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commission to attempt to give effect to certain of the provisions of the Federal water power act, and the growing importance of the problems relating to Federal regulation of water power. These facts indicate that the best interests of the Federal Government and of the public affected will be better served by a commission composed of appointed members than by the present commission composed of the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Agriculture.

In addition to the principal feature of reorganizing the commission along the lines stated, under the legislation here proposed, the Federal Power Commission is given specific authority to employ needed personnel, instead of having to perform its work through the War Department, the Department of Agriculture, and the Interior Department, as is provided in the Federal water power act at the present time.

With the exception that a commission of five instead of three members is provided for, the House substitute makes only insubstantial changes in the Senate bill. It omits certain provisions with respect to removal of commissioners from office; certain limitations upon the private business activities of commissioners; and the provision for a solicitor, since a general counsel is provided for. The House substitute adds an amendment to section 4 of the Federal water power act to provide that annual reports of the commission shall contain the names and show the compensation of employees. It also provides that the salaries of the new commissioners shall not start until the reorganization of the commission.

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 2a of Rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, changes in sections 1, 2, and 4 (c) of the Federal water power act of June 10, 1920, proposed by the bill, are shown below, existing law proposed to be omitted being inclosed in black brackets and new matter being printed in italics:

That a commission is hereby created and established, to be known as the Federal Power Commmission (hereinafter referred to as the "commission") which shall be composed of [the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Agriculture. Two members of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and the commission shall have an official seal, which shall be judicially noticed. The President shall designate the chairman of the commission] five commissioners who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, one of whom shall be designated by the President as chairman and shall be the principal executive officer of the commission: Provided, That after the expiration of the original term of the commissioner so designated as chairman by the President, chairmen shall be elected by the commission itself, each chairman when so elected to act as such until the expiration of his term of office.

The commissioners first appointed under this section, as amended, shall continue in office for terms of one, two, three, four, and five years, respectively, from the date this section, as amended, takes effect, the term of each to be designated by the President at the time of nomination. Their successors shall be appointed each for a term of five years from the date of the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed, except that any person appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for he unexpired term of such predecessor. Not more than three of the commissioners shall be appointed from the same political party. No person in the employ of or holding any official relation to any licensee or to any person, firm, association, or corporation engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution, or sale of power, or owning stock or bonds thereof, or who is in any manner pecuniarily interested therein, shall enter upon the duties of or hold the office of commissioner. No vacancy in the commission shall impair the right of the remainHR-71-2-VOL 4- -34

ing commissioners to exercise all the powers of the commission. Three members of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and the commission shall have an official seal of which judicial notice shall be taken. The commission shall annually elect a vice chairman to act in case of the absence or disability of the chairman or in case of a vacancy in the office of chairman.

Each commissioner shall receive an annual salary of $10,000, together with neces sary traveling and subsistence expenses, or per diem allowance in lieu thereof, within the limitations prescribed by law, while away from the seat of government upon official business.

The principal office of the commission shall be in the District of Columbia, where its general sessions shall be held; but whenever the convenience of the public or of the parties may be promoted or delay or expense prevented thereby, the commission may hold special sessions in any part of the United States.

[SEC. 2. That the commission shall appoint an executive secretary, who shall receive a salary of $5,000 a year, and prescribe his duties, and the commission may request the President of the United States to detail an officer from the United States Engineer Corps to serve the commission as engineer officer, his duties to be prescribed by the commission.

[The work of the commission shall be performed by and through the Departments of War, Interior, and Agriculture and their engineering, technical, clerical, and other personnel except as may be otherwise provided by law.

[All the expenses of the commission, including rent in the District of Columbia, all necessary expenses for transportation and subsistence, including, in the discretion of the commission, a per diem of not exceeding $4 in lieu of subsistence incurred by its employees under its orders in making any investigation or conducting field work, or upon official business outside of the District of Columbia and away from their designated points of duty, shall be allowed and paid on the presentation of itemized vouchers therefor approved by a member or officer of the commission duly authorized for that purpose; and in order to defray the expenses made necessary by the provisions of this act there is hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as Congress may hereafter determine, and the sum of $100,000 is hereby appropriated, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, available until expended, to be paid out upon warrants drawn on the Secretary of the Treasury upon order of the commission.] Sec. 2. The commission shall have authority to appoint, prescribe the duties, and fix the salaries of a secretary, a chief engineer, a general counsel, and a chief accountant; and may, subject to the civil service laws, appoint such other officers and employees as are necessary in the execution of its functions and fix their salaries in accordance with the classification act of 1923, as amended. The commission may request the President to detail an officer or officers from the Corps of Engineers, or other branches of the United States Army, to serve the commission as engineer officer or officers, or in any other capacity, in field work outside the seat of government, their duties to be prescribed by the commission; and such detail is hereby authorized. The President may also, at the request of the commission, detail, assign, or transfer to the commission engineers in or under the Departments of the Interior or Agriculture for field work outside the seat of government under the direction of the commission.

