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Tita CONGRESS } HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPORT 1st Session No. 1243 HOMESTEAD PROJECTS IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OcToBER 9, 1941.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. McGeHEE, from the Committee on Insular Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. J. Res. 105] The Committee on Insular Affairs, to whom was referred the joint resolution (S. J. Res. 105) transferring the administration of the home- stead projects established in the Virgin Islands from the Government of the Virgin Islands to the Department of Agriculture, having con- sidered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the joint resolution, as amended, do pass. The amendment is as follows: Page 1, line 3, strike out the comma following ‘That’ and the words “effective July 1, 1942”. The following letter which refers to House Joint Resolution 230, a companion resolution to Senate Joint Resolution 105, shows both the desire of the Department of the Interior for the resolution and their request for the amendment striking out the postponement of the effec- tuation of the transfer of the homestead projects to July 1, 1942: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Washington. Hon. Leo KoCIALKOWSKI, . : Chairman, Committee on Insular Affairs, House of Representatives. My Dear Kociankowski: There is pending before your committee House Joint Resolution 230, entitled “A joint resolution transferring the administration of the homestead projects established in the Virgin Islands from the Government of the Virgin Islands to the Department of Agriculture.” This proposed legislation, which was introduced at the request of the Depart- ment of the Interior, would effectuate the transfer of the homestead projects as of July 1, 1942. 1 have been advised informally that the Farm Security Admin- istration of the Department of Agriculture, which would be charged with the administration of the transferred homestead projects, would prefer that the trans- fer be made effective upon the date of enactment of the proposed legislation. So far as the Department of the Interior is concerned, there is no objection to the suggested acceleration of .the time of transfer, which could be accomplished by 2 HOMESTEAD PROJECTS IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS deleting the words “effective July 1, 1942” from line 3, page 1, of the joint reso- lution. Sincerely yours, E. K. BurLEW, Acting Secretary of the Interior. For the information of the Members of the House the provisions of law cited in the joint resolution are set forth below: Seconp DEFICIENCY ACT, FiscAL YEAR 1931 Temporary government for West Indian islands: For expenses, including pub- lice projects, incident to the occupation of the Virgin Islands and to the execution of the provisions of the Act providing a temporary government for the West Indian islands acquired by the United States from Denmark, approved March 3, 1917 (U. S. C., title 48, sec. 1391), and including other expenses which cannot be anticipated or classified, to be applied under the direction of the President, fiscal years 1931 and 1932, $643,300, and in addition thereto such an amount as may be equivalent to (a) the total of the unobligated balances of the revenues collected and paid into the treasuries of such islands during the fiscal year 1931, (b) the unobligated balance of the appropriation, “Temporary Government for West Indian Islands, 1931,” and (¢) the sum by which the revenues collected and paid into the treasuries of such islands during the fiscal year 1932 exceed the sum of $380,700: Provided, That not to exceed $185,000 of this amount and the amount appropriated under this head in the Naval Appropriation Act for the fiscal year 1931 may be expended under such regulations as may be prescribed by the Governor of the Virgin Islands and approved by the President: (1) For the acquisition, by purchase, condemnation, or otherwise, of land and the construction of buildings for use in administering the affairs of the islands or promoting their welfare; (2) for the purchase of land for sale as homesteads to citizens of the Vir- gin Islands; (3) for cooperation with the Department of Agriculture in the exper- imental cultivation of such lands; and (4) for loans for the construction of build- ings, purchase of farming implements and equipment, and for other expenses incident to the cultivation of said lands. Act oF AprIL 22, 1932 Provided further, That the unobligated balance of the appropriation for expenses of the temporary government for the Virgin Islands contained in the Second De- ficiency Act, fiscal year 1931, shall be available for the fiscal year 1933 for such projects for the further development of agriculture and industry, and for promoting the general welfare of the islands as may be approved by the President, including the acquisition by purchase, condemnation, or otherwise, of land and the con- struction of buildings for use in administering the affairs of the islands; the purchase of land for sale as homesteads to citizens of the Virgin Islands; and the making of loans for the construction of buildings, for the purchase of farming implements and equipment, and for other expenses incident to the cultivation of land purchased for resale as homesteads. NATioNAL INDUSTRIAL RECOVERY Act (Titre II) SUBSISTENCE HOMESTEADS Sec. 208. To provide for aiding the redistribution of the overbalance of popula- tion in industrial centers $25,000,000 is hereby made available to the President, to be used by him through such agencies as he may establish and under such regulations as he may make, for making loans for and otherwise aiding in the purchase of subsistence homesteads. The moneys collected as repayment of said loans shall constitute a revolving fund to be administered as directed by the President for the purposes of this section. Oo