An Act to provide for sundry administrative matters affecting the Federal Government, particularly the Army, Navy, Air Force, and State Department, and for other purposes
PL 83-388 (H.R.2225), enacted 06/04/1954

68 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 38a-JUNE 4, 1954 
175 
Secretary of the Interior through appraisal, after taking into consider-
ation the purpose for which the lands are to be used, or (d) lease such 
land to a nonprofit corporation or nonprofit association at a reasonable 
annual rental, for a period up to twenty years, and, at the discretion 
of the Secretary, with a privilege of renewal for a like period. 
Each 
patent or lease so issued shall contain a reservation to the United States 
of all mineral deposits in the lands conveyed or leased and of the right 
to mine and remove the same, under applicable laws and regulations 
to be established by the Secretary. 
Each lease shall contain a pro-
vision for its termination upon a finding by the Secretary that the land 
has not been used by the lessee for the purpose specified in the lease 
for such period, not over five years, as may be specified in the lease, 
or that such land or any part thereof is beiiig devoted to another use. 
"SEC. 3. Title to lands conveyed by the Government under this Act 
may not be transferred by the grantee or its successor except, with the 
consent of the Secretary of the Interior, to a transferee w-hich would 
be a qualified grantee under section 2 (a) or (c) and subject to the 
acreage limitation contained in section 1 (b) of this Act. A grantee 
or its successor may not change the use specified in the conveyance to 
another or additional use except, with the consent of the Secretary, 
to a use for which such grantee or its successor could obtain a con-
veyance under this Act. 
If at any time after the lands are conveyed 
by the Government, the grantee or its successor attempts to transfer 
title to or control over these lands to another or the lands are devoted 
to a use other than that for which the lands were conveyed, without 
the consent of the Secretary, title to the lands shall revert to the United 
States. The provisions of this section, however, shall cease to be in 
eifect as to any lands patented under this Act twenty-five years after 
the issuance of patent for such lands. 
"SEC. 4. The Secretary may authorize transfei*s of title or changes 
in use in accordance with the provisions of section 3 of this Act with 
respect to any patent heretofore issued under any Act upon application 
by a patentee qualified to obtain a conveyance under section 2 (a) or 
(c) of this Act. 
If the Secretary, pursuant to such an application, 
authorizes such transfer or use, all reverter provisions and other 
limitations on transfer or use, under this or any other Act affecting 
the lands involved, shall cease to be in effect twenty-five years after 
the Secretary authorizes the transfer or use for a changed or additional 
purpose under the provisions of this section. 
"SEC. 5. The Act of September 30, 1890, entitled 'An Act to 
authorize entry of the public lands by incorporated cities and towns 
for cemetery and park purposes', and the Act of October 17, 1940, 
entitled 'An Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to sell or 
lease for park or recreational purposes, and to sell for cemetery 
purposes, certain public lands in Alaska', are hereby repealed." 
Approved June 4, 1954. 
R e s e r v a t i o n t
o
< 
U.S. 
Title transfer. 
Authorization. 
Repeals. 
26 Stat. 502; 
Stat. 1192. 
43 u s e 729 and 
note. 
54 
Public Law 388 
CHAPTER 264 
AN ACT 
To provide for sundry administrative matters affecting the Federal Government, 
particularly the Army, Navy, Air Force, and State Department, and for other 
purposes. 
June 4,1954 
[H. R. 2225] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That in all cases 
where relief has been granted or may hereafter be granted to disburs-
ing officers or agents of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and State Depart-
ment operating under accounts of advances, under the authority of 
D i s b u r s i n g of-
ficers. 
Accounts of ad> 
vances. 
176 
PUBLIC LAW 388-JUNE 4, 1954 
[68 S T A T . 
any Act of Congress containing no provisions for the removal of 
charges outstanding in the accounts of advances of such Departments, 
and m all cases where charges have been outstanding in the accounts 
of advances of the aforesaid Departments for two full fiscal years 
and have been certified by the head of the Department concerned 
to the Comptroller General as uncollectible, such charges shall be 
removed by crediting the appropriate account of advances and debit-
ing any appropriation made available therefor to the Department 
concerned: Provided^ That nothing contained in this section shall in 
any way affect the financial liability of any disbursing officer, agent, 
i;r surety of the United States. 
NtJfVep art- 
^^' 
^' ^Bctiou 5 of the Act of August 7,1946 (60 Stat. 897, 898), is 
ment. 
* ' ' hereby amended by deleting the period after the word "loaned" and 
Binoculars. 
substituting a colon in place thereof, and by adding the following 
proviso thereto: ''''Provided^ however^ That claims for the return 
or replacement of binoculars under this section shall be filed with the 
Secretary of the Navy on or before December 31,1954, and the United 
States shall be under no obligation to return, replace, or pay for 
binoculars under this section, for which no claim is so filed. After 
decision on claims submitted pursuant to this section, the Secretary 
of the Navy is authorized to dispose of any such binoculars held by 
the Navy in accordance with existing law." 
Ftfe^*"*ifd^I'' 
^^^' ^' "^^^ Secretary of the Navy is authorized to sell to merchant 
plies. 
ships, under such regulations as he may prescribe, and at such prices 
as he may deem reasonable, such fuel and other supplies as may be 
required to meet the necessities of such ships and as may not otherwise 
be locally procurable: Provided^ That such ships, without such fuel or 
other emergency supplies to be furnished under this authority, are not 
able to proceed to the nearest port where such fuel and other supplies 
can be locally procured without endangering the health and comfort 
of the personnel, the safety of the ship, or the safe condition of the 
property thereon: Provided further^ That the funds received from 
such sales shall, if not otherwise provided by law, be credited to the 
current appropriations concerned, and the amounts so credited shall 
be available for expenditures for the same purposes as the appropria-
tions credited: Arid provided- further^ That such sales shall be on a 
cash basis or such other basis as will reasonably assure prompt pay-
ment for such supplies. 
fn«r"«^<.° «fft* t°" 
^^^- ^' Under such regulations as the President may prescribe, 
appropriations chargeable for the transportation of baggage and 
household goods and effects of military personnel and civilian 
employees of departments or agencies of the Federal Government 
shall be available for the payment or reimbursement of general average 
contributions required in connection therewith: Provided^ That no 
appropriation shall be available for the payment or reimbursement 
of general average contributions required in connection with and 
applicable to quantities of baggage and household goods and effects 
in excess of quantities authorized to be transported by law or regula-
tion pursuant to law; nor shall any appropriations be so available in 
any case where the military person or civilian employee concerned 
(a) is allowed under any law or regulation pursuant to law a com-
mutation in lieu of the actual transportation expenses or (b) has 
himself selected the. mea;ns of shipment. 
Approved June 4, 1954. 
of personal effects.