Public Law 75–474

That there is hereby established

Commission established.

Name, composition, service, etc.

a Commission, to be known as the United States New York World’s Fair Commission and to be composed of the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, three Members of the House to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and three Members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate; which Commission shall serve without additional compensation and shall represent the United States in connection with the holding of a world’s fair and celebration in the city of New York during the observance in the year 1939 of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the inauguration of the first President of the United States of America and of the establishment of the Federal Government in the city of New York.

Sec. 2.

There shall be a United States Commissioner for the New

United States Commissioner, Assistants, and staff.

York World’s Fair, who shall be appointed by the President, and who shall receive compensation at the rate of $10,000 per annum, and two Assistant Commissioners, not of the same political party for said New York World’s Fair, who shall be appointed by the Commissioner with the advice and approval of the Commission herein designated and shall receive compensation not to exceed $7,500 per

Funds for salaries and expenses.

annum. The salary and expenses of the Commissioner, the Assistant Commissioners, and such staff as the Commission may require, shall be paid out of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this joint resolution, for such period prior to the opening of the world’s fair as the Commission may determine, for the duration of the world’s fair, and for not more than six months after the official closing thereof.

Sec. 3.

The Commission shall prescribe the duties of the United States Commissioner and shall delegate such powers and functions to him as it shall deem advisable in order that there may be exhibited at the New York World’s Fair by the Government of the United States, its executive departments, independent offices, and establishments, such articles and materials and documents and papers as may relate to this period of our history and such as illustrate the function and administrative faculty of the Government in the advancement of industry, science, invention, agriculture, the arts, and peace, and demonstrating the nature of our institutions, particularly as regards their adaptation to the needs of the people.

Sec. 4.

The Commission is authorized to appoint, without regard to the civil-service laws and regulations and the Classification Act

5 U. S. C. §§ 661–674.

of 1923, as amended, such clerks, stenographers, and other assistants

Contract services.

as may be necessary; purchase such materials, contract for such labor and other services as are necessary, including the preparation

Proviso.

Delegation of powers.

of exhibits plans: Provided, That the Commission may delegate such powers in its discretion. The Commissioner may exercise such powers as are delegated to him by the Commission as hereinbefore provided, and in order to facilitate the functioning of his office may subdelegate such powers (authorized or delegated), as may be deemed advisable by the Commission, to the Assistant Commissioners or others in the employ of or detailed to the Commission.

Sec. 5.

The heads of the various executive departments and independent offices and establishments of the Government are authorized to cooperate with said Commissioner in the procurement, installation,

Loan of exhibits.

and display of exhibits, and to lend to the New York World’s Fair, with the knowledge and consent of said Commissioner, such articles, specimens, and exhibits as said Commissioner shall deem to be in the interest of the United States and in keeping with the purposes of such world’s fair and celebration, to be placed with the science or other exhibits to be shown under the auspices of such New York

Draftsmen, etc.

World’s Fair; to appoint without regard to civil-service laws and regulations and the Classification Act of 1923, as amended, such draftsmen and other assistants as may be necessary; to contract for such labor or other services as shall be deemed necessary; and to designate officials or employees of their departments or branches to

Return of property after close.

assist said Commissioner. At the close of the world’s fair, or when the connection of the Government of the United States therewith ceases, said Commissioner shall cause all such property to be returned to the respective departments and branches concerned, and any expenses incident to the restoration, modification, and revision of such property to a condition which will permit its use at subsequent

Preparation of reports.

expositions and fairs, and for the continued employment of personnel necessary to close out the fiscal and other records and prepare the required reports of the participating organizations, may be paid from

Disposition of property.

the appropriation authorized therein; and if the return of such property is not feasible, he may, with the consent of the Commission andthe department or branch concerned, make such disposition thereof as he may deem advisable and account therefor.

Sec. 6.

The sum of $3,000,000 is hereby authorized to be appropriated,

Appropriation authorized.

Post, p. 759.

out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the purposes of this joint resolution, and shall remain available until expended; except that, upon the termination of the Commission, any unexpended or unobligated balance shall be covered back into the Treasury of the United States. And, subject

Building construction. landscaping, etc.

to the provisions of this joint resolution, the Commission is authorized to erect such building or buildings, or other structures, for its own use, and such other buildings and structures as will further the trade and good will between the United States and the other nations of the world, and to provide for the landscaping of the site or sites thereof; to rent such space without regard to

Rental of space.

