The Missouri Pacific and the Louisiana & Arkansas Railroads are interested in the railroad feature of this bridge, and the Louisiana Highway Commission has set aside approximately $3,000,000 for the construction of the highway feature of the bridge. Hearings have been held before an examiner of the Interstate Commerce Commission relating to the railroad features of the bridge, and hearings also have been held before the Board of Engineers of the War Department relating to the structural features of the bridge as they affect navigation. The Baton Rouge-Mississippi River Bridge Co. has spent considerable money in the past several years working out the bridge details and we believe that if your measure goes through Congress without delay that this bridge structure can be gotten underway, giving considerable employment as a result. Yours very truly, BATON ROUGE-MISSISSIPPI RIVER BRIDGE CO. NEW ORLEANS, January 11, 1932. Hon. BOLIVAR E. KEMP, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. KEMP: The expenditures of the Baton Rouge-Mississippi River Bridge Co. (Inc.) are practically the same to-day as they were as of January 29, 1931. Total expenditures out of pocket are $14,275. There is still due our attorney retainer's fee of $2,500. Since January we have performed numerous duties without cost to the syndicate. I judge that these are the necessary figures that you desire. With kind regards. Yours very truly, LESLIE L. DAVISON. The acts of Congress referred to in the bill are as follows: [PUBLIC NO. 62-70TH CONGRESS] [H. R. 6487] AN ACT Authorizing the Baton Rouge-Mississippi River Bridge Company, its successors and assigns, to construct, maintain, and operate a bridge across the Mississippi River at or near Baton Rouge, Louisiana Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in order to promote interstate commerce, improve the postal service, and provide for military and other purposes, the Baton Rouge-Mississippi River Bridge Company, its successors and assigns, be, and is hereby, authorized to construct, maintain, and operate a bridge and approaches thereto across the Mississippi River at a point suitable to the interests of navigation, at or near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in accordance with the provisions of the act entitled "An act to regulate the construction of bridges over navigable waters," approved March 23, 1906, and subject to the conditions and limitations contained in this act. SEC. 2. The Baton Rouge-Mississippi River Bridge Company, its successors and assigns, is authorized to construct, maintain, and operate such bridge and the necessary approaches thereto as a railroad bridge for the passage of railway trains or street cars, or both, or as a highway bridge for the passage of pedestrians, animals, and vehicles, adapted to travel on public highways, or as a combined railroad and highway bridge for all such purposes; and there is hereby conferred upon the said Baton Rouge-Mississippi River Bridge Company, its successors and assigns, all such rights and powers to enter upon lands and to acquire, condemn, occupy, possess, and use real estate and other property needed for the location, construction, operation, and maintenance of such bridge and its approaches as are possessed by railroad corporations for railroad purposes or by bridge corporations for bridge purposes in the State in which such real estate or other property is situated, upon making just compensation therefor, to be ascertained and paid according to the laws of such State, and the proceedings therefor shall be the same as in the condemnation or expropriation of property for public purposes in such State. SEC. 3. After the completion of such bridge, as determined by the Secretary of War, if the same is constructed as a highway bridge only, either the State of Louisiana, any political subdivision thereof, within or adjoining which any part of such bridge is located, or any two or more of them jointly, may at any time acquire and take over all right, title, and interest in such bridge and its approaches, and any interest in real property necessary therefor, by purchase or by condemnation, in accordance with the laws of such State governing the acquisition of private property for public purposes by condemnation or expropriation. If at any time after the expiration of twenty years after the completion of such bridge the same as acquired by condemnation or expropriation, the amount of damages or compensation to be allowed shall not include good will, going value, or prospective revenues or profits, but shall be limited to the sum of (1) the actual cost of constructing such bridge and its approaches, less a reasonable deduction for actual depreciation in value, (2) the actual cost of acquiring such interests in real property, (3) actual financing and promotion cost, not to exceed 10 per centum of the sum of the cost of constructing the bridge and its approaches and acquiring such interests in real property, and (4) actual expenditures for necessary improvements. SEC. 4. If such bridge shall at any time be taken over or acquired by the State of Louisiana or by any municipality or other political subdivision or public agency thereof, under the provisions of section 3 of this act, and if tolls are charged for the use thereof, the rates of toll shall be so adjusted as to provide a fund sufficient to pay for the reasonable cost of maintaining, repairing, and operating the bridge and its approaches under economical management, and to provide a sinking fund sufficient to amortize the amount paid therefor including reasonable interest and financing cost, as soon as possible under reasonable charges, but within a period of not to exceed twenty years from the date of acquiring the same. After a sinking fund sufficient for such amortization shall have been so provided, such bridge shall thereafter be maintained and operated free of tolls, or the rates of toll shall thereafter be so adjusted as to provide a fund of not to exceed the amount necessary for the proper maintenance, repair, and operation of the bridge and its approaches under economical management. An accurate record of the amount paid for acquiring the bridge and its approaches, the actual expenditures for maintaining, repairing, and operating the same, and of the daily tolls collected shall be kept and shall be available for the information of all persons interested. SEC. 5. If such bridge is constructed as a combined railroad bridge for the passage of railway trains or street cars, and a highway bridge for the passage of pedestrians, animals, and vehicles, then the right of purchase and condemnation conferred by this act shall apply to a right of way thereover for the passage without cost of persons, animals, and vehicles adapted to travel on public highways; and if the right of purchase or condemnation shall be exercised as to such right of way over the bridge, then the measure of damages or compensation to be allowed or paid for such right of way shall be a sum equal to the difference between the actual fair cash value of such bridge determined in accordance with the provisions of section 3 of this act, and what its actual fair cash value so determined would have been if such bridge had been constructed as a railroad bridge only. If the right of purchase or condemnation conferred by this act