Hon. JAMES S. PARKER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Washington, D. C., February 10, 1981. Chairman Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. PARKER: Careful consideration has been given to the bill (H. R. 16834) transmitted with your letter of February 4 with request for a report thereon and such views relative thereto as the department might desire to communicate. This bill would extend for one and three years, respectively, from July 3, 1931, the times for commencing and completing the construction of the bridge across the Missouri River, at or near the point known and designated as the Power-site Crossing or at or near the point designated and known as Wilder Ferry, southerly from the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in the State of Montana, authorized by act of Congress approved July 3, 1930, to be built by the State of Montana, or any political subdivisions or public agencies thereof, or any of them. Favorable action on the bill is recommended. Sincerely, C. V. MARVIN, Acting Secretary. The act of Congress approved July 3, 1930, is as follows: [PUBLIC NO. 516-71ST CONGRESS] [H. R. 12919] AN ACT Granting the consent of Congress to the State of Montana or any political subdivisions or public agencies thereof, or any of them, to construct, maintain, and operate a free highway bridge across the Missouri River southerly from the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation at or near the point known and designated as the Power-site Crossing or at or near the point known and designated as Wilder Ferry. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the consent of Congress is hereby granted to the State of Montana or any political subdivisions or public agencies thereof, or any of them, to construct, maintain, and operate a free highway bridge and approaches thereto across the Missouri River, at a point suitable to the interests of navigation and southerly from the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, at or near the point known and designated as the Power-site Crossing or at or near the point known and designated as Wilder Ferry in the State of Montana, in accordance with the provisions of an act entitled "An act to regulate the construction of bridges over navigable waters," approved March 23, 1906. SEC. 2. The right to alter, amend, or repeal this act is hereby expressly reserved. Approved, July 3, 1930. O CONSTRUCT A WATER MAIN TO SELFRIDGE FIELD, MICH. FEBRUARY 11, 1931.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. JAMES of Michigan, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 15596] The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 15596) to authorize the Secretary of War to construct a water main to Selfridge Field, Mich., introduced by Mr. Cramton, having considered the same, report thereon with the recommendation that it do pass. Selfridge Field is located about 2 miles from the city of Mount Clemens. At the present time the reservation has a water distribution system with an intake located in Lake St. Clair. The pumping system is about worn out and will soon have to be replaced and the intake relocated if the present distribution system is continued. Negotiations, however, have been concluded with the city of Mount Clemens whereby an agreement has been entered into that will supply the military reservation with an abundant supply of water at a cost of about $0.10 per 1,000 gallons, instead of $0.148 per 1,000 gallons as at present. Înformation furnished your committee indicates the cost of connecting the post system with the Mount Clemens system will be $37,000. Replacing equipment and relocating the intake will cost $50,000. Inasmuch as the Government will save $13,000 in the cost of equipment and will save $0.048 per 1,000 gallons in the cost of water, your committee feel that this legislation should be agreed to. Section 2 of the bill will give the War Department authority to supply residents between the boundary of the reservation and the city limits, thereby securing to the Government the payment of onefourth of the cost of construction of the main. The letter of the Secretary of War favoring the legislation gives an additional description of the project, as follows: Hon. W. FRANK JAMES, Chairman Committee on Military Affairs, House of Representatives. JANUARY 27, 1931. DEAR MR. JAMES: Careful consideration has been given to the bill (H. R. 15596) to authorize the Secretary of War to construct a water main to Selfridge Field, Mich., transmitted with your letter of January 6, 1931, with request for report thereon. The effect of this bill would be to improve the water supply of Selfridge Field, Mich., and lower the cost of the same to the Government. At present the water supply of that post is through an intake located in Lake St. Clair. This intake is located so close to the sewer outlet of the post that its relocation is necessary. The present pumping equipment is also rapidly deteriorating and its replacement will be necessary in a few years. It