Hon. JOHN THOMAS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Washington, July 30, 1929. Chairman Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation, United States Senate. MY DEAR SENATOR THOMAS: Referring further to your letter of June 12, in which you requested a statement of my views on the proposed legislation contained in S. J. Res. 56, to amend section 2 of the act of February 25, 1927, I transmit herewith a memorandum prepared by the Acting Commissioner of Reclamation on the subject, which seems to cover the situation. Very truly yours, RAY LYMAN WILBUR. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, There is returned letter dated June 12, 1929, from Hon. John Thomas to the department inclosing for your consideration and report printed copy of S. J. Res. 56, to amend section 2 of the act of February 25, 1927 (44 Stat. L., pt. 3. p. 1792, inadvertently cited in the bill as 44 Stat. L., “pt. 2, p. 336"). This joint resolution is designed to overcome the effect of the Comptroller General's decison of March 29, 1929, holding that the amounts paid from the reclamation fund on account of the so-called Hatch claims, Rio Grande project, must be returned by the project water users as operation and maintenance charges. This amendment provides in unequivocal terms that the money thus expended shall not be reimbursable. The amendment if enacted would result in the depletion of the reclamation fund to the extent of expenditures made under the original authorization of February 25, 1927 (44 Stat., pt. 3, p. 1792). The department, under date of April 15, 1926, made an unfavorable report on S. 545, the basis of the act of February 25, 1927. The bill as then reported on provided for payment from the General Treasury. The bill as subsequently amended in the Senate provided for payment from the reclamation fund. Discussion of this bill in the Senate will be found on pages 3821 and 3822, Congressional Record of February 17, 1926. P. W. DENT, Acting Commissioner. [PRIVATE-NO. 396-69TH CONGRESS] [8.545] AN ACT For the payment of damages to certain citizens of New Mexico caused by reason of artificial obstructions to the flow of the Rio Grande by an agency of the United States Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior is authorized and directed (1) to cause a survey to be made in such manner and under such regulations as he deems necessary for the purposes of this act to determine the property loss by flood by reason of the overflow of the Rio Grande River on August 17, 1921, sustained by Lucas Trujillo, Juan Bians, Mariano P. Padillo, Bruno Perea, Juan Jose Trujillo, Miguel Trujillo, Francisco Saiz, Antonio Provencio, B. R. Carreros, Santiago Serna, Roman M. Herrera, and other property owners who are citizens of the United States residing at or in the vicinity of Hatch and Santa Teresa, New Mexico; and (2) to pay such losses in full if the amount appropriated in section 2 of this act is sufficient or, if such amount is insufficient, to pay to each person such percentage of the amount of his property loss as the amount appropriated bears to the amount determined by the Secretary as the property loss sustained. SEC. 2. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the reclamation fund of the Treasury, the sum of $75,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for the purposes of this act. Approved, February 25, 1927. FEBRUARY 17 (calendar day, FEBRUARY 18), 1932.-Ordered to be printed Mr. WHEELER, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 276] The Committee on Indian Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (S. 276) for the construction and equipment of a hospital on the Crow Indian Reservation, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with a recommendation that the bill do pass without amendment. The report of the Secretary of the Interior is appended hereto and made a part of this report. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Hon. LYNN J. FRAZIER, Chairman Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: In compliance with your request of December 14, 1931, for a report on S. 276, which is a bill for the construction and equipment of a hospital on Crow Indian Reservation, I transmit herewith a memorandum on the subject that has been submitted by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. After a review of the proposed measure, I agree with the commissioner. Very truly yours, RAY LYMAN WILBUR, Secretary. Memorandum for the Secretary. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Reference is made to the request of the chairman, Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate, for report on S. 276, which would authorize an appropriation for the construction and equipment of a hospital on Crow Indian Reservation in Montana. S. 276 is identical in language with S. 6097 introduced in the last Congress. At that time a report was made which, in view of the fact that the situation has not changed. is repeated with minor changes. There are 1,988 on the census roll of the Crow Indians. The present facilities for carrying on the health work of this reservation consist of 3 whole-time physicians, 3 field nurses, and a frame hospital, rated at 30 beds, with a staff consisting of 2 nurses, a cook, 3 attendants, and a laborer or utility man. The physicians and field nurses respond to calls for medical relief and instruction at Indian homes, and the field nurses visit homes and hold meetings of women and children to give advice and counsel in the proper care of the sick, feeding and care of infants, personal hygiene, and kindred subjects. One of the physicians, in addition to making home visits, is in charge of the hospital and gives care and attention to the patients therein. A small portion of the hospital was constructed in 1908 and the main building was erected in 1916. It contains 12 rooms approximately 10 by 10 feet 8 inches, 6 on each side of a long hall, maternity ward, operating room, waiting room. service and store rooms, kitchen, and cook's quarters, also a basement. The kitchen is inadequate in size, convenience of arrangement, and is poorly located. The operating room is in need of remodeling and improvement to make it conform to accepted standards, and is also in need of new equipment, including sterilizers. The relative location of the wards does not permit proper isolation of contagious and infectious cases from the general medical, obstetrical, and surgical cases. Repairs are needed to floors, walls, and the interior in general. The Crow Indians are amenable to hospitalization and would, no doubt, patronize a well-equipped hospital to a much greater degree than they do the present inadequate and inconveniently arranged institution. A new, wellarranged hospital of modern construction would be a very great improvement over the present institution. However, considered with relation to hospital needs for other groups, there are jurisdictions with a larger population practically