- 2466
PROCLAMATIONS, 1931. NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION WEEK-1931 August ,~, 1931. BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION Xational Fire Pre- It has become customary for t.he President of the United States to vention Week. Preamble. request an annual observance of Fire Prevention Week throughout tho nation to stimulate the interest and cooperation of officials, organizations, and citizens in diminishing the losses of life and prop- erty from fire. Last year fires in the United States cp.used a direct property loss estimated at nearly $500,000,000, an increase of $40,000,000 over 1929. These direct losses affected home owners, farmers, business men, and workingmen. There were many more millions of indirect losses in rentals, broken contracts, unemployment, and interruption to business. Deaths and injuries to men, women, and children exceeded 35,000 in 1930. The majority of the losses of life and property were the result of carelessness and lack of preventive measures. ~ he purpose of National Fire Prevention Week is to focus attention on the hazards of fire and to promote preventive measures to reduce this devasting waste. Week of October 4, N OW, THEREFORE, I, HERBERT HOOVER, President of the United 1931, designated as. States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of October 4, 1931, to be observed as Fire Prevention Week and earnestly solicit the assistance of each citizen to help lessen the loss and needless waste and suffering from fires which are largely preventable. August 19, 1931. Virgin Islands. Preamble. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. DONE at the City of Washington this 5" day of AugUst, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and thirty-onc, and of [SEAL] the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and fifty-sixth. HERBERT HOOVER By the President: W. R . CASTLE, Jr Acting Secretary oj State. [No. 1962] EXEMPTION OF VIRGIN ISLANDS FROM COASTWISE LAWS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLA~fATION WHEREAS an act of Congress entitled "Merchant Marine Act, 1920z". approved June 5, 1920 (41 Stat. 988), contained the following prOVISIOns: Statutory provisions. "SEC. 21. That from and after February 1, 1922, the coastwise Vol. 4k p. 997. laws of the United States shall extend to the island Territories and u. 8. to., p. 1541. possessions of the United States not now covered thereby, and the board is directed prior to the expiration of such year to have estab- lished adequate steamship service at reasonable rates to accommodate the commerce and the passenger travel of said islands and to maintain and operate such service until it can be taken over and operated and maintained upon satisfactory terms by private capital and enterprise:
