tions which will render possible in time of need the immediate concentration and utilization of the resources of the Nation." No appropriations have been made for nor any meetings held by the council since the fiscal year 1921. The Assistant Secretary of War is charged by law (act of June 4, 1920) with the "assurance of adequate provision for the mobilization of matériel and industrial organizations essential to war-time needs." The records of the Council of National Defense, as well as those of the War Industries Board and the Committee on Public Information, are now under the jurisdiction of the Archivist of the United States.

UNITED STATES BOARD OF TAX APPEALS

The Board of Tax Appeals was created by the Revenue Act of 1924 (Public, No. 178, 68th Cong., June 2, 1924), and continued by the Revenue Act of 1926 (Public, No. 20, 69th Cong., Feb. 26, 1926).

It is an independent agency in the executive branch of the Government, with principal office at Washington.

Its function is to redetermine, after hearing, deficiencies determined by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, in income, profits, estate, and gift taxes. Proceedings are public and are conducted judicially, in accordance with its rules of practice and the rules of evidence applicable in courts of equity of the District of Columbia. A fee of $10 is prescribed for the filing of a petition. Hearings are held at Washington and, for the convenience of taxpayers, at other places within the United States. Practice is limited to practitioners enrolled under the rules.

The Board's published reports are printed and bound by the Government Printing Office and are available, separately or in bound volumes, as public documents, at listed prices.

Decisions are subject to review by the United States Circuit Court of Appeals of the prescribed circuit, or, by agreement, by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and thereafter by the United States Supreme Court upon certiorari.

The Board is composed of 16 members, each of whom comprises a division to hear and decide cases, division decisions being reviewable by the full board at the chairman's direction. The chairman is designated by election of the members. Members are appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, for 12 years, in groups of four. They are removable by the President, after public hearing, for inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office, but for no other cause.

WAR FINANCE CORPORATION

The War Finance Corporation was created by the act approved April 5, 1918. Its original purpose was to give financial support to industries whose operations were "necessary or contributory to the prosecution of the war" and to banking institutions that aided in financing such industries. It was also authorized to make advances to savings banks and building-loan associations, to buy and sell obligations of the United States Government, and to issue bonds.

The Corporation was in existence only 6 months before the armistice was signed. When hostilities ceased its operations were contracted automatically, but in the spring of 1919 it was called upon to undertake the burden of financing the railroads, then under Federal control, because no appropriation had been made for the maintenance of their operations.

AUTHORITY TO FINANCE EXPORTS

By act approved March 3, 1919, the powers of the Corporation were extended to embrace an entirely new line of activity. In order to assist in the transition from conditions of war to conditions of peace, the Corporation was given authority to make advances to the extent of $1,000,000,000 to American exporters and American banking institutions which extended credits to finance American exports. The activities of the corporation under this authority were discontinued in May 1920, at the request of the then Secretary of the Treasury. In January 1921 the Congress passed a joint resolution directing the corporation to resume operations in accordance with the provisions of the act of March 3, 1919.

AGRICULTURAL CREDITS

By act approved August 24, 1921, commonly known as the Agricultural Credit Act of 1921, the Corporation's powers were further extended and it was authorized to make loans for agricultural purposes to banking and financing institutions, including livestock loan companies, and to cooperative marketing associations. The act required the Corporation to obtain in every case "full and adequate security by endorsement, guaranty, pledge, or otherwise", and provided that the aggregate of advances made by the Corporation remaining unpaid at any one time may not exceed $1,000,000,000. It contained a provision limiting to June 30, 1922, the period during which the Corporation was authorized to make new advances. This period, however, was extended to June 30, 1923, by the act approved June 10, 1922; to March 31, 1924, by the Agricultural Credits Act of 1923; and to December 31, 1924, by the act approved February 20, 1924.

