity of such surplus property which might be used by those organizations. We are not in a position, therefore, to make a recommendation as to the merits of the bill. We should like to point out, however, that several bills have been introduced in the past which would permit the donation of surplus property to similar public organizations. While we do not question the worthiness of such bills we believe that if such legislation is deemed necessary or desirable, the enactment of general legislation is preferable to the enactment of separate legislation for each individual purpose. If the bill is favorably considered it is believed that it should be redrafted since apparently consideration was not given to the amendments made to section 203 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, by Public Law 200, approved August 1, 1955 (69 Stat. 430), and Public Law 655, approved July 3, 1956 (70 Stat. 493). Sincerely yours, JOSEPH CAMPBELL, Comptroller General of the United States. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, Hon. WILLIAM L. DAWSON, Chairman, Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Further reference is made to your letter of June 18, 1958, requesting our views on H. R. 12959. We have no direct knowledge of the need of the various volunteer fire-fighting organizations in the States for the type of equipment proposed to be donated to them by the bill nor do we have any information as to the value or quantity |