An Act making appropriations for civil functions administered by the Department of the Army for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1954, and for other purposes
PL 83-153 (H.R.5376), enacted 07/27/1953

67 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 153-JULY 27, 1953 
197 
Public Law 153 
CHAPTER 245 
AN ACT 
July 27, 1953 
TH. R. 5376] 
Making appropriations for civil functions administered by the Department of 
tlie Army for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1954, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following AppVop^t^Ti^t 
sums are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise Act, 1954. 
appropriated, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1954, for civil func-
tions administered by the Department of the Army and for other 
purposes, namely: 
CIVIL FUNCTIONS, DEPAKTMENT OF T H E AKMY 
' • 
'^ CEMETERIAL EXPENSES 
"•" 
'""' 
For necessary cemeterial expenses as authorized by law, including 
maintenance, operation and improvement of national cemeteries, and 
purchase of headstones and markers for unmarked graves; purchase 
of one passenger motor vehicle for replacement only; maintenance of 
that portion of Congressional Cemetery to which the United States 
^ 
has title, Confederate burial places under the jurisdiction of the 
Department of the Army, The Surrender Tree Site in Cuba, and 
graves used by the Army in commercial cemeteries; $5,107,000: Pro-
vided, That hereafter no railroad shall be permitted upon any right-
of-way acquired by the United States leading to a national cemetery, 
or to encroach on any roads or walks thereon maintained by the 
United States: Provided further, That this appropriation shall not 
be used to repair more than a single approach road to any national 
cemetery: Provided 
further, 
That this appropriation shall not be 
obligated for construction of a superintendent's lodge or family 
quarters at a cost per unit in excess of $14,000, but such limitation may 
be increased by such additional amounts as may be required to provide 
office space, public comfort rooms, or space for the storage of Govern-
ment property within the same structure: Provided further, That no 
part of the funds in this or any other Act shall be used for the pay-
ment for services rendered by any retired officer detailed on active 
duty at Arlington National Cemetery as provided by the War De-
partment Appropriation Act, 1933 (Public Law" 286, Seventy-second 
Congress). 
RIVERS AND HARBORS AND FLOOD CONTROL 
The following appropriations shall be expended under the direction 
of the Secretary of the Army and the supervision of the Chief of Engi-
neers for authorized civil functions of the Department of the Army 
pertaining to rivers and harbors, flood control, beach erosion, and 
related purposes: 
GENERAL INVESTIGATIONS 
For expenses necessary for the collection and study of basic informa-
tion pertaining to river and harbor, flood control, shore protection, 
and related projects, and when authorized by law, preliminary exami-
nations, surveys and studies (including cooperative beach erosion 
studies as authorized in Public Law Numbered 520, Seventy-first Con-
gress, approved July 3,1930, as amended and supplemented), of proj- 
af usc:*426,**465, 
ects prior to authorization for construction, to remain available until 569a, S84a, '607a; 
expended, $2,867,500. 
Retired of f ic er 
at Arlington. 
4 7 Stat. 689. 
48 use 1399. 
198 
PUBLIC LAW 153-JULY 27, 1953 
[67 S T A T , 
G a r r i s o n Dam 
and Reservoir. 
Columbia R i v e r 
Basin. 
D a l l e s 
D a m , 
Columbia R i v e r . 
P a y m e n t t o In-
dians. 
CONSTRUCTION, GENERAL 
: 
, f 
For the prosecution of river and harbor, flood control, shore pro-
tection, and related projects authorized by law; detailed studies, and 
plans and specifications, of projects authorized or made eligible for 
selection by law (but such studies shall not constitute a commitment 
of the Government to construction); and not to exceed $1,750,000 for 
transfer to the Secretary of the Interior for conservation of fish and 
wildlife as authorized by law; to remain available until expended, 
$278,670,000: Provided, That not more than $5,750 of the amount herein 
appropriated shall be available for expenditure, in addition to funds 
heretofore made available for the Garrison Dam and Reservoir project 
on the Missouri River, to pay to the lawful occupants of properties 
within the taking area of the project for their improvements which 
will be rendered useless by the construction of the project, but for 
which compensation may not be made under existing law because of 
the occupants' limited right of occupancy: Provided, That no part 
of this appropriation shall be used for projects in the Columbia River 
Basin which are authorized by a law limiting the amount to be appro-
priated therefor, except as may be within the limits of the amount 
now or hereafter authorized to be appropriated: Provided 
further, 
That funds appropriated herein may at the discretion and under the 
direction of the Chief of Engineers be used in payment to the accounts 
of the Confederated Tribes of the Yakima Reservation; the Con-
federated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation; the Confederated 
Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation; or other recognized Indian tribes, 
and those individual Indians not enrolled in any recognized tribe, but 
who through domicile at or in the immediate vicinity of the reservoir 
and through custom and usage are found to have an equitable interest 
in the fishery, all of whose fishing rights and interests will be impaired 
by the Government incident to the construction, operation, or mainte-
nance of the Dalles Dam, Columbia River, Washington and Oregon, 
and must be subordinated thereto by agreement or litigation. 
