Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.
This executive order, signed by President Harry S Truman on 1950-01-03, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Establishment of the President's Water Resources Policy Commission." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.
Constitutional Assessment: Evaluated against the Fifth Amendment, this action touches upon property or economic rights. An early statesman would insist upon strict adherence to due process of law and the constitutional guarantee that private holdings shall not be encumbered or taken for public purposes without just compensation and lawful process.
Key Directives & Operative Actions
▪By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows: 1.
▪There is hereby established in the Executive Office of the President a Commission which shall be known as the President's Water Resources Policy Commission, and which shall be composed of a Chairman and six other members to be designated by the President.
▪The President's Water Resources Policy Commission shall study, and make recommendations to the President with respect to, Federal responsibility for and participation in the development, utilization, and conservation of water resources, including related land uses and other public purposes to the extent that they are directly concerned with water resources.
▪Each member of the Commission shall receive such compensation as the President may specify and while away from his home or regular place of business, and engaged in the official business of the Commission, shall receive actual traveling expenses and per-diem allowances in lieu of subsistence in accordance with the rates established by the Standardized Government Travel Regulations, as amended.
Exec. Order No. 10095, Harry S Truman (Jan 3, 1950). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-10095-establishment-the-presidents-water-resources-policy-commission.
Official Document Text
Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)
By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows: 1. There is hereby established in the Executive Office of the President a Commission which shall be known as the President's Water Resources Policy Commission, and which shall be composed of a Chairman and six other members to be designated by the President. 2. The President's Water Resources Policy Commission shall study, and make recommendations to the President with respect to, Federal responsibility for and participation in the development, utilization, and conservation of water resources, including related land uses and other public purposes to the extent that they are directly concerned with water resources. The Commission shall give consideration in particular to (a) the extent and character of Federal Government participation in major water-resources programs, (b) an appraisal of the priority of water-resources programs from the standpoint of economic and social need, 98c) criteria and standards for evaluating the feasibility of water-resources projects, and (d) desirable legislation or changes in existing legislation relating to the development, utilization, and conservation of water resources,. 3. All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government are authorized and directed to cooperate with the Commission in its work and to furnish the Commission such information and assistance as it may require in the performance of its duties. 4. Each member of the Commission shall receive such compensation as the President may specify and while away from his home or regular place of business, and engaged in the official business of the Commission, shall receive actual traveling expenses and per-diem allowances in lieu of subsistence in accordance with the rates established by the Standardized Government Travel Regulations, as amended. 5. During the fiscal year 1950, the compensation of the members of the Commission (including traveling expenses and per-diem allowances) and the expenditures of the Commission shall be paid out of an allotment made by the President from the appropriation appearing under the heading "Emergency Fund for the President" in the Independent Offices Appropriation Act, 1950 (Public Law 266, approved August 24, 1949); and during the fiscal year 1951 such compensation and expenditures shall be similarly paid from any corresponding or like appropriation made available for the fiscal year 1951. Such payments shall be made without regard to the provisions of section 3681 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 672), section 9 of the act of March 4, 1909, 35 Stat. 1027 (31 U.S.C. 673), and section 213 of the Independent Offices Appropriation Act, 1945 (58 Stat. 387), and without regard to such other provisions of law as the President may hereafter specify. 6. The Commission shall submit its final report to the President not later than December 1, 1950. HARRY S. TRUMAN THE WHITE HOUSE, January 3, 1950