is estimated that the relocation of the intake and the replacement of equipment would cost $50,000, as compared to an estimated cost of $37,000 for connecting the post system to the water-supply system of Mount Clemens, Mich. It is also expected that the unit cost of water will be less when connected to the Mount Clemens system than it is now. At present the cost of water at Selfridge Field is about 14.8 cents per 1,000 gallons. The cost of water delivered from Mount Clemens would be about 10 cents per 1,000 gallons. With reference to section 2 of the proposed bill, it is believed that the War Department's interests are fully covered, and that the size of the main contemplated by this office will be sufficient to supply the post requirements and in addition leave a surplus to permit water to be supplied to residents of Harrison and Clinton townships under the conditions indicated. For the foregoing reasons the War Department favors the passage of this bill. QUARTERMASTER STOREHOUSE AT SELFRIDGE FIELD, MICH. FEBRUARY 11, 1931.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. JAMES of Michigan, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 15616] The committee on Military Affairs to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 15616) to authorize an appropriation for the construction of a building at Selfridge, Field, introduced by Mr. Cramton, having considered the same, report thereon with the recommendation that it do pass. This is a measure to authorize the construction of a building at Selfridge, Field, which General De Witt, the quartermaster General, and Mr. Cramton, the author of the bill, have stated to your committee is very badly needed. Mr. Cramton stated to your committee the following: When I went over this subject while I was at the field, the general idea which led me to present this bill was that it is an emergency in that there is not a proper refrigeration system, as I recall, available for the storage of supplies at Selfridge. So it seemed to me that economy would result from providing a quartermaster warehouse. I will read the Secretary of War's report and see if I am correct in my underIt reads: standing. The need of this warehouse is very urgent. The building will replace the temporary warehouse which was destroyed by fire November 11, 1922. Since that date the commissary and many quartermaster stores have been housed in the temporary Air Corps school building. The floors of this temporary building are not suitable for warehouse purposes, having never been designed to carry the load." May I interrupt to remind you that Selfridge Field was built in the war period. A great many of the buildings are of hasty and temporary construction. The chairman is quite familiar with that. I talked with the Budget. I understood that the report had gone from the Budget to the department, and the department had approved it in case that it was absorbed in the 1932 or 1933 program. I don't know what that would mean. A postponement of the construction until 1932 seems to me wasteful in that the Government supplies are not properly cared for, and there is entire lack of refrigeration at Selfridge Field. Mr. MCSWAIN. Do you mean for meats and butter and things like that? The letter of the Secretary of War approving the legislation is as follows: Hon. W. FRANK JAMES, Chairman Committee on Military Affairs, House of Representatives. JANUARY 28, 1931. DEAR MR. JAMES: Careful consideration has been given to the bill (H. R. 15616) to authorize an appropriation for the construction of a building at Selfridge Field, transmitted with your letter of January 6, 1931, with a request for report thereon. The effect of the bill would be to authorize an appropriation of not to exceed $55,000 for the construction, at Selfridge Field, Mich., of a quartermaster storehouse. The need of this storehouse is very urgent. The building will replace the temporary warehouse which was destroyed by fire on November 12, 1922. Since that date the commissary and many quartermaster stores have been housed in the temporary Air Corps school building. The floors of this temporary building are not suitable for warehouse purposes, having never been designed to carry heavy loads. Floor joists and sills are practically on the ground surface, with the result that many floor failures have occurred, thus permitting the floor to sag and rest on the ground itself. This has resulted in a very uneven floor and has made warehousing practically impossible. The balance of the quartermaster supplies are now stored in a temporary building which occupies the approved site for permanent Air Corps technical construction included in the 1932 program. This building must be removed in order that the 1932 program may proceed. It is estimated that the building can be constructed at a cost of approximately $55,000. The War Department favors the passage of this bill, provided that the cost of this construction will be included in the $15,000,000 Army housing program for the fiscal year 1933. Sincerely yours, |