THE SALVATION ARMY, INC., Hon. KENNETH B. KEATING, DEAR SENATOR KEATING: Please be advised that we are solidly behind your bill S. 1365, making Federal surplus property available to the Salvation Army and other agencies. This bill if enacted into law would be of great assistance to the Salvation Army, and we deeply appreciate your efforts. Sincerely yours, ADAM E. CORNELIUS, Jr., Chairman, the Salvation Army Advisory Board AUGUST 4, 1959. Senator KENNETH B. KEATING, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR KEATING: On behalf of the Southern California Federation of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers, I request your support of Senate bill 1365 which authorizes disposal of Federal surplus properties to welfare and recreation agencies. Our 34-member houses are serving "less chance" neighborhood in southern California and the passage of Senate bill 1365 would indeed stretch the Community Chest dollar. Wishing you and your committee every success, I remain, ARNOLD MARTINEZ, President, Southern California Federation of WHATSOEVER CIRCLE COMMUNITY HOUSE, Kansas City, Mo., August 4, 1959. Re Senate bill 1365. Hon. KENNETH KEATING, Senate Building, Washington, D.C. HONORABLE SIR: The Whatsoever Circle Community House is interested in Senate bill 1365 and requests that all welfare and recreational agencies have the opportunity to share in the disposal of surplus Government property. Each agency is struggling with budget problems and assistance of any kind would enable us to carry on our work to a fuller extent. Our agency could use the following items: Typewriters, duplicating machines, chairs, kitchen equipment, tables, fabric for sewing, sewing machines, and electric fans. Sincerely, Mrs. CHARLES SMALLFIELD, President, Board of Managers, Whatsoever Circle Community House. AVALON COMMUNITY CENTER, Hon. KENNETH B. KEATING, Washington, D.C. DEAR SIR: I am writing to urge the passage of Senate bill 1365, which authorizes the disposal of Federal surplus property to welfare and recreation agencies. Such authorization would be of value to settlement houses and community centers who are in great need of equipment for an effective social welfare program. There is an urgent need for the passage of this bill. Mrs. ROBERT E. JONES, Executive Director. Senator KENNETH B. KEATING, Washington, D.C. HOME OF NEIGHBORLY SERVICE, San Bernardino, Calif., August 5, 1959. DEAR SIR: I would like to ask that you vote in favor of Senate bill 1365, that is the authorization of disposal of Federal surplus property to welfare and recreation agencies. Thank you. ESTHER RICHARD, Girls Worker. DENVER, COLO. Hon. KENNETH KEATING, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR KEATING: Your support of Senate bill 1365, authorizing disposal of Federal surplus property to health and welfare agencies is urgently requested. This would be a much-needed contribution to these organizations that are doing an important work in our community. Respectfully, IVY B. VAN ETTEN. JEWISH FAMILY AND CHILDREN'S SERVICE OF DENVER, Hon. KENNETH B. KEATING, MY DEAR MR. KEATING: Your help in passing S. 1365 authorizing the disposal of Federal surplus property is appreciated. It will go a long way in helping social agencies do an even better job in helping our fellow citizens live to the maximum of their capacities, making them stronger and healthier. Thank you very much. Most sincerely yours, Dr. ALFRED M. NEUMANN, ALBANY, N.Y., August 7, 1959. Hon. KENNETH B. KEATING, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.O. DEAR SIR: As one familiar with many years with the fine work of the Salvation Army and their rehabilitation of so many people, your bill, S. 1365, has my wholehearted approval. Yours very truly, LAURENCE MCKINNEY. UTICA, N.Y., August 14, 1959. Hon. KENNETH KEATING, Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR: As chairman of the advisory committee of the Salvation Army in Utica, I am most interested in your Senate bill 1365. It would make Salvation Army along with other agencies eligible for Federal surplus property. I strongly urge you and the committeee on which you are serving to give favorable consideration to this legislation. The type and quality of work of the Salvation Army is such that any advantage which they can derive from Federal surplus property should be granted to them. Very sincerely yours, WILLIAM C. MORRIS. (Whereupon, at 1 p.m., the hearing was recessed subject to the call of the Chair.) EXPANSION OF DONABLE PROPERTY PROGRAM MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1959 U.S. SENATE, SPECIAL SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, Washington, D.C. The special subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10 a.m., in room 3302, New Senate Office Building, Senator Ernest Gruening (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Senator Ernest Gruening. Also present: Walter L. Reynolds, chief clerk and staff director; Ann M. Grickis, assistant chief clerk; and Glenn K. Shriver, professional staff member. Senator GRUENING. The meeting will please come to order. This hearing has been called for the purpose of obtaining additional information concerning the present operation of the donable surplus property program, and to clarify questions which have been raised by the executive branch concerning the advisability of extending the program to permit donations of property to additional donees not now eligible under the present law. I would like first of all to obtain information, now lacking in the record, concerning transfers of surplus property for use in programs under the jurisdiction of the International Cooperation Administration and the Bureau of Public Roads. We also wish to explore the donable surplus property program as it applies to civil defense units. Specifically, with respect to these three programs, I would like to find out how much property, which might otherwise be donable, has been transferred under special legislation and regulations. The obvious purpose of this inquiry is to determine the impact of transfers to these programs on the donation of property to presently eligible donees, and the potential effect on additional donees which might be admitted to the program. In addition to examining the transfers of property to the programs of civil defense, public roads, and foreign aid, I would like to obtain specific information concerning (1) The amount of surplus property available for donation and its disposition; and (2) Administrative procedures now followed in the donable property program to insure, first, prompt and adequate screening of property declared excess; second, proper end-use of the property for the purposes prescribed by the statute. In examining the record of the hearings conducted on July 29 and July 30 the subcommittee finds that there are not sufficient factual data 143 now available to determine action which should be taken on the bills now before us, which would extend the donable property program to additional donees. It appears that the executive branch is opposed to extension of the program for the two chief reasons that, first, there is an insufficient amount of surplus property generated to meet requirements of eligible donees under the present law; and, second, the addition of other donees would create difficult administrative problems. In reviewing the position of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and the General Services Administration, however, we find that there are many questions raised by the statements of those agencies. In short, the committee must obtain a great deal of additional information of the kind we expect to acquire today and subsequently before decisions can be made on the proposed legislation under consideration. To be specific, we must obtain answers to the following questions: 1. How much surplus property is available? Of property available, how much is or has been donated to eligible donees? Of property available, how much, which would otherwise be donable, is being sold? 2. What kinds of property, now being sold, would be usable by potential danees to whom extension of the program is proposed by the bills introduced? 3. Under existing organization and procedures of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, is it possible to prevent the sale of property which would otherwise be available for donation to organizations now eligible under the present law? 4. If additional staff were made available to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, would it be possible to prevent sales of property which would otherwise be donable under existing law? 5. Exactly what is the nature of the administrative problems which would be created by the addition of other eligible donees? 6. To what extent is potentially donable property being kept in Defense Department warehouses and not declared excess to needs? What safeguards are maintained to insure prompt declarations that property is in excess? What safeguards are maintained to insure that each of the services is not buying with the left hand the same items it is declaring excess with the right hand? Now, we have a number of witnesses here who want to testify in behalf of their organizations that they want surplus property, and we will be very glad to hear them, but I would like to suggest that our problem is not to find agencies or groups that want this property. Everybody wants this property. Our problem is to find out which is available and whether more can be made available, and whether the procedures is such more can be made available. However, we will be very glad to hear from those who have these problems; but I would like to suggest that, if they have a statement, they summarize it briefly and then file it for the record. Our first witness this morning is Mr. Howard Jeffery, executive director, American Recreation Society, Inc. Mr. Jeffrey, please sit down and proceed in your own way. I want to say to you while the committee is very sympathetic about these problems, our problem is not particularly to hear from these agencies because we know all of them are deserving and all of them have desires, and our problem is to find out whether we can or cannot get more property distributed. You may proceed, Mr. Jeffrey. If you have a prepared statement, please summarize it and then submit it for the record. It will be printed in full at the conclusion of your remarks. STATEMENT OF HOWARD JEFFREY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AMERICAN RECREATION SOCIETY, INC., WASHINGTON, D.C. Mr. JEFFREY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to indicate there is property available and that there are methods by which the Government units of recreation departments in cities and towns and counties as tax-supported institutions, could receive this accountable property to serve as a vital resource for park lands, for the wildlife refuges that you have mentioned in your legislation, and for the community recreation of the people throughout the country. Real property represents this vital source. We are facing a crisis. in outdoor recreation. We urge the favorable report of the 21 bills submitted, or a combination of principles indicated in the 21 bills that are now in the Senate, and the 4 bills that we know of that are in the House. We urge this because an increase in the number of requests for surplus would solve the problem of delayed distribution. We have had this expediting evidence given to us by surplus officers who believe that this property now in Texas and in other places would move from the warehouses where it now is damaged by storage, is a problem of maintenance, and needs to be moved. We also would like to point out that private agencies are now eligible for surplus properties and governmental agencies are not. The American Institute of Park Executives joins with us in the support of legislation making available supplies and equipment and real property to these governmental units at the State and local level. Senator GRUENING. Well, now, what is the American Recreation Society? Mr. JEFFREY. The American Recreation Society is the professional society of people who work in the field of recreation. We represent 5,154 of these people. There are approximately 25,000 of them throughout the country who work in recreation in various settings. We have as members 1,400 who work entirely for tax-supported municipal, county, and local governmental units. Senator GRUENING. Does the society exist in every State of the Union? Mr. JEFFREY. Yes; we do. Our chapters are in 30 of these States. Our members are in every State of the Union, including yours, sir. Senator GRUENING. What does a chapter consist of? Mr. JEFFREY. A chapter would consist of a State organization with its elected officers. Senator GRUENING. Well, now, you are in every State of the Union. I will have to confess I am not familiar with the activities of your society in Alaska. Does it exist there? |