DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Washington, D. C., March 21, 1980. Hon. HIRAM W. JOHNSON, Chairman Committee on Commerce, United States Senate. DEAR SENATOR: Receipt is acknowledged of your letter of March 13, transmitting a copy of a bill (S. 3873) with request that the committee be furnished with such suggestions touching its merits and the propriety of its passage as the department might deem appropriate. This bill would extend for one and three years, respectively, from May 14, 1930, the times for commencing and completing the construction of a bridge across the Mississippi River at or near Carondelet, Mo., authorized by act of Congress approved May 14, 1928, to be built by the Dupo Bridge Co., its successors and assigns. When the original bill to authorize the construction of this bridge was pending, this department advised your committee that it would interpose no objection thereto since it would appear that the proposed bridge would serve to connect the city of St. Louis with some of the suburban communities adjacent thereto on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. However, almost two years have elapsed since the authorization was granted for the construction of the bridge, and, if those interested in the proposition have been unable to arrange to commence construction work during that period, the department would recommend against granting the extension of time which the bill proposes. R. W. Dunlap, Acting Secretary. Sincerely, 71ST CONGRESS 2d Session SENATE { REPORT No. 510 AMEND THE FEDERAL RESERVE ACT WITH RESPECT TO METHOD OF ELECTING CLASSES A AND B DIRECTORS OF FEDERAL RESERVE BANKS APRIL 21 (calendar day, APRIL 23), 1930.-Ordered to be printed Mr. WALCOTT, from the Committee on Banking and Currency, submitted the following REPORT (To accompany S. 4096) The Committee on Banking and Currency, to whom was referred the bill (S. 4096) to amend section 4 of the Federal reserve act, having considered the same, report favorably thereon, with the recommendation that the bill do pass without amendment. The enactment of this legislation is especially desired by the Federal Reserve Board. The reasons for this legislation and the purpose to be accomplished are fully set out in the letter of Gov. R. A. Young to the chairman of the committee under date of February 12, 1930, which is appended hereto and made a part of this report. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, Hon. PETER NORBECK, Chairman Banking and Currency Committee, United States Senate, Washington, D. C. SIR: The Federal Reserve Board wishes to recommend the enactment of an amendment to section 4 of the Federal reserve act to clarify the meaning of the phrase "electors voting" in that part of the statute providing the method of counting ballots in elections of class A and class B directors of Federal reserve banks. The existing law provides that the member banks voting in an election shall indicate their first, second, and other choices and if no candidate have a majority of first-choice votes, the second-choice votes shall be added to the first-choice votes, and if any candidate then have a majority of the "electors voting," he shall be declared elected; if not, votes for first, second, and other choices shall be added together and the candidate then having the highest number of votes shall be declared elected. In a recent election of a director at one of the Federal reserve banks no candidate had a majority of first-choice votes and it was accordingly necessary to add together the first choice and second choice votes; when this was done several candidates had a majority of "electors voting" and it became material to the result of the election to determine whether the candidate having the highest number of first and second choice votes combined should be declared elected or whether in such case votes for first, second, and other choices should be added together and the candidate then having the highest number of combined votes declared elected. The decision reached on this question was seriously questioned by one of the unsuccessful candidates for the office who contended that he had been improperly deprived of the election. The proper answer to this question under the terms of the present law is open to serious doubt, and under such circumstances it is likely that whenever the question arises in the future whatever decision may be made will be unsatisfactory to one or more of the unsuccessful candidates who will regard the election as having been improperly determined or as determined by highly technical considerations. For obvious reasons it is important that there should be no doubt as to what candidate has been lawfully elected in all elections of class A and class B directors of Federal reserve banks, and in order to remove the possibility of such doubtful cases arising hereafter the board believes that the statute should be amended so rs to provide that, when first and second choice votes have been added together, the candidate then having a "majority of the electors voting and the highest number of combined votes" shall be declared elected. A draft of an amendment for this purpose is submitted herewith for your consideration, together with a print showing the textual changes in the present law which would be made by the adoption of the proposed amendment. Respectfully, R. A. YOUNG, Governor. A BILL To amend section 4 of the Federal reserve act Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the twenty-eighth paragraph of section 4 of the Federal reserve act, as amended (U. S. C., title 12, sec. 304) is amended to read as follows: "Any candidate having a majority of all votes cast in the column of first choice shall be declared elected. If no candidate have a majority of all the votes in the first column, then there shall be added together the votes cast by the electors for such candidates in the second column and the votes cast for the several candidates in the first column. The candidate then having a majority of the electors voting and the highest number of combined votes shall be declared elected. If no candidate have a majority of electors voting and the highest number of votes when the first and second choices shall have been added, then the votes cast in the third column for other choices shall be added together in like manner, and the candidate then having the highest number of votes shall be declared elected An immediate report of election shall be declared." The following shows the exact textual changes which would be made in the twenty-eighth paragraph of section 4 of the Federal reserve act (U. S. C., title 12, sec. 304) by proposed amendment (new matter indicated by italics, matter which would be stricken out inclosed in black brackets): Any candidate having a majority of all votes cast in the column of first choice shall be declared elected. If no candidate have a majority of all the votes in the first column, then there shall be added together the votes cast by the electors for such candidates in the second column and the votes cast for the several candidates in the first column. [If any] The candidate then [have] having a majority of the electors voting [by adding together the first and second choices, he] and the highest number of combined votes shall be declared elected. If no candidate have a majority of electors voting and the highest number of votes when the first and second choices shall have been added, then the votes cast in the third column for other choices shall be added together in like manner, and the candidate then having the highest number of votes shall be declared elected. An immediate report of election shall be declared. 