Statement by the President Upon Signing the Customs Simplification Act of 1953.

I HAVE TODAY approved H.R. 5877, the Customs Simplification Act of 1953. This statute will authorize the Treasury Department to make much needed changes in the regulations governing the procedures of the Bureau of Customs. The new law will permit the elimination of many obsolete but time-consuming requirements, contribute to a more efficient utilization of available personnel, and eliminate a number of inequities in the former law.

In my first message to the Congress, I indicated that one of the important measures which should be undertaken was legislation to modernize customs procedures. By the enactment of H.R. 5877, the Congress has completed a major portion of the legislation needed for this purpose. It is gratifying that the few provisions suggested by the Treasury and passed by the House but deferred for further study by the Senate and thus not contained in this Act have been included in a new bill (H.R. 6584) introduced by Mr. Jenkins of Ohio which has passed the House of Representatives and which will receive the consideration of the Senate at the beginning of the second session of the 83rd Congress.