without hospital facilities of any character. Others now utilizing converted buildings have in a number of instances considerably more inadequate facilities than exist on the Crow jurisdiction. The foregoing is a presentation of the facts as they relate to the facilities on the Crow Reservation, but attention is invited to the fact that specific authority of law for the construction of a hospital at this or any other jurisdiction is not necessary in view of the provisions of the Snyder Act, approved November 2, 1921 (U. S. C., title 25, sec. 13, p. 690), which authorizes appropriations for the Indian Service, including such appropriations as may be necessary from time to time for the relief of distress and conservation of health among Indians. In 1930 appropriations were obtained for nine new hospitals; in 1931 appropriations were made for the replacement or construction of hospitals at six jurisdictions; in the 1932 act appropriations were made for three new hospitals; and the second deficiency act for 1931 appropriated funds for a new sanatorium. Estimates for 1933 do not provide for the construction of any new hospitals, however. An act specifically authorizing construction at a given point may necessitate the postponement of new construction or replacement at some other point where the need is more urgent. We must consider, in the order of priority, the needs of the service as a whole, giving special attention to Indian groups who are not now provided with hospital or medical facilities. While we are sympathetic to the needs on the Crow Reservation, in view of the foregoing, we are unable to recommend the enactment of S. 276 at this time. 72D CONGRESS 1st Session } SENATE REPORT {No. 266 CONSTRUCTION OF A HOSPITAL ON BLACKFEET INDIAN RESERVATION, MONT. FEBRUARY 17 (calendar day, FEBRUARY 18), 1932.-Ordered to be printed Mr. WHEELER, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 2987] The Committee on Indian Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (S. 2987), providing for the construction and equipment of a hospital upon the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in the State of Montana, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with a recommendation that the bill do pass without amendment. The report of the Secretary of the Interior is appended hereto and made a part of this report. Hon. LYNN J. FRAZIER, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Chairman Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: In response to your request of January 16 for an opinion on S. 2987, which is a bill that would provide for the construction and equipment of a hospital upon the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in the State of Montana, I transmit herewith a memorandum on the subject that has been submitted by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. After a review of the proposed measure, I agree with the commissioner. Memorandum for the Secretary. RAY LYMAN WILBUR, Secretary. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Reference is made to the request of the chairman Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate, for report on S. 2987, which would make an appropriation for the construction and equipment of a hospital on the Blackfeet Indian Reser vation, Mont. 2 There are 1,988 on the census roll of the Crow Indians. The present facilities for carrying on the health work of this reservation consist of 3 whole-time physicians, 3 field nurses, and a frame hospital, rated at 30 beds, with a staff consisting of 2 nurses, a cook, 3 attendants, and a laborer or utility man. The physicians and field nurses respond to calls for medical relief and instruction at Indian homes, and the field nurses visit homes and hold meetings of women and children to give advice and counsel in the proper care of the sick, feeding and care of infants, personal hygiene, and kindred subjects. cians, in addition to making home visits, is in charge of the hospital and gives One of the physicare and attention to the patients therein. A small portion of the hospital was constructed in 1908 and the main building was erected in 1916. It contains 12 rooms approximately 10 by 10 feet 8 inches, 6 on each side of a long hall, maternity ward, operating room, waiting room service and store rooms, kitchen, and cook's quarters, also a basement. The kitchen is inadequate in size, convenience of arrangement, and is poorly located. The operating room is in need of remodeling and improvement to make it conform to accepted standards, and is also in need of new equipment, including sterilizers. The relative location of the wards does not permit proper isolation of contagious and infectious cases from the general medical, obstetrical, and surgical cases. Repairs are needed to floors, walls, and the interior in general. The Crow Indians are amenable to hospitalization and would, no doubt, patronize a well-equipped hospital to a much greater degree than they do the present inadequate and inconveniently arranged institution. arranged hospital of modern construction would be a very great improvement A new, wellover the present institution. However, considered with relation to hospital needs for other groups, there are jurisdictions with a larger population practically without hospital facilities of any character. buildings have in a number of instances considerably more inadequate facilities Others now utilizing converted than exist on the Crow jurisdiction. The foregoing is a presentation of the facts as they relate to the facilities on the Crow Reservation, but attention is invited to the fact that specific authority of law for the construction of a hospital at this or any other jurisdiction is not necessary in view of the provisions of the Snyder Act, approved November 2, 1921 (U. S. C., title 25, sec. 13, p. 690), which authorizes appropriations for the Indian Service, including such appropriations as may be necessary from time to time for the relief of distress and conservation of health among Indians. In 1930 appropriations were obtained for nine new hospitals; in 1931 appropriations were made for the replacement or construction of hospitals at six jurisdictions; in the 1932 act appropriations were made for three new hospitals; and the second deficiency act for 1931 appropriated funds for a new sanatorium. Estimates for 1933 do not provide for the construction of any new hospitals, however. An act specifically authorizing construction at a given point may necessitate the postponement of new construction or replacement at some other point where the need is more urgent. We must consider, in the order of priority, the needs of the service as a whole, giving special attention to Indian groups who are not now provided with hospital or medical facilities. needs on the Crow Reservation, in view of the foregoing, we are unable to recomWhile we are sympathetic to the mend the enactment of S. 276 at this time. C. J. RHOADS, Commissioner. |