Memorandum of Disapproval of Bill Relating to Employees of the Canal Zone Government and the Panama Canal Company.

I HAVE withheld my approval from S. 1271, "To permit employees of the Canal Zone Government and the Panama Canal Company to appeal decisions under the federal Employees' Compensation Act to the Employees' Compensation Appeals Board."

This proposal has a worthy objective. Equality of treatment demands that employees of the Canal Zone Government and the Panama Canal Company, who are aggrieved by final decisions upon their claims for compensation, should have the right of appeal enjoyed by other employees of the Government.

Unfortunately, the bill before me is seriously faulty. The Executive Branch advised the Congress of four defects in the bill and set forth recommendations for the overcoming of the defects. Why these remedial recommendations were not adopted is not shown in the record. I am convinced that they should have been adopted in the interest of avoiding needless costs, administrative burdens, and procedural encumbrances.

It has been suggested that the objectives of this bill may be legally capable of accomplishment by Executive Order without the need of legislation. I shall see that this is examined at once.

HARRY S. TRUMAN