The presidential (or, at times, congressional) special commission is coming increasingly to be used as a major tool for dealing with difficult contemporary economic and social problems in the United States. In the general field of natural resources, two such commissions issued their reports during 1967; one was created; and the life of two others was extended.
Growing use of the commission approach is a significant development. While study teams from within the executive branch of government, and congressional committees, and university research teams still are used extensively, the specialized commissions, generally formed of leading citizens with an interest in and knowledge of some problem, supplemented by a special research or investigative staff, have grown in importance, especially in the past decade.
A 30-man National Advisory Commission on Food and Fiber headed by Sherwood O. Berg, dean of the Institute of Agriculture at the University of Minnesota, was appointed late in 1965. Its staff was headed by Harlow W. Halvorson, of the University of Wisconsin, until his death in August 1966; thereafter, by Jimmye S. Hillman, of the University of Arizona. The commission's report, Food and Fiber for the Future, was published by the Government Printing Office in July 1967. At numerous places in the report, a substantial minority of the commission dissented from the recommendations of the majority. Perhaps more impressive than the dissent, however, was the measure of agreement. The commission as a whole felt that the time had come for major changes in federal agricultural programs, particularly looking toward greater reliance upon markets for agricultural commodities as guidelines for production, to be reinforced, if need be, with income supplement payments to commercial farmers and with various special programs to aid the low-income non-commercial farmers. The dissent turned largely upon how rapidly present programs could be modified in this direction, and upon whether there would be continuing need for some form of price-support program for agricultural commodities. The federal programs of stimulating new land development through subsidized irrigation, drainage, and flood protection were condemned by the whole commission. Various programs for improving the conditions of rural life were also proposed.
A somewhat different organizational pattern was followed for the problem of rural poverty. A President's Committee on Rural Poverty, consisting of Secretaries of major departments and other high federal officials, was appointed in September 1966; to this was added a 23 man National Advisory Commission on Rural Poverty, headed by Governor Edward T. Breathitt of Kentucky. The staff director of the commission's studies was C. E. Bishop, now vice president of the University of North Carolina. The commission's report, The People Left Behind, was transmitted to the President in September and released by him in early December. It points out in a striking manner the prevalence of rural poverty—twice as large, compared to total population, as in the cities—and the wretched living conditions of many rural people. More whites than African Americans are living in rural poverty, although the poverty among rural African Americans is especially severe. While poverty is partly a personal or family matter, there is also a serious deficiency of small-town and rural social and public services. The commission outlines in strong terms a series of public programs and actions designed to correct the rural poverty problem and to bring living conditions of the rural poor up to the standards we demand for urban people.
A 16-man National Commission on Urban Problems was appointed by the President in January 1967; it is headed by former Senator Paul H. Douglas, and its staff director is Howard Shuman. Major concerns of the commission are building codes, land use zoning, land taxation, urban development standards, and low-cost housing. The commission was originally scheduled to report by March 1968, but its time has been extended to December. Its studies may well provide important information and policy proposals for public action in the urban field, including particularly the use of natural resources in the urban area.
The Public Land Law Review Commission follows a still different form of organization. Established by a special act in 1964, the 19-member commission includes six members of the House of Representatives, six senators, and six public members appointed by the President, plus an elected chairman, who is Congressman Wayne N. Aspinall of Colorado. The staff director is Milton L. Pearl. To provide a basis for its recommendations, the commission has outlined some 34 subjects for special study by the end of 1967, contracts had been let with various universities or research organizations for eight of these, but none of the studies had been completed at that date. The commission was to have originally filed its report by December 31, 1968, and to have gone out of existence six months thereafter; by an amendment passed in late 1967, these dates were extended to June 30, 1970 and December 31, 1970, respectively. The commission's report and its supporting studies, if the latter are published, should be of interest to everyone concerned with public land use and management in the United States.
Activities of the President's Commission on Marine Science, Engineering, and Resources are described under the heading "Ocean Resources."
A version of this article appeared in print in the January 1968 issue of Resources magazine.