In accordance with the act of February 20, 1924, the Corporation ceased to receive applications on November 30, 1924, and discontinued the making of new loans on December 31, 1924. It entered the period of liquidation on January 1, 1925, and since that date only expense advances incident to the liquidation of its assets and the winding up of its affairs have been made. For the purpose of liquidating its assets, the corporate life of the Corporation was extended for 1 year, from April 4, 1928, to April 4, 1929, by the act approved April 4, 1928. By the act approved March 1, 1929, the liquidation of the assets remaining at the close of April 4, 1929, and the winding up of the affairs of the Corporation thereafter were transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury, who for such purpose was given all the powers and duties of the board of directors of the Corporation under the War Finance Corporation Act of April 5, 1918, as amended. For carrying out the provisions of the act approved March 1, 1929, the Secretary of the Treasury, pursuant to authority contained in said act, assigned to a liquidating committee the exercise and performance, under his general supervision and direction, of all such powers and duties.

CAPITAL STOCK OF THE CORPORATION

The capital stock of the Corporation was fixed by the act of April 5, 1918, at $500,000,000, all of it to be held by the Government. On November 30, 1919, the entire amount had been subscribed, and on January 5, 1925, the Corporation, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, canceled and retired $499,000,000 of its capital stock, leaving $1,000,000 outstanding. On April 5, 1929, the Corporation canceled and retired $990,000 additional of its capital stock, leaving $10,000 outstanding. On the same date and on subsequent dates, the Corporation paid into the Treasury all moneys belonging to it, aggregating $64,821,271.70, which, in the opinion of the Secretary of the Treasury, were not required for carrying on and completing the liquidation of its remaining assets and winding up of its affairs, including reasonable provision for the further expenses thereof. In April 1919 the Corporation issued for public sale $200,000,000 1-year 5-percent bonds which matured on April 1, 1920. All but $10,000 of these bonds, which have not yet been presented for payment, have been retired.

The funds of the Corporation are kept on deposit with the Treasurer of the United States.

UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION

The United States Tariff Commission was created by act of the Congress approved September 8, 1916, and was reorganized under the provisions of the Tariff Act approved June 17, 1930. The Commission consists of six members, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, for terms of 6 years each, one term expiring each year. The principal office of the Commission is by law in the city of Washington, but the Commission may meet and exercise all its powers at any other place, and may, by one or more of its members, or by designated agents, prosecute any necessary inquiry in any part of the United States or in any foreign country. It maintains an office at the port of New York. The Commission has an official seal which is judicially noticed.

The Commission is required to put at the disposal of the President, the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Finance of the Senate, whenever requested, all information at its command; to make such investigations and reports as may be requested by the President or by either of said committees or by either branch of the Congress; and to report its activities annually to the Congress.

It is the duty of the Commission

(1) To investigate the administration and fiscal and industrial effects of the customs laws of the United States; the relations between rates of duty on raw materials and on finished or partly finished products; the effects of ad-valorem and specific duties and of compound specific and ad-valorem duties; all questions relative to the arrangement of schedules and classification of articles in the tariff schedules; and the operation of the customs laws, including their relation to the Federal revenues and the industries and labor of the country.

(2) To investigate the tariff relations between the United States and foreign countries; commercial treaties; preferential provisions; economic alliances; the effect of export bounties and preferential transportation rates; the volume of importations compared with domestic production and consumption; and conditions, causes, and effects relating to competition of foreign industries with those of the United States, including dumping and cost of production.

(3) To investigate organizations and arrangements in Europe similar to the Paris Economy Pact.

(4) To ascertain conversion costs and costs of production in the principal growing, producing, or manufacturing centers of the United States, whenever practicable in the opinion of the Commission, and to obtain in foreign countries such costs of articles imported into the United States, whenever in the opinion of the Commission such costs are necessary for comparison with conversion costs or costs of production in the United States and can be reasonably ascertained; and to ascertain all other facts which will show the differences affecting competition between articles of the United States and imported articles in the principal domestic markets.

The Commission is directed also to select and describe articles representative of the classes or kinds of articles imported into the United States similar to or comparable with articles of domestic production; to obtain samples of such articles when deemed advisable; to ascertain the import costs of such foreign articles; and to ascertain the selling prices of such domestic articles in the principal growing, producing, or manufacturing centers of the United States.

Sections 336, 337, and 338 of the Tariff Act approved June 17, 1930, contain special provisions for the modification of existing duties and for the imposition of special duties by Executive proclamation under certain conditions and within stated limitations in accordance with the legislative principles defined in those sections.