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, GENERAL 
For expenses necessary for the preservation, operation, maintenance, 
and care of existing river and harbor, flood control, and related 
works; surveys and charting of northern and northwestern lakes and 
connecting waters; clearing and straightening channels; removal of 
obstructions to navigation; rescue work, and repair, restoration, or 
maintenance of flood control projects threatened or destroyed by 
fl'ood; and not to exceed $625,000 for transfer to the Secretary of the 
Interior for conservation of fish and wildlife as authorized by law; to 
remain available until expended, $79,000,000. 
GENERAL EXPENSES 
For expenses necessary for general administration and related 
functions in the Office of the Chief of Engineers and offices of the 
Division Engineers; activities of the Board of Engineers for Rivers 
and Harbors, the Beach Erosion Board, and the California Debris 
Commission; administration of laws pertaining to preservation of 
navigable waters; commercial statistics; and miscellaneous investi-
gations; $9,716,000. 
67 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 153-JULY 27, 1953 
199 
FLOOD CONTROL, MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES 
For expenses necessary for prosecuting work of flood control, and 
rescue work, repair, restoration or maintenance of flood control proj-
ects threatened or destroyed b^ flood, as authorized by law (33 U. S. C. g^^^ s^tat.^ 534; 49 
702a, 702g-l), to remain available until expended, $51,433,000. 
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS 
The foregoing appropriations shall be available for examination 
of estimates of appropriations in the field and for printing, either 
during a recess or session of Congress, of survey reports authorized 
by law, and such survey reports as may be printed during a recess of 
Congress shall be printed, with illustrations, as documents of the next 
succeeding session of Congress; and during the current fiscal year the 
revolving fund. Corps of Engineers, shall be available for purchase 
(not to exceed two hundred and fifty for replacement only) and hire 
of passenger motor vehicles: Provided further, That the number of 
passenger motor vehicles held by the Corps of Engineers on December 
31, 1952, shall be reduced by one hundred: Provided further, That fuJds*""*'"" °^ 
the unexpended balances on June 30, 1953, of sums heretofore appro-
priated for the Corps of Engineers for river and harbor and flood 
control activities which were made available until expended shall be 
classified under the corresponding heads, herein established, shall be 
transferred to and merged with the amounts appropriated under those 
heads, and shall be available for the purpose therein specified. 
REVOLVING FUND 
For establishment of a revolving fund, to be available without fiscal 
year limitation, for expenses necessary for the maintenance and opera-
tion of the plant and equipment of the Corps of Engineers used in 
civil works functions, including acquisition of plant and equipment, 
maintenance, repair, and purchase, operation, and maintenance of not 
to exceed four aircraft at any one time, temporary financing of serv-
ices finally chargeable to appropriations for civil works functions, and 
the furnishing of facilities and services for military functions of the 
Department of the Army and other Government agencies and private 
persons, as authorized by law, $100; and in addition, the Secretary of 
the Army is authorized to provide capital for the fund by capitalizing 
the present inventories, plant and equipment of the civil works func-
tions of the Corps of Engineers, 
The fund shall be credited with 
reimbursements or advances for the cost of equipment, facilities, and 
services furnished, at rates which shall include charges for overhead 
and related expenses, depreciation of plant and equipment, and 
accrued leave: Provided, That on July 1, 1953, (1) the fund shall 
assume the assets, liabilities, and obligations of the Plant accounts, 
as carried on the records of the Corps of Engineers as of June 30, 
1953, under the appropriations for "Maintenance and improvement of 
existing river and harbor works", "Flood control, general", and 
'"Flood control, Mississippi River and tributaries', and (2) there shall fuJcfs^ " °' *' °^ 
be transferred from said appropriations to the fund amounts equiva-
lent to the unexpended cash balances of the Plant accounts on June 
30, 1953: Provided further, That the total capital of said fund shall 
Limitation, 
not exceed $140,000,000. 
200 
PUBLIC LAW 153-JULY 27, 1953 
[67 S T A T . 
UNITED STATES SOLDIERS' HOME 
For maintenance and operation of the United States Soldiers' 
Home, to be paid from the Soldiers' Home permanent fund, $4,655,-
' 
' . 
