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SENATE

71st CONGRESS

Ad Session

REPORT No. 1043

SALE OF JACKSON BARRACKS MILITARY RESERVATION,

LA.

JUNE 18 (calendar day, JUNE 19), 1930.-Ordered to be printed

Mr. REED, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the

following

REPORT

(To accompany H. R. 6871)

The Committee on Military Affairs, to which was referred the bill (H. R. 6871) to amend the acts of March 12, 1926, and March 30, 1928, authorizing the sale of the Jackson Barracks Military Reservation, La., and for other purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with the recommendation that it do pass.

The purpose of the bill is set forth in the House report thereon, which is made a part of this report and reads as follows:

The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 6871) to amend the acts of March 12, 1926, and March 30, 1928, authorizing the sale of the Jackson Barracks Military Reservation, La., and for other purposes, having considered the same, report thereon with the recommendation that it do pass with the following amendments:

Page 2, line 13, after the word "post", change the comma to a colon, strike out the rest of the sentence, and insert the following: “Provided further, That".

Page 2, line 14, strike out the word “under". Strike out the word pended” and insert in lieu thereof the word “canceled”.

Page 2, line 15, strike out the words and during”.
With these amendments a proviso is inserted reading as follows:

“Provided further, That said lease may be canceled by him without notice in case of any national emergency:"

The purpose of this is to clarify the language of the bill to provide that any time war is declared or any other national emergency exists the Secretary of War shall have authority to take immediate possession of the property for such purposes as may be necessary to war-time uses.

The letter of the Secretary of War approving this measure explains just what it purposes to do. After careful consideration your committee is of the opinion this is the best disposition of the property that can be made considering the

SR-71-2-VOL 274

interests of the National Government and the National Guard, which constitutes an important arm of the national defense. The letter of the Secretary of War is made a part of this report as follows:

FEBRUARY 3, 1930. Hon. W. FRANK JAMES, Chairman Committee on Military Affairs,

House of Representatives. DEAR MR. JAMES: Careful consideration has been given to the bill H. R. 6871, which you transmitted to the War Department under date of December 10, 1929, requesting a report thereon.

The Jackson Barracks Military Reservation, La., is now occupied by the State of Louisiana for National Guard purposes, by virtue of a license granted on October 22, 1921. An act of Congress approved March 12, 1926 (44 Stat. 203), authorized the sale of this reservation, and section 7 thereof, granted an option to the State to purchase the reservation at its approved appraised value for public purposes. The Governor of Louisiana expressed a desire to exercise such option and requested that the property be held for sale to the State of Louisiana for a period not exceeding two years in which to make payment, in accordance with the terms of the act. An act of Congress approved March 30, 1928 (45 Stat. 397) extended the time from two years to six years.

As the proposed legislation will withdraw this property from sale, upon the release by the State of Louisiana of its option to purchase, and authorize the Secretary of War to lease the reservation to the State of Louisiana for National Guard purposes in consideration of its maintenance and upkeep by the State, with suitable provisions for termination of the lease in case of military necessity, I favor the passage of this bill, and so recommend. Sincerely yours,

PATRICK J. HURLEY,

Secretary of War.

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SENATE

71st CONGRESS

2d Session

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REPORT No. 1044

RIGHT OF WAY FOR STREET PURPOSES ACROSS HOLA.

BIRD RESERVATION, MD.

JUNE 18 (calendar day, JUNE 19), 1930.--Ordered to be printed

Mr. REED. from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the

following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 9280)

The Committee on Military Affairs, to which was referred the bill (H. R. 9280) to authorize the Secretary of War to grant a right of way for street purposes upon and across the Holabird Quartermaster Depot Military Reservation, in the State of Maryland, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with the recommendation that it do pass.

The purpose of the bill is set forth in the House report thereon which is made a part of this report and reads as follows:

The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 9280) to authorize the Secretary of War to grant a right of way for street purposes upon and across the Holabird Quartermaster Depot Military Reservation, in the State of Maryland, introduced by Mr. Linthicum, having considered the same, report thereon with the recommendation that it do pass.

This is a bill to give necessary authority to the Secretary of War to grant an easement that will permit the city of Baltimore to widen and construct, across a part of Camp Holabird, a street that will constitute a definite improvement in the traffic approach to that post as explained in the following letter from the War Department:

APRIL 15, 1930. Hon. HARRY C. RANSLEY, Acting Chairman Committee on Military Affairs,

House of Representatives. DEAR MR. RANSLEY: Careful consideration has been given to the bill (H. R. 9280) to authorize the Secretary of War to grant a right of way for street purposes upon and across the Holabird quartermaster depot military reservation, in the State of Maryland, which you transmitted to the War Department under date of April 9, 1930, with request for information and the views of the department relative thereto.

There are no applicable provisions of existing law on the subject.

The city of Baltimore desires to widen Twenty-seventh Street, to be called Cornwall Street, to a width of 100 feet. As the proposed street would go across a part of Camp Holabird, the bill in question is designed to give to the Secretary of War the necessary authority to grant an easement for this purpose. The existing street, the fee title to which was not included in the conveyance to the United States of abutting lands, is 25 feet in width. The area of the Government land affected by the proposed widening is approximately 2.09 acres.

The contemplated improvement will not interfere with the functions of the Holabird quartermaster depot but, on the contrary, will constitute a definite improvement in the traffic approach to that post. In addition, it will eliminate two grade railroad crossings at one of which guards are now maintained by the War Department in connection with the movement of cars into the depot.

The War Department favors the passage of the proposed legislation.
Sincerely yours,

F. TRUBEE Davison,

Acting Secretary of War. O

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SENATE

71st CONGRESS

2d Session

REPORT No. 1045

EASEMENT FOR PIPELINES ON SITE FOR AVIATION

FIELD, SHREVEPORT, LA.

JUNE 18 (calendar day, JUNE 19), 1930.—Ordered to be printed

Mr. REED, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the

following

REPORT

(To accompany H. R. 11405]

The Committee on Military Affairs, to which was referred the bill (H. R. 11405) to amend an act approved February 25, 1929, entitled "An act to authorize appropriations for construction at military posts, and for other purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with the recommendation that it do pass.

The purpose of the bill is set forth in the House report thereon which is made a part of this report and reads as follows:

The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 11405) to amend an act approved February 25, 1929, entitled “An act to authorize appropriations for construction at military posts, and for other purposes, introduced by Mr. James at the request of the War Department, having considered the same, report thereon with the recommendation that it do pass.

The authority of the Secretary of War to accept the title to the land referred to in the bill, containing 25,000 acres, in the vicinity of Shreveport, La., is found in Public No. 806, Seventieth Congress, approved February 25, 1929.

It developed upon investigation of the title to the land that there are three easements of oil-pipe lines existing upon, over, and across said land, and while said pipe lines are all underneath the surface, yet, technically, so long as said easements are outstanding said land is not free from encumbrances, and therefore the Secretary of War is not permitted to accept the title to the land because the act just referred to says that the land must be “free from encumbrances and without cost to the United States."

Since the Secretary of War does not possess the authority to grant easements for oil-pipe lines, this legislation becomes necessary, and is in the nature of emergency legislation because it is our information that the city of Shreveport has already raised something more than a million dollars in order to buy this land to be presented to the United States for the use of the Air Corps, and especially as the base of the attack wing. This development is all part of the 5-year Air Corps program and the legislation now desired is necessary to make progress with that program. The fact that these pipe lines are underneath the surface in no way interferes with the proper use of the surface for a landing field. It is true that two of the pipe lines will require partial relocation and