Section 336 provides that the Commission, under such reasonable procedure, rules, and regulations as it may deem necessary, shall investigate the differences in the costs of production of any domestic article and of any like or similar foreign article and shall report to the President the results of such investigation and its findings with respect to such differences. If the Commission finds that the duties fixed by the statute do not equalize the differences in costs as ascertained by its investigation, it shall specify in its report such increase or decrease, not exceeding 50 percent, of the statutory rate (including any necessary change in classification) as it finds shown by the investigation to be necessary to equalize such differences. If the Commission shall find, however, that such proceeding in respect of an advalorem rate of duty will not equalize the ascertained differences, it shall so state in its report to the President and shall specify therein such ad-valorem rates based upon the American selling price, as elsewhere defined in the act, of the domestic article as it finds shown by the investigation to be necessary to equalize such differences. No such rate, however, may be decreased by more than 50 percent, nor shall it be increased. Any specified increase or decrease of a rate so reported by the Commission, if approved and proclaimed by the President, shall take effect commencing 30 days after such proclamation. The section prescribes the elements to be taken into consideration in ascertaining such differences in costs of production; prohibits the transfer of an article from the dutiable list to the free list or from the free list to the dutiable list; and provides for the modification or termination of any increase or decrease so proclaimed.

The Commission is required, in the course of its investigations under section 336, to give reasonable public notice thereof and to afford reasonable opportunity for parties interested to be present, to produce evidence, and to be heard at such hearings.

The Commission is authorized under section 337 to investigate unfair methods of competition and unfair acts in the importation of articles into the United States or in their sale after importation. When the findings and recommendations of the Commission, upon its investigation of such acts, justify the President in doing so, he is authorized to exclude such articles from entry into the United States, such refusal of entry to remain in effect until otherwise ordered by the

President. The testimony in every investigation under the provisions of this section is required to be reduced to writing, and with the findings of the Commission constitutes the official record in each case. A copy of the findings is required to be sent to the importer or consignee of the articles affected thereby and shall be conclusive, subject only to rehearing by consent of the Commission or to appeal on questions of law only to the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals, whose judgment shall be final.

Under the provisions of section 338 the Commission is required to ascertain and at all times to be informed whether any foreign country discriminates against the commerce of the United States, whether by imposing upon it unreasonable charges or regulations not equally imposed upon other countries; or by laws, administrative regulations, or practices in regard to customs, port charges, classifications, or other like requirements which may be to the disadvantage of the commerce of the United States in such country or in any other foreign country. The Commission is required to report to the President with its recommendations any such discriminations which it may find to exist, and upon such findings, when confirmed by him, the President is authorized to specify and declare upon articles wholly or in part the growth or product of any such country such new and additional duties as will offset such burdens, or he may exclude from importation articles from such country. Such new or additional duties may, however, not exceed 50 percent ad valorem. Articles imported contrary to the provisions of this section are subject to seizure and forfeiture to the United States.

The Trade Agreements Act of June 12, 1934, assigned new work to the Tariff Commission by naming the Commission as a source of information and advice for the President in conducting reciprocal trade negotiations. The Commission, in cooperation with the Department of State and other agencies, is engaged on the investigations and analyses required for the commodities under discussion on general questions that enter into these negotiations, such as import quotas, exchange control, operation of preferential tariffs and most-favored-nation treaties, and others of similar character. In practice, the Commission has found that its regular organization for the collection of tariff information can be brought into use in connection with numerous phases of trade-agreement work.

An Executive Committee for Coordinating Commercial Policy was set up by the President on November 11, 1933. On that Committee three commissioners sit as members. All matters involving foreign commercial relationships, including tariff matters in their final form, pass before this Committee for review and judgment.

Two other important administration committees deal with aspects of the reciprocity program, and on each of these the Tariff Commission is represented. One is designated the Trade Agreements Committee, the other the Committee on Reciprocity Information. Under the Trade Agreements Committee numerous country committees, commodity committees, and special committees pursue assigned studies and projects, and on each of these committees the Tariff Commission is represented.

The Committee on Reciprocity Information is an interdepartmental body set up by Executive order to receive, analyze, and pass on to the Committee for Coordinating Commercial Policy the views of agriculture, industry, commerce, and the general public on tariff concessions and reciprocal trade negotiations. Henry F. Grady, vice chairman of the Tariff Commission, is chairman of the Committee on Reciprocity Information. The Commission also assists the committee in all its work, furnishes facilities for technical and administrative work, and makes its hearing room available for the public hearings of the committee.