000, of which $529,000 shall remain available until expended for the 
construction of buildings and facilities, and $525,000 shall remain 
available until expended for renovation and expansion of existing 
boiler plant: Provided^ That this appropriation shall not be available 
for the payment of hospitalization of members of the Home in United 
States Army hospitals at rates in excess of those prescribed by the 
Secretary of the Army, upon the recommendation of the Board of 
Commissioners of the Home and the Surgeon General of the Army. 
CANAL ZONE GOVERNMENT 
Operating expenses: For operating expenses necessary for the 
Canal Zone Government, including operation of the Postal Service 
of the Canal Zone; purchase and hire of passenger motor vehicles 
(including not to exceed four for replacement only) ; expenses incident 
to conducting hearings and examining estimates for appropriations 
on the Isthmus; expenses of attendance at meetings, when authorized 
by the Governor of the Canal Zone, of organizations concerned with 
activities pertaining to the Canal Zone Government; expenses of 
special training of employees of the Canal Zone Government as 
authorized by law (63 Stat. 602); contingencies of the Governor; 
medical aid and support of the insane and of lepers and aid and sup-
port of indigent persons legally within the Canal Zone, including 
expenses of their deportation when practicable; and payments of not 
to exceed $50 in any one case to persons within the Government service 
who shall furnish blood for transfusions; $13,300,000: Provided^ 
That hereafter all revenues from operation of the Canal Zone postal 
service shall be paid into miscellaneous receipts of the Treasury: 
Provided further^ That the number of passenger motor vehicles held 
by the Canal Zone Government on December 31,1952, shall be reduced 
by three. 
PANAMA CANAL COMPANY 
The following corporation is hereby authorized to make such 
expenditures, within the limits of funds and borrowing authority 
available to it and in accord Avith law, and to make such contracts 
and commitments without regard to fiscal year limitations as provided 
59 Stat. 598. 
\^y scctiou 104 of the Government Corporation Control Act, as may 
be necessary in carrying out the programs set forth in the Budget 
for the fiscal year 1954 for such corporation, except as hereinafter 
provided: 
Not to exceed $3,684,000 of the funds available to the Panama Canal 
Company shall be available during the current fiscal year for general 
and administrative expenses of the Company, which shall be com-
puted on an accrual basis: Provided^ That as used herein, the term 
,: 
"general and administrative expenses" shall not be construed to include 
expenses otherwise classified in the preceding fiscal year: Provided 
fv/rther, That funds available for operating expenses shall be available 
tor the purchase of not to exceed three passenger motor vehicles (for 
replacement only) : Provided further^ That the number of passenger 
motor vehicles held by the Panama Canal Company on December 31, 
1952, shall be reduced by six. 
67 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 153-JULY 27, 1953 
201 
REDUCTIONS I N 
APPROPRIATIONS 
CEMETERIAL EXPENSES 
The appropriation granted under the head, "Cemeterial Expenses, 
No Year", in the "Civil Functions Appropriation Act, 1949" is reduced 
by $5,158,763, and said amount shall be carried to the surplus of the 
Treasury. 
• 
- 
CANAL ZONE GOVERNMENT 
The appropriation granted under this head in the Civil Functions 
Appropriation Act, 1953, is reduced by $750,017, and said amount 
shall be carried to the surplus of the Treasury: Provided^ That the 
amount made available in said appropriation for construction and 
major equipment is decreased from "$4,900,000" to "$4,149,983". 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SEC. 102. No part of any appropriation contained in this Act, or of 
the funds made available lor expenditure by any corporation included 
in this Act, shall be used to pay the salary or wages of any person who 
engages in a strike against the Government of the United States or 
who is a member of an organization of Government employees that 
asserts the right to strike against the Government of the United States, 
or who advocates, or who is a member of an organization that advo-
cates, the overthrow of the Government of the United States by force 
or violence: Provided^ That for the purposes hereof an affidavit shall 
be considered prima facie evidence that the person making the affidavit 
has not contrary to the provisions of this section engaged in a strike 
against the Government of the United States, is not a member of an 
organization of Government employees that asserts the right to strike 
against the Government of the United States or that such person does 
not advocate, and is not a member of an organization that advocates, 
the overthrow of the Government of the United States by force or 
violence: Provided further^ That any person who engages in a strike 
against the Government of the United States or who is a member of an 
organization of Government employees that asserts the right to strike 
against the Government of the United States, or who advocates, or 
who is a member of an organization that advocates, the overthrow of 
the Government of the United States by force or violence and accepts 
employment the salary or wages for which are paid from any appro-
priation or fund contained in this Act shall be guilty of a felony and, 
upon conviction, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for 
not more than one year, or both: Provided further^ That the above 
penalty clause shall be in addition to, and not in substitution for, any 
other provisions of existing law. 
