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OCR Page 1 of 53votest
Last Day
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
Turning
this
BUREAU OF THE BUDGET
WASHINGTON 25, D.C.
aug 9
AUG 5 1949
as REUMAND
My dear Mr. Hopkins:
On July 28, 1949, you notified this office that H. R. 142
"Excepting certain persons from the requirement of paying fees
for certain census data", had been received at the White House
and requested reports and recommendations as to the approval of
the bill.
The Act of June 18, 1929 (title 13 U.S.C., sec. 218)
authorized the Director of the Bureau of the Census to require
a fee of $1.00 from persons desiring certain data. This fee
requirement was inaugurated initially by the Congress at the
request of the House Appropriations Committee which felt that
it was desirable to adopt a policy of placing governmental services
of this character on a self-sustaining basis insofar as possible.
The enrollment, H. R. 142, would except from the payment
of this fee cases of population data supplied to members of the
armed services or persons honorably discharged therefrom, and
persons requesting information as proof of age for the purpose of
eligibility for old-age assistance or old-age and survivorship
insurance benefits.
A facsimile of the enrolled enactment has been referred
to the Department of Commerce and its reply; interposing no ob-
jection to approval of the bill, is attached.
In the opinion of the Bureau, the original decision of
the House Appropriations Committee in adopting this policy was
sound, and in consonance with an equally sound policy of bringing
about economy in Government operations wherever possible. The fee
imposed in these cases is nominal, and there would seem to be no
sound justification for the abandonment of the present practice
of requiring payment of this nominal fee to the extent practicable
by private individuals who receive a special service of this character
from the Government Approval of the instant measure might well
lead to requests for the abandonment of fees now required in other
cases of special services sought from the Government.
While
it
is
difficult to estimate the cost to the Government of supplying the
information in question free of charge to the groups covered by the
enrollment, it is estimated that the additional cost would approxi
mate $136,000.per year.
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