83D CONGRESS 1st Session

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SENATE

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REPORT No. 574

AMENDING THE ACT ENTITLED "AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE A PERMANENT ANNUAL APPROPRIATION FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF THE GORGAS MEMORIAL LABORATORY"

JULY 14 (legislative day, JULY 6), 1953.-Ordered to be printed

Mr. PURTELL, from the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany S. 1456]

The Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, to whom was referred the bill (S. 1456) to amend the act entitled "An act to authorize a permanent annual appropriation for the maintenance and operation of the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory," approved May 7, 1928, as amended, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass.

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

purpose of the bill is to provide that donations for maintenance of the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory may be accepted from Latin American countries and from other sources. This merely changes the present provisions of the act which require that such countries be invited to contribute. This legislation also amends the basic act by eliminating provisions that these countries be represented on the Board of Directors of the Laboratory in proportion to the amount of their contributions.

The essential reasons for making these changes in the act are clearly set forth in the following report on this bill which was requested from the Department of State by the chairman of this committee: DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, June 12, 1953.

Hon. H. ALEXANDER SMITH,

Chairman, Committee on Labor and Public Welfare,

United States Senate.

MY DEAR SENATOR SMITH: Reference is made to your letter of March 27, 1953, requesting a report on S. 1456, a bill to amend the act entitled "An act to authorize a permanent annual appropriation for the maintenance and operation of the

Gorgas Memorial Laboratory," approved May 7, 1928, as amended. The Department favors enactment of the proposed legislation. The revision will amend the conditions under which an annual appropriation is authorized by permitting the Institute to accept grants or donations from any of the Latin-American govern ments when "deemed by said Institute to be necessary or desirable."

The act of May 7, 1928, as amended, authorizes an annual appropriation, not to exceed $150,000 for the maintenance and operation of the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory. The above-cited act sets forth three conditions which attach to this contribution: (1) That a building be constructed within 5 years in or near Panama City or in the Canal Zone; (2) that each Latin-American government be invited and permitted to contribute annually toward the laboratory's maintenance and operation, provided the total of such contributions do not exceed 75 percent of the total contributed by the United States; and (3) that the United States and the Latin-American governments contributing to the laboratory shall be represented on the board of directors in proportion to the actual contributions made to the maintenance and operation of the laboratory.

The first condition was met in 1930 when the Republic of Panama donated land and a building for use as a laboratory. With respect to conditions 2 and 3, it is our understanding that invitations for contributions were extended in 1928 to the Latin-American governments and in 1929 and 1931 to selected officials, educators, physicians, etc., as a result of which cash contributions of $760 and $1,150 were received from Ecuador and Venezuela in 1929 and 1931, respectively. No contributions have been received since. Consequently, the laboratory has been supported by contributions from annual appropriations and controlled unilaterally by the United States.

The Department is of the opinion that the recommended language in S. 1456 which authorizes the Board of Directors, within its discretion, to accept contributions from Latin American countries is preferable to the present language which places un unproductive and burdensome responsibility on the Board of Directors to invite contributions. This is particularly so since in the opinion of the Department there is no reason to assume that these repeated requests would meet with success, especially in view of the past history in this regard. Undoubtedly United States control of the Board of Directors is and would be a major factor in the reluctance of Latin American governments to contribute. Repeated requests of them could only create a feeling of irritation and annoyance. Moreover, some of the Latin American governments have or are planning similar laboratories. If these countries are asked to contribute to the United States controlled Gorgas Memorial Laboratory they may very well feel justified in asking for United States contributions to their laboratories.

The proposed language will permit the Board of Directors of the Laboratory to exercise discretion in accepting voluntary donations and, at the same time relieve them from any obligation (moral or legal) to seek contributions repeatedly that experience shows are not forthcoming. For these reasons the Department feels that enactment of S. 1456 would be desirable.

The Department has been informed by the Bureau of the Budget that there is no objection to the submission of this report.

Sincerely yours,

The bill also has the approval of the Bureau of the Budget and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and the committee knows of no opposition to its enactment.

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with clause 4 of rule XXIX of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the changes in existing law made by the bill are as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in brackets and new matter is in italics).:

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE A PERMANENT ANNUAL APPROPRIATION FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF THE GORGAS MEMORIAL LABORATORY SECTION 1. There is hereby authorized to be permanently appropriated for each year, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, not to exceed the sum of $150,000, to be paid to the Gorgas Memorial Institute of Tropical and Preventive Medicine, Incorporated (hereinfater referred to as the Gorgas Memorial Institute), for the maintenance and operation by it, of a Laboratory to be known as the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory, upon condition (1) that the necessary building or quarters for said laboratory shall be constructed within the five years next ensuing after this Act shall become a law, either upon the site offered by the Republic of Panama therefor, at, or adjacent to, the city of Panama, or upon a site in the Canal Zone to be provided by the United States; [12) that each of the Latin American Governments be invited and permitted to contribute annually, on a pro rata basis, according to population, toward the maintenance and operation of such laboratory, the total of such contributions Ent to exceed 75 per centum of the total contributed by the United States; and 3) that in such manner as the President may determine the United States be represented permanently on the Board or council directing the administration of such laboratory, with privilege to the Latin American Governments contributing as aforesaid to have representation on such board or council; all such representation to be based upon, and in proportion to, the actual respective contributions made to the aforesaid maintenance and operation.] and (2) that the said Gorgas Memorial Institute be, and it is hereby, authorized within its discretion, henceforth to accept from any of the Latin American Governments, or from any other sources, any funds which may be offered or given for the use of the Gorgas Memorial Institute for the maintenance and operation of the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory, and for carrying on the work of said Laboratory wherever deemed by the said Institute to be Recessary or desirable.