Public Law 75–816

That the President of the

Pan American Exposition, Tampa, Fla., 1939.

President requested to invite foreign countries to participate.

United States be, and he is hereby, authorized and respectfully requested by proclamation, or in such manner as he may deem proper, to invite foreign countries to an exposition to be held in Tampa, Florida, to be known as the “Pan American Exposition”, in commemoration of the four-hundredth anniversary of the landing of Hernando De Soto in Tampa Bay, under the auspices and on the grounds of the Florida Fair and Gasparilla Association, Incorporated, in the year 1939, with a request that they participate therein.

Sec. 2.

That there is hereby created a Federal commissioner for

Federal commissioner.

Appointment, qualifications, expenses, etc.

such Pan American Exposition, said commissioner to be appointed by the President upon the nomination of the Secretary of Commerce, who shall select for this purpose an official of his Department who has had experience in and is familiar with the preparation and man-agement of exhibitions, and who will serve in this capacity without additional salary. That the expenses of the Federal commissioner and such staff as he may require will be met out of the funds provided for the purposes of the Government participation in the exposition.

Sec. 3.

The Secretary of Commerce shall prescribe the duties of the Federal commissioner and shall delegate such powers and functions to him as he shall deem advisable, m order that there may be exhibited at the said Pan American Exposition by the Government of the United States, its executive department ¹¹ So in original., independent offices, and establishments such articles and materials as illustrate the function and administrative faculty of the Government in the advancement of industry, the arts, and peace, demonstrating the nature of our institutions particularly as regards their adaptation to the wants of the people.

Sec. 4.

The commissioner may employ such clerks, stenographers, and other assistants as may be necessary, and fix their reasonable compensation within the grades and rates of compensation fixed by

5 U. S. C.§§ 661–674.

the Classification Act of 1923, as amended; purchase such material, contract for such labor and other services, and exercise such powers as are delegated to him by the Secretary of Commerce as hereinbefore provided, and in order to facilitate the functioning of his office may subdelegate such powers (authorized or delegated) to officers and employees as may be deemed advisable by the Secretary of Commerce.

Sec. 5.

The heads of the various executive departments, independent offices, and establishments of the Government are authorized to cooperate with the commissioner in the procurement, installation, and display of exhibits; to lend to the Pan American Exposition, with the knowledge and consent of the commissioner, such articles, specimens, and exhibits which the commissioner shall deem to be in the interest of the United States to place with the science or other exhibits to be shown under the auspices of the Florida Fair and Gasparilla Association, Incorporated; to contract for such labor or other services as shall be deemed necessary, and to designate officials or employees

Return of exhibits, etc., at close.

of their departments or branches to assist the commissioner. At the close of the exposition, or when the connection of the Government of the United States therewith ceases, the commissioner shall cause all such property to be returned to the respective departments and branches from which taken and any expenses incident to the restoration, modification, and revision of such property to a condition which will permit its use at subsequent 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 the appropriation provided; and if the return of such property is not practicable, he may, with the consent of the department or branch from which it was taken, make such disposition thereof as he may deem advisable and account therefor.

Sec. 6.

The sum of $100,000 is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to remain available until expended, parts of which sum may be expended for the erection of a building or buildings and/or for the rental of such space, as the Secretary of Commerce may deem adequate to carry out effectively the provisions of this resolution; for the decoration of such structure or structures; for the proper maintenance of such buildings, site, and grounds during the period of the exposition. The Secretary of Commerce may contract with

Contracts for de signing and erection of buildings.

the Florida Fair and Gasparilla Association, Incorporated, for the designing and erection of such building or buildings and/or for the rental of such space as shall be deemed proper. The remaining portion of the appropriation authorized under this resolution shall be available for the selection, purchase, preparation, assembling, transportation, installation, arrangement, safekeeping, exhibition, demonstration, and return of such articles and materials as the Secretary of Commerce may decide shall be included in such Government exhibit and in the exhibits of the Pan American Exposition; for the compensation of the employees of the Secretary of Commerce

Salaries, etc.

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 Secretary of Commerce, and for their actual traveling expenses and subsistence at not to exceed $6 per day: Provided, That no such official or employee so designated shall

Provisos.

Limitation.

receive a salary in excess of the amount which he has been receiving in the department or branch where employed plus such reasonable allowance for subsistence expenses as may be deemed proper by the commissioner; for telephone service, purchase of furniture and equipment, stationery and supplies, typewriting, adding, duplicating, and computing machines, their accessories and repairs, books of reference and periodicals, uniforms, maps, reports, documents, plans, specifications, manuscripts, newspapers and all other publications, ice and drinking water for office purposes: Provided further, That payment for telephone service, rents, subscriptions to

Payments in advance.

newspapers and periodicals, and other similar purposes may be made in advance; for the hire of a passenger-carrying automobile, its maintenance, repair, and operation, for the official use of the commissioner; for printing and binding; for entertainment of distinguished visitors, and all other expenses as may be deemed necessary by the Secretary of Commerce, to fulfill properly the purposes of this resolution. All purchases, expenditures, and disbursements, under any appropriations which may be provided by authority of this resolution, shall be made under the direction of the Secretary of Commerce: Provided further, That the Secretary of Commerce, as hereinbefore

Delegation and subdelegation of powers.

stipulated, may delegate these powers and functions to the commissioner, and the commissioner, with the consent of the Secretary of Commerce, may subdelegate them: Provided further, That the Secretary

Allotment of funds.

of Commerce or his delegated representative may authorize the allotment of funds to any executive department, independent office, or establishment of the Government with the consent of the heads thereof for direct expenditure by said executive department, independent office, or establishment for the purpose of defraying any expenditure which may be incurred by said executive department, independent office, or establishment in executing the duties and functions delegated to said office by the Secretary of Commerce; and all accounts and vouchers covering the expenditures under these

Supervision of expenditures.

appropriations shall be approved by the commissioner or such assistants as he may delegate, except for such allotments as may be made to the various executive departments and establishments for direct expenditure; but these provisions shall not be construed to waive the submission of accounts and vouchers to the General Accounting Office for audit or permit any obligations to be incurred in excess of the amount authorized to be appropriated: And provided further, That in the construction of buildings or exhibits requiring skilled

Labor wage rates.

and unskilled labor, the prevailing rate of wages, then existing, shall be paid.

Sec. 7.

The commissioner with the approval of the Secretary of Commerce may receive contributions in funds or materials or borrow materials or exhibits to aid in carrying out the general purposes of this resolution, and shall have the right to return borrowed property, and dispose of such other property under the direction of the Secretary of Commerce and to account therefor, the proceeds of such sales shall be covered into the Treasury of the United States.

Sec. 8.

It shall be the duty of the Secretary of Commerce to transmit to Congress, within six months after the close of the Pan American Exposition, a detailed statement of all expenditures, and such other reports as may be deemed proper which reports shall be prepared and arranged with a view to concise statement and convenient reference.