The commission may make such expenditures (including expenditures for rent and personal services at the seat of government and elsewhere, for law books, periodicals, and books of reference, and for printing and binding) as are necessary to execute its functions. Expenditures by the commission shall be allowed and paid upon the presentation of itemized vouchers therefor, approved by the chairman of the commission or by such other member or officer as may be authorized by the commission for that purpose.

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SEC. 4. That the commission is hereby authorized and empowered

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(c) To make public from time to time the information secured hereunder, and to provide for the publication of its reports and investigations in such form and manner as may be best adapted for public information and use. The commission, on or before the first Monday in December of each year, shall submit to Congress for the fiscal year preceding a classified report showing the permits and licenses issued under this act, and in each case the parties thereto, the terms prescribed, and the moneys received if any, on account thereof. Such report shall contain the names and show the compensation of the persons employed by the commission.

O

2d Session

No. 1794

PROVIDING FOR THE ACQUIREMENT OF ADDITIONAL LANDS FOR THE NAVAL AIR STATION AT SEATTLE, WASH.

JUNE 5, 1930.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. MILLER, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, submitted the

following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 9231]

The Committee on Naval Affairs of the House of Representatives, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 9231) providing for the acquirement of additional lands for the naval air station at Seattle, Wash., having had the same under consideration, report favorably thereon, with the following amendment, and recommend that the bill do pass. Line 12, strike out the words "this tract of land" and insert in lieu thereof the following: "these tracts of land at a cost not to exceed $50,000."

The purpose of the bill is to acquire by purchase two tracts of land located at the southeasterly corner of the naval air station, Seattle, Wash. Tract No. 1 contains 20.65 acres, and tract No. 2 contains approximately 10 acres. Each tract has a frontage on Lake Washington of approximately 900 feet. The purchase of these two areas will permit the development of two take-off and landing runways, each about 1 mile in length and each with approaches over the water, the direction of the runways being almost directly in coincidence with the prevailing winds. The southern boundary of the naval air station reservation is the northern boundary of the city limits of the city of Seattle, and the growth of this city toward the north indicates the advisability of purchasing the two tracts of land described before such time as private development has reached a degree which would make the purchase prohibitive from the standpoint of price.

The naval air station reservation at Seattle comprises a total area of approximately 413 acres, all of which has previously been donated to the United States without cost to the Government.

The following letter from the Acting Secretary of the Navy, addressed to the chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs of the House of Representatives, sets forth the views of the Navy Department and is hereby made a part of this report:

The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS,

NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, April 4, 1930.

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Replying further to the committee's letter of January 30, 1930, transmitting the bill (H. R. 9231) providing for the acquirement of additional lands for the naval air station at Seattle, Wash., and requesting the views and recommendations of the Navy Department thereon, I have the honor to inform the committee as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to authorize the Secretary of the Navy to acquire for aviation purposes the following two tracts of land adjoining the present site of the naval air station, Seattle, Wash.: Parcel No. 1, containing approximately 20.65 acres, located to the southeast of the air station and bounded on the north and west by the air station. Parcel No. 2, containing approximately 10 acres, located to the southward of parcel No. 1.

Acquisition of these two parcels will permit the extension of flying lanes 5 and 6 to lengths of 5,650 feet and 5,200 feet, respectively. These lanes are almost directly in coincidence with the prevailing wind direction.

The present site of the naval air station was donated to the United States by King County, Wash. Its area is approximately 413 acres. Operations have shown the necessity for longer take-off lanes running north and south (the prevailing wind direction) and also for providing against possible erection on the south side of structures that might be hazardous to flying. These two important facts will be accomplished to a large degree by the acquisition of the two tracts above referred to. The latest estimates on flying in the Navy Department indicate that the probable cost involved is $48,485.

While the Navy Department feels that this measure is very desirable and also necessary, on the other hand the expenditures involved would result in exceeding the total cost of the naval estimates submitted to Congress for the next fiscal year, and the Navy Department is, therefore, impelled to recommend against the enactment of the bill at this time.

Sincerely yours,

ERNEST LEE JAHNCKE,
The Acting Secretary of the Navy.

TO PROVIDE FOR CERTAIN PUBLIC WORKS AT PARRIS ISLAND, S. C.

JUNE 5, 1930.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. VINSON of Georgia, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 11367]

The Committee on Naval Affairs of the House of Representatives, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 11367) to provide for certain public works at Parris Island, S. C., having had the same under consideration, report favorably thereon, and with the following amendment recommend that the bill do pass:

Line 8, after the numerals "$1,209,000" strike out everything down to and including the word "fund" on line 11.

Line 11, strike out the words "sums are" and insert in lieu thereof the words "sum is".

The purpose of this bill is to authorize the Secretary of the Navy to proceed with the construction of certain public works at Parris Island, S. C., by the replacement of four barracks buildings which had been erected during the World War.

Parris Island is the only station on the east coast of the United States where Marine Corps recruits receive their initial training. Practically all the buildings used at Parris Island for the housing of enlisted personnel are of temporary war-time construction.

The replacement of the temporary war-time construction at the Marine Barracks, Parris Island, in permanent construction is very desirable by the Navy Department and are essential to the needs of the Marine Corps.

The following letter from the Acting Secretary of the Navy addressed to the chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs of the

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