71ST CONGRESS 2d Session SENATE REPORT No. 511 NATIONAL HYDRAULIC LABORATORY APRIL 21 (calendar day, APRIL 23), 1930.-Ordered to be printed Mr. RANSDELL, from the Committee on Commerce, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 8299] The Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 8299) authorizing the establishment of a national hydraulic laboratory in the Bureau of Standards of the Department of Commerce and the construction of a building therefor, have considered the same and report favorably thereon with the recommendation that the bill do. pass with the following amendments: On page 1, line 9, after the word "flow" insert the word "and". On page 2, line 3, strike out the words "other bureau of", and on the same line, after the word "department" insert "or independent agency". On page 2, line 7, strike out the words "or bureau", and insert in lieu thereof the words "or independent agency". The bill as amended reads as follows: [H. R. 8299, Seventy-first Congress, second session] AN ACT Authorizing the establishment of a national hydraulic laboratory in the Bureau of Standards of the Department of Commerce and the construction of a building therefor Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there is hereby authorized to be established in the Bureau of Standards of the Department of Commerce a national hydraulic laboratory for the determination of fundamental data useful in hydraulic research and engineering, including laboratory research relating to the behavior and control of river and harbor waters, the study of hydraulic structures and water flow, and the development and testing of hydraulic instruments and accessories: Provided, That no test, study, or other work on a problem or problems connected with a project the prosecution of which is under the jurisdiction of any department or independent agency of the Government shall be undertaken in the laboratory herein authorized until a written request to do such work is submitted to the Director of the Bureau of Standards by the head of the department or independent agency charged with the execution of such project: And provided further. That any State or political subdivision thereof may obtain a test, study, or other work on a problem connected with a project the prosecution of which is under the jurisdiction of such State or political subdivision thereof. SEC. 2 There is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, not to exceed $350,000, to be expended by the Secretary of Commerce for the construction and installation upon the present site of the Bureau of Standards in the District of Columbia of a suitable hydraulic laboratory building and such equipment, utilities, and appurtenances thereto as may be necessary. This measure was first introduced by Senator Ransdell in the Sixtyseventh Congress, September 8, 1922, as Senate Joint Resolution 209, on the suggestion of John R. Freeman, the eminent civil engineer who has specialized hydraulics for more than 50 years. Extended hearings were held on it in September, 1922, and January, 1923. It was reintroduced in the Sixty-eighth Congress, December 15, 1923, as Senate Joint Resolution 42, and further hearings were held in May, 1924. It was again introduced by Senator Ransdell in the Sixty-ninth Congress, February 16, 1926, as Senate Joint Resolution 57. On April 17, 1928, in the Seventieth Congress, the Senator reintroduced this measure as S. 1710, and at his suggestion Representative O'Connor of Louisiana introduced it in the House. This bill passed the Senate April 13, 1928, but after very full hearings in the House Rivers and Harbors Committee, it failed to pass, owing to the strong opposition of General Jadwin, then Chief of Engineers of the Army, and other officers of the Engineer Corps. On January 6, 1930, in the Seventy-first Congress, the Senator again presented his measure as S. 3043, and at his request Representative O'Connor reintroduced it in the House as H. R. 8299. Senator Ransdell's measure passed the Senate April 7, 1930. In the meantime Mr. O'Connor's bill, which had the cordial approval of General Brown, Chief of Army Engineers, had been reported favorably, and on April 9 it passed the House with minor amendments. The original measure has been amended in several particulars, but there have been no material changes, and its purpose is the same as when first introduced in 1922, to establish a national hydraulic laboratory in Washington. Inasmuch as the House slightly amended the Senate bill, and in order to expedite passage of this long-delayed measure, Senator Ransdell requested that the House bill (H. R. 8299) be reported favorably by the Commerce Committee, which was agreed to, with the changes stated in the first part of this report. This measure, which provides for establishing a national hydraulic laboratory in the Bureau of Standards, with an initial authorization of $350,000, is fully described in Report 137 on the aforesaid S. 3043. It may be briefly summarized as legislation to round out and complete the vast programs outlined by Congress in recent years looking to the control of flood waters, especially those of the Mississippi and its great tributaries, and improving rivers and harbors as aids to transportation; also to assist in the reclamation and irrigation of lands; the construction of canals and locks; the development of water power; navigation; stream gauging; erosion of coast lines; problems connected with water supply and plumbing systems, and such machinery as turbines, pumps, and others; also fundamental research in hydraulics, with the investigation of specific hydraulic problems, both for the Federal Government and the general public. |