The Tariff Commission is also engaged from time to time in cooperative tasks for other governmental departments and agencies, especially in dealing with general economic and tariff problems.

The Agricultural Adjustment Act, as amended (sec. 31 of Public, No. 320, 74th Cong., approved Aug. 24, 1935), contains a section (22), which as amended by the Soil Conservation Act (sec. 5 of Public, No. 461, 74th Cong., approved Feb. 29, 1936) and reenacted without change by the Agricultural Marketing Adjustment Act of 1930 affects the Tariff Commission as follows:

IMPORTS

Whenever the President has reason to believe that any one or more articles are being imported into the United States under such conditions and in sufficient quantities as to render or tend to render ineffective or materially interfere with any program or operation undertaken, or to reduce substantially the amount of any product processed in the United States from any commodity subject to and

with respect to which any program is in operation, under this title or the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, as amended, he shall cause an immediate investigation to be made by the United States Tariff Commission, which shall give precedence to investigations under this section to determine such facts. Such investigations shall be made after due notice and opportunity for hearing to interested parties and shall be conducted subject to such regulations as the President shall specify.

On the basis of such an investigation and report to him of the findings and recommendations made in connection therewith, the President may by proclamation impose limitations on the total quantities of articles imported:

Provided, That no limitation shall be imposed on the total quantity of any article which may be imported from any country which reduces such permissible total quantity to less than 50 per centum of the average annual quantity of such article which was imported from such country during the period from July 1, 1928, to June 30, 1933, both dates inclusive.

(c) No import restriction proclaimed by the President under this section nor any revocation, suspension, or modification thereof shall become effective until fifteen days after the date of such proclamation, revocation, suspension, or modification.

(d) Any decision of the President as to facts under this section shall be final. After further investigation and report by the Tariff Commission, the President may suspend or modify any such proclamation, whenever he finds that the changed circumstances require it.

UNITED STATES EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION
COMMISSION

The United States Employees' Compensation Commission was created by the act of Congress approved September 7, 1916 (U. S. C., title 5, ch. 15). This act assures compensation, including reasonable medical and hospital treatment, to all civil employees (unclassified as well as classified) of the Federal Government, employees of the District of Columbia except firemen and policemen, and officers and enlisted men of the Naval Reserve on authorized training duty in time of peace, who sustain personal injuries while in the performance of their duties, but no compensation shall be paid if the injury is caused by the willful misconduct of the employee or by his intention to bring about the injury or death of himself or of another, or if intoxication of the injured employee is the proximate cause of the injury or death. This compensation law, subject to certain modifications limiting the measure of benefits, has been made applicable to enrollees in the Civilian Conservation Corps, employees of the Civil Works Administration, personnel employed as civil employees of the United States on projects financed by funds provided by the Federal Emergency Relief Appropriation Acts of 1935, 1936, and 1937, and certain persons receiving assistance from the National Youth Administration. To obtain the medical and hospital treatment, the employee shall be sent to the nearest United States medical officer or hospital, but if this is not practicable, to the nearest physician or hospital designated by the United States Employees' Compensation Commission, or when neither of these is available, to the nearest physician or hospital.

The monthly compensation for total disability shall not be more than $116.66 nor less than $58.33, unless the employee's monthly pay is less than the latter amount, in which case his compensation shall be the full amount of his monthly pay. Beneficiaries receiving compensation under an award for permanent total disability, which renders them so helpless as to require the constant services of an attendant, may receive additional compensation at a rate not in excess of $50 per month. The maximum monthly compensation for persons employed on work-relief projects was increased from $25 to $30 on June 29, 1937.

Payment shall be made for partial disability equal to 66% percent of the difference between the employee's monthly pay and his earning capacity after the disability. Employees on work-relief projects are entitled to compensation in accordance with a special schedule covering specific injuries.

In case of death the compensation shall be paid the widow or widower, to dependent children under the age of 18 years, to dependent parents or grandparents, and to other dependents under certain conditions. All claims for compensation must be filed within 1 year.

By Executive orders the administration of the Compensation Act so far as it relates to the Panama Canal employees and employees of the Alaska Railroad has been placed under the heads of those organizations.