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Development planning EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT BUREAU OF THE BUDGET or WASHINGTON, D.C. NARA My dear Mr. Latta: MAR 2 81946 On March 27, 1946, you advised this office that H. R. 2008, "For the relief of the village of Cold Spring, Minnesota", had been received at the White House, and requested reports and recommendations as to the approval of the bill. It is the purpose of the bill to pay the sum of $2,100 to the village of Cold Spring, Minnesota, in settlement of its claim against the United States as reimbursement for the payment by the said village of the costs of an action brought by Michael Schmit resulting in a judgment rendered against the City by reason of personal injuries sustained by Francis Schmit, a minor son of Michael Schmit, who was burned by a flare used by employees of the Work Projects Administration on a water-main project in the village of Cold Spring, Minnesota. It appears that in November 1941, the Work Projects Administration was constructing a water main in the village of Cold Spring. The plans had been approved and the work authorized by the village, although the actual work was done and supervised by the Work Projects Administration. Children in the neighborhood were in the habit of playing around the excavation. On November 26, 1941, after the day's work was completed, barricades were placed around the open trench and open flares were placed at the ends of the trench in front of the barricades. Later in the afternoon Francis Schmit, one of the children playing around the excavation, was severely burned by one of the flares. The record does not indicate the exact circumstances under which the accident occurred except that several small children, including the child who was burned, were standing around one of the burning flares on the date in question when a neighbor saw the child in flames, nor is there any evidence to indicate that there was any negligence on the part of the village of Cold Spring or the Federal Government which was responsible for the project. Nevertheless in an action to recover damages for personal injuries sustained by the boy which was brought by his father against the village of Cold Springs in the District Court for Stearns County and which was affirmed by the Supreme Court of Minnesota, a verdict was rendered for the pläintiff in the sum of $2,100. There appears to be no doubt but what the flares in question were the property of the Work Projects Administra- tion and were set out by their workmen and that the village of Cold Spring had turned the entire project over to the Federal Government and had no employees on the job, nor did it have control or attempt to exercise any control on the work being done. In view of the judicial determination that has been made in this case and the fact that the village of Cold Spring should be reimbursed for the expenditure incurred by it in payment of the judgment, the proposal contained in the bill appears appropriate.