47 Stat. 412.

40 U. S. C. § 40a.

the provisions of section 322 of the Act of June 30, 1932 (47 Stat. 412), as the Commission may deem adequate to carry out effectively the provisions of this joint resolution; to provide for the decoration of

Decoration, maintenance of buildings, etc.

such buildings or structures, and for the proper maintenance of such buildings or structures, site, and grounds during the period deemed necessary by the Commission. The appropriation authorized by

Authorized funds available for designated expenses.

this joint resolution shall be available for the operation of the building or buildings, structure or structures, improvement or improvements, including light, heat, water, gas, janitor, and other required services; for the rental of space in the District of Columbia or elsewhere; for the selection, purchase, preparation, assembling, transportation, installation, arranging, safekeeping, exhibition, demonstration, and return of such articles and materials as the Commission may decide shall be included in such Government exhibit and in the exhibits of the New York World’s Fair; for the purchase of uniforms, for the compensation of said Commissioner, Assistant Commissioners, and other officers and employees of the Commission in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, for the payment of salaries of officers and employees of the Government employed by or detailed for duty with the Commission, for actual traveling expenses, including travel by air, and for per diem in lieu of actual subsistence at not to exceed $5 per day: Provided,

Provisos.

Salary limitation.

That no Government official or employee detailed for duty with the Commission shall receive a salary in excess of the rate which he has been receiving in the department or branch where regularly employed; for telephone service, purchase or rental of furniture

Miscellaneous expenses.

and equipment, stationery and supplies, typewriting, adding, duplicating, and computing machines, their accessories and repairs, books of reference and periodicals, maps, reports, documents, plans, specifications, manuscripts, newspapers, and all other appropriate publications, and ice and drinking water for office purposes: Provided further, That payment for telephone service, rents,

Advance payments.

subscriptions to newspapers and periodicals, and other similar purposes, may be made in advance; for the purchase and hire of passenger-carrying automobiles, their maintenance, repair, and operation, for the official use of said Commissioner and Assistant Commissioners in the District of Columbia or elsewhere as required; for printing

Printing and binding.

and binding; for entertainment of distinguished guests; and for all other expenses as may be deemed necessary by the Commission to fulfill properly the purposes of this joint resolution. All

Supervision of purchases, etc.

purchases, expenditures, and disbursements of any moneys made available by authority of this joint resolution shall be made under the direction of the Commission: Provided further, That the

Delegation of powers.

Commission, without release of responsibility, as hereinbefore stipulated,

Allotment of funds to executive departments, etc.

may delegate these powers and functions: Provided further, That the Commission or its delegated representatives may allot funds appropriated herein to any executive department, independent office, or establishment of the Government with the consent of the heads thereof, for direct expenditure by such executive department, independent office, or establishment under such regulations as the Commission may promulgate, for the purpose of defraying any proper expenditure which may be incurred by such executive department, independent office, or establishment in executing the

Approval of vouchers, etc.; exception.

duties and functions delegated by the Commission. All accounts and vouchers covering expenditures shall be approved by said Commissioner or by such assistants as the Commission may designate except for such allotments as may be made to the various executive departments, independent offices, and establishments for

Audit, etc., requirements.

direct expenditure; but these provisions shall not be construed to waive the submission of accounts and vouchers to the General Accounting Office for audit, and permit any obligations to be incurred in excess of the amount authorized to be appropriated

Wage rate for construction work.

40 U. S. C. § 276a.

herein: And provided further, That in the construction of buildings and exhibits requiring skilled and unskilled labor, the prevailing rate of wages, as provided in the Act of March 3, 1931, shall be paid. Subject to the provisions of this joint resolution, the Commission is authorized to make any expenditures or allotments deemed necessary by it to fulfill properly the purposes of this joint resolution.

Sec. 7.

The Commissioner, with the approval of the Commission, may receive contributions from any source to aid in carrying out the purposes of this joint resolution, but such contributions shall be expended and accounted for in the same manner as the funds authorized to be appropriated by this joint resolution. The Commissioner is also authorized to receive contributions of material, or to borrow material or exhibits, and to accept the services of any skilled and unskilled labor that may be available through State or Federal relief organizations, to aid in carrying out the general purposes of

Disposal of material, etc., at close.

this joint resolution. At the close of the world’s fair and celebration or when the connection of the Government of the United States therewith ceases the Commissioner shall dispose of any such portion of the material contributed as may be unused, and return such borrowed property; and, under the direction of the Commission, dispose

Provisos.

Auction sales.

of any buildings or structures which may have been constructed and account therefor: Provided, That all disposition of materials, property, buildings, and so forth, shall be at public sale to the highest bidder, and the proceeds thereof shall be covered into the Treasury

Federal Exhibits Building, transfer to city of New York.

of the United States: Provided further, That the Commission may, if it deems it desirable and in the public interest, transfer without consideration and ¹¹So in original.title to the Federal Exhibits Building erected or constructed to the city of New York.

Sec. 8.

It shall be the duty of the Commission to transmit to Congress, within six months after the close of the world’s fair, a detailed statement of all expenditures, and such other reports as may be deemed proper, which reports shall be prepared and arranged with

Termination of Commission.

a view to concise statement and convenient reference. Upon the transmission of such report to Congress the Commission established by and all appointments made under the authority of this joint resolution shall terminate.