Volume 45 · 1068
Public Law 70–46
For the relief of Porto Rico.
Approved December 21, 1928
Statutory text
Joint Resolution
For the relief of Porto Rico.
Whereas the island of Porto Rico is suffering from the effects of a
Porto Rico hurricane.
Preamble.
violent hurricane of extraordinary intensity, unusual duration, and unexampled violence which visited the island on September 13 and 14, 1928; and
Whereas no part of the island escaped suffering some damage; and
Whereas the total number of people affected by the hurricane was one million four hundred and fifty-four thousand and forty-seven, of whom, according to the report of the American Red Cross, more than one-third, or five hundred and ten thousand one hundred and sixty-one, were absolutely destitute and without food; and
Whereas the coffee and fruit crops were almost totally destroyed, and the coffee plantations so injured that it will be at least five years before they can be restored to normal conditions; and
Whereas a very large part of the shade trees which are essential for the successful functioning of a coffee plantation were destroyed and more than five years will be required for their replacement or recovery; and
Whereas more than one hundred and forty thousand, or about one-third, of the trees in the coconut plantations were destroyed and it will be at least seven years before the new trees to be planted in their place will be bearing fruit; and
Whereas the damage to all the insular industries has been so great as to make it impossible for the insular government to give adequate relief in the emergency: Therefore be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That there is hereby created a commission, to be known as The Porto Rican Hurricane Relief
Creation and composition of.
Commission (hereinafter referred to as the commission), and to consist of the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of War, and the Secretary of Agriculture, of whom the Secretary of War shall be the
To assist the rehabilitation of agriculture, etc., on the island.
chairman. It shall be the duty of the commission to assist in the rehabilitation of agriculture in the Island of Porto Rico, particularly on the coffee plantations and on the coconut plantations, to encourage a more general planting of food crops needed by laborers on the plantations, especially of root crops, to aid in the repair and restoration of schools and roads, and to assist in providing employment for unemployed and destitute laborers. The commissioners shall receive no compensation for their services under this resolution.
Sec. 2.
The commission is authorized (1) without regard to the civil service laws to appoint and, without regard to the Classification Act of 1923, as amended, to fix the compensation of a secretary
Expenses.
and such clerical and other assistants; and (2) to make such expenditures (including expenditures for personal services and rent at the seat of government and elsewhere) as may be necessary in
Cooperation of departments, etc., may be utilized.
carrying out the provisions of this resolution. The commission may, to the extent deemed advisable by it, utilize the facilities and the clerical and other personnel of the Department of the Treasury, the Department of War, and the Department of Agriculture, and may request and accept the cooperation of the insular and municipal governments of Porto Rico in carrying out the provisions of this resolution.
Sum for administrative expenses.Post, p. 1609.(b)
There is hereby authorized to be appropriated the sum of $50,000 for administrative expenses incurred in carrying out the provisions of this resolution.
Sec. 3.
For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this resolution the commission shall have power to make loans to any individual coffee planter, coconut planter, fruit grower, or other agriculturist in the island of Porto Rico in such amounts and upon such terms and conditions as the commission shall by regulation prescribe, including an agreement by the borrowers to use the loan for the purposes specified by the commission; except that no such loan shall be made for a period of more than ten years or in an
Interest, etc.
amount in excess of $25,000 to any one individual. The rate of interest upon each such loan beginning with the fourth year shallbe 5 per centum per annum, but the commission may, in its discretion, defer the payment of interest upon any such loan for such a period of time as the commission shall deem necessary. All such loans shall be made by the commission itself or through such agencies as the commission shall designate. For carrying out the purposes
Sum authorized for loans.
Post, p. 1609.
of this section there is hereby authorized to be appropriated the sum of $6,000,000, of which $3,000,000 shall be made immediately available, $2,000,000 shall be made available on January 1, 1930, and $1,000,000 shall be made available on January 1, 1931. All
Repayments a revolving fund for five years.
money received during a period of five years from the date of the approval of this joint resolution as repayment of any loan or interest on loan made under the provisions of this joint resolution shall be held by said commission as a revolving fund, which may be loaned on applications for the purposes and upon the terms and conditions herein provided, and all money received thereafter as payments of
Covered into the Treasury thereafter.
interest and principal on all loans made under the provisions of this joint resolution shall be covered into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts.
Sec. 4.
There is hereby authorized to be appropriated the sum
Sum authorized for rebuilding school-houses, roads, etc.
Post, p. 1609.
of $2,000,000 to be used for the rebuilding and repair of schoolhouses damaged or destroyed by the hurricane in the small towns and rural districts of Porto Rico and for the employment of labor and the purchase of materials for repairing insular and rural municipal roads. The sum hereby authorized to be appropriated shall be expended in such manner and in such amounts as the commission shall approve.
Sec. 5.
There is hereby authorized to be appropriated the sum of
Sum authorized to buy and distribute seeds, etc.
Post, p. 1609.
$100,000 to be expended by the commission in the purchase and distribution within the devastated area of Porto Rico of seeds and seedlings, particularly of food and root crops, in such manner as it deems advisable.
Sec. 6.
The commission shall make an annual report to Congress
Annual reports to Congress.
at the beginning of each regular session, giving a complete account of its activities in carrying out the provisions of this resolution.
Approved, December 21, 1928.