shall be exercised as to the right of way over such bridge, then that part of the bridge which shall be purchased or condemned and shall be thereafter actually used for the passage of pedestrians, animals, or vehicles, shall be maintained, operated, and kept in repair by the purchaser thereof. SEC. 6. The Baton Rouge-Mississippi River Bridge Company, its successors and assigns, shall, within ninety days after the completion of such bridge, file with the Secretary of War and with the highway department of the State of Louisiana a sworn itemized statement showing the actual original cost of constructing the bridge and its approaches, the actual cost of acquiring any interest in real property necessary therefor, and the actual financing and promotion costs. The Secretary of War may, and at the request if the highway department of the State of Louisiana shall, at any time within three years after the completion of such bridge, investigate such costs and determine the accuracy and the reasonableness of the costs alleged in the statement of costs so filed, and shall make a finding of the actual and reasonable costs of constructing, financing, and promoting such bridge. For the purpose of such investigation the said Baton Rouge-Mississippi River Bridge Company, its successors and assigns, shall make available all of its records in connection with the construction, financing, and promotion thereof. The findings of the Secretary of War as to the reasonable costs of the construction, financing, and promotion of the bridge shall be conclusive for the purposes mentioned in section 3 of this act, subject only to review in a court of equity for fraud or gross mistake. SEC. 7. The Baton Rouge-Mississippi River Bridge Company, its successors and assigns, is hereby authorized and empowered to fix and charge just and reasonable tolls for the passage of such bridge of pedestrians, animals, and vehicles adapted to travel on public highways, and the rates so fixed shall be the legal rates until the Secretary of War shall prescribe other rates of toll as provided in the act of March 23, 1906; and if said bridge is constructed as a railroad bridge, or a joint railroad and highway bridge, as provided in this act, the said Baton Rouge-Mississippi River Bridge Company, its successors and assigns, is hereby authorized to fix by contract with any person or corporation desiring the use of the same for the passage of railway trains, or street cars, or for placing water or gas pipe lines or telephone or telegraph or electric light or power lines, or for any other such purposes, the terms, conditions, and rates of toll for such use; but in the absence of such contract, the terms, conditions, and rates of toll for such use shall be determined by the Secretary of War as provided in said act of March 23, 1906. SEC. 8. The right to sell, assign, transfer, and mortgage all the rights, powers, and privileges conferred by this act is hereby granted to the Baton RougeMississippi River Bridge Company, its successors and assigns, and any corporation to which or any person to whom such rights, powers, and privileges may be sold, assigned, or transferred, or who shall acquire the same by mortgage foreclosure or otherwise, is hereby authorized and empowered to exercise the same as fully as though conferred herein directly upon such corporation or person. SEC. 9. The right to alter, amend, or repeal this act is hereby expressly reserved. Approved, February 20, 1928. [PUBLIC NO. 682-70тH CONGRESS] AN ACT To extend the times for commencing and completing the construction of a bridge across the Mississippi River at or near Baton Rouge, Louisiana Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the times for commencing and completing the construction of the bridge across the Mississippi River at or near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, authorized to be built by the Baton Rouge-Mississippi River Bridge Company, its successors and assigns, by the act of Congress approved February 20, 1928, are hereby extended one and three years, respectively, from February 20, 1929. SEC. 2. The right to alter, amend, or repeal this act is hereby expressly reserved. Approved, January 25, 1929. [PUBLIC NO. 330-71sT CONGRESS] [H. R. 9806] AN ACT To authorize the construction of certain bridges and to extend the times for commencing and completing the construction of other bridges over the navigable waters of the United States Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled— * MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA SEC. 14. The times for commencing and completing the construction of the bridge across the Mississippi River at or near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, authorized to be built by the Baton Rouge-Mississippi River Bridge Company, its successors and assigns, by an Act of Congress approved February 20, 1928, heretofore extended by an act of Congress approved January 25, 1929, are hereby further extended one and three years, respectively, from February 20, 1930. The bill has the approval of the War and Agriculture Departments, as will appear by the letters attached. WAR DEPARTMENT, December 22, 1931. Respectfully returned to the chairman Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives. So far as the interests committed to this department are concerned, I know of no objection to the favorable consideration of the accompanying bill (H. R. 5478, 72d Cong., 1st sess.) to extend the times for commencing and completing the construction of a bridge across the Mississippi River at or near Baton Rouge, La. PATRICK J. HURLEY, Secretary of War. Hon. SAM RAYBURN, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Chairman Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives DEAR MR. RAYBURN: Careful consideration has been given to the bill (H. R. 5478) transmitted with your letter of December 16 with request for a report thereon and such views relative thereto as the department might desire to communicate. This bill would extend for two and five years, respectively, from February 20, 1931, the times for commencing and completing the construction of a bridge across the Mississippi River at or near Baton Rouge, La., authorized by act of Congress approved February 20, 1928, to be built by the Baton Rouge-Mississippi River Bridge Co., its successors and assigns. The times for commencing and completing this bridge heretofore have been extended by acts approved January 25, 1929, and June 10, 1930. In this connection attention is called to a bill introduced December 15, 1931, to authorize the State Highway Commission of Louisiana and certain railroads named therein to construct a combination railroad and highway bridge across the Mississippi River at Baton Rouge. It is understood that arrangements for any bridge to be constructed across the Mississippi River at Baton Rouge contemplate participation in the cost by the State highway department to the extent of approximately 40 per cent, but that development of such a bridge at the present time is indefinitely delayed on account of adverse recommendation by Interstate Commerce Commission examiners. The pending bill to extend the time for commencing and completing the construction of such a bridge is without objection so far as this department is concerned. Sincerely, R. W. DUNLAP, Acting Secretary. |