SEC. 103. No part of any appropriation contained in this Act shall 
be used directly or indirectly, except for temporary employment in 
case of emergency, for the payment of any civilian for services ren-
dered by him on the Canal Zone while occupying a skilled, technical, 
clerical, administrative, executive, or supervisory position unless such 
person is a citizen of the United States of America or of the Republic 
of Panama: Provided^ however^ (1) That, notwithstanding the pro-
vision in the Act approved August 11, 1939 (53 Stat. 1409) limiting 
employment in the above-mentioned positions to citizens of the United 
States from and after the date of approval of said Act, citizens of 
Panama may be employed in such positions; (2) that at no time shall 
the number of Panamanian citizens employed in the above-mentioned 
positions exceed the number of citizens of the United States so 
employed, if United States citizens are available in continental United 
62 Stat. 1019. 
66 Stat. 582. 
Strikes or over-
t h r o w of Govern-
ment. 
Affidavit. 
Penalty. 
Canal Zone. 
Employment r e -
quirements. 
48 u s e 
note. 
1 3 0 7 
202 
PUBLIC LAW 154-JULY 27, 1953 
[67 ST AT. 
S u s p e n s ion of 
compliance. 
60 Stat. 810. 
Reimbursement. 
Restrictions. 
Short title. 
States or on the Canal Zone; (3) that nothing in this Act shall pro-
hibit the continued employment of any person who shall have ren-
dered fifteen or more years of faithful and honorable service on the 
Canal Zone; (4) that in the selection of personnel for skilled, technical, 
administrative, clerical, supervisory, or executive positions, the con-
trolling factors in filling these positions shall be efficiency, experience, 
training, and education; (5) that all citizens of Panama and the 
United States rendering skilled, technical, clerical, administrative, 
executive, or supervisory service on the Canal Zone under the terms 
of this Act (a) shall normally be employed not more than forty hours 
per week, (b) may receive as compensation equal rates of pay based 
upon rates paid for similar employment in continental United States 
plus 25 per centum; (6) this entire section shall apply only to persons 
employed in skilled, technical, clerical, administrative, executive, or 
supervisory positions on the Canal Zone directly or indirectly by any 
branch of the United States Government or by any corporation or 
company whose stock is owned wholly or in part by the United States 
Government: Provided 
further, 
That the President may suspend 
from time to time in whole or in part compliance with this section if 
he should deem such course to be in the public interest. 
SEC. 104. The Governor of the Canal Zone is authorized to employ 
services as authorized by section 15 of the Act of August 2, 1946 
(5 U. S. C. 55a), in an amount not exceeding $15,000: Provided, That 
the rates for individuals shall not exceed $100 per diem. 
SEC. 105. Amounts expended by the Panama Canal Company in 
maintaining defense facilities in standby condition for the Depart-
ment of Defense, and amounts expended by the Canal Zone Govern-
ment in providing school and hospital services for agencies of the 
United States other than the Panama Canal Company and the Canal 
Zone Government hereafter shall, notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, be fully reimbursable to the Panama Canal Company or 
to the Canal Zone Government, as the case may be, by such other 
agencies. 
SEC. 106. No part of the funds of the Canal Zone Government or 
the Panama Canal Company shall be used after December 31, 1953, 
for providing free medical and hospital care to employees of the 
Panama Canal Company or the Canal Zone Government. 
SEC. 107. No part of the funds of the Panama Canal Company or 
the Canal Zone Government shall be available hereafter for payment 
of military personnel assigned to the Panama Canal Company or the 
Canal Zone Government in excess of their military pay: 
Provided, 
That this section shall not apply to those officers serving as Governor 
of the Canal Zone and President, Panama Canal Company and as 
Lieutenant Governor of the Canal Zone. 
SEC. 108. This Act may be cited as the "Civil Functions Appro-
priations Act, 1954". 
Approved July 27, 1953. 
July 27, 1953 
rS. 2342] 
Public Law 154 
CHAPTER 248 
AN ACT 
Authorizing the State of California to collect tolls for the use of certain highway 
crossings across the Bay of San Francisco. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
olkfand^brid^^ United States of A^merica in Congress assembled, That section 2 of the 
^46"stat 1193. ' ^^^ entitled "An Act granting the consent of Congress to the State 
of California to construct, maintain, and operate a bridge across the