These floods seriously affect interstate commerce, both on railroads and Federal-aid highways. There are three trunk-line railroads crossing these rivers, the Atlantic Coast Line, Seaboard Air Line, and the Southern. At times these roads have been destroyed at the crossing, delaying commerce and traffic for days and weeks. In 1928 the Federal Government had to operate direct mail delivery to several towns because of the delay on the part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, which had been washed out by flood waters. Twelve or fifteen Federal-aid highways cross these rivers, with a like number of Federal-aid bridges spanning these streams. At various times during flood periods these roads and bridges have been destroyed and parts of the roads were covered with flood water at a depth of 5 feet. It was testified that the main interest in these rivers by the Federal Government is flood control. The width of these rivers range from 100 to 300 feet. A health survey was made by Mr. Hassell, assistant engineer, Public Health Service, on the North Edisto Branch of the Edisto River near the city of Orangeburg in 1929, and the following is quoted from the report: ADJACENT TO THE CITY, ON APRIL 22, 1929 The recent tropical storm uprooted a great number of trees and broke large limbs off of some others. This débris has collected in the river channel at different places and has backed the water up sufficiently to cause it to leave the river banks and cover a large area of the swamp. The city has a drainage canal which ends at the Atlantic Coast Line tracks, but the condition of the swamp is such that the water is backed up in the canal to such an extent that the canal can not properly drain the area it is supposed to. This is a rather serious condition, as the swamp in its present condition affords an excellent breeding place for all types of mosquitoes. It is practically impossible to drain the swamp until the river proper is lowered. This can be done by removing the débris and trees from the main channel. It is contended that by clearing up these rivers so as to control the flood water that it would not only give relief to commerce and agriculture but would save millions on the part of the Federal Government that will have to be expended through the Public Health Service jointly with the State to clear up the increasing malarial condition. The following report has been received from the War Department on the bill: WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, January 15, 1932. Respectfully returned to the chairman Committee on Flood Control, House of Representatives. This department is not aware of any objection to the enactment of House bill No. 3951, to authorize a preliminary examination of the Edisto River and its branches, South and North Edisto, S. C., with a view to the control of their floods. Information at hand in regard to these streams is not sufficient to warrant a reliable estimate of the cost of the proposed examination, but considering expenditures in somewhat similar cases it seems probable that the examination can be made for approximately $3,000. PATRICK J. HURLEY, О APPROPRIATION FOR EXPENSES OF THE UNITED STATES AT THE DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE, GENEVA, 1932 JANUARY 25, 1932.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. BYRNS, from the Committee on Appropriations, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. J. Res. 251] The Committee on Appropriations to which was referred House Joint Resolution No. 251, making an appropriation for expenses of participation by the United States in the general disarmament conference at Geneva, Switzerland, in 1932, submits the following in explanation thereof: The estimate upon which this joint resolution is based was submitted in House Document No. 230 in the sum of $415,000. The amount authorized to be appropriated for the conference by the public resolution approved January 20, 1932, is $450,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary." The Department of State in preparation of the estimate of $415,000 has revised the data presented in connection with the consideration of the public resolution authorizing the expenses for participation of the United States in the conference and reduced the amount of $450,000 to this figure. The committee in consideration of this revised data has further reduced the sum to $390,000, and is of the opinion that this latter figure should be adequate to maintain the delegation which will represent the United States for the duration of the conference, which is estimated to be seven or eight months. The committee does not wish to minimize the unusual significance or importance of this conference, which is to consider a general limitation in all sorts of arms and is to be participated in by more than 50 nations. The desire is to appropriate an amount which will maintain a proper delegation on the part of the United States for the period necessary at a minimum total cost. In making the reduction of $25,000 the committee has carefully gone over the estimate data. It believes that the allotments for some of the classes of expenditure can be decreased without embarrassment and perhaps some need not be made. There is no good reason why the laudable aims of an enterprise should be justification for any larger amount of appropriation than careful and economical management requires. Present conditions the world over make governmental economy in all nations most important; indeed, that is one of the pressing reasons for the conference. The expenditures under this appropriation should be approached with the same regard for the depressed condition of our people and our finances as those for other less worthy governmental purposes. The public resolution of authorization and the Budget estimate provide that the expenses of subsistence or per diem in lieu thereof may be made "notwithstanding the provisions of any other act." The purpose of the statute waiver is to permit the payment of subsistence rates or per diem in lieu in daily amounts greater than the present statutes permit. This practice has been recognized in appropriations for previous international meetings where the character of the occasion justified more than the ordinary statutory rate. The committee has waived the present legal rates by direct waiver of the provisions of the subsistence expense act of 1926 and regulations issued pursuant thereto. О BRIDGE ACROSS FRENCH BROAD RIVER ON JANUARY 25, 1932.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed Mr. BULWINKLE, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 2388] The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (S. 2388) to extend the times for commencing and completing the construction of a bridge across the French Broad River on the proposed Morristown-Newport Road between Jefferson and Cocke Counties, Tenn., having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass. The bill has the approval of the War and Agriculture Departments, as will appear by the letters attached. WAR DEPARTMENT, December 31, 1931. Respectfully returned to the chairman Committee on Commerce, United States Senate. So far as the interests committed to this department are concerned, I know of no objection to the favorable consideration of the accompanying bill (S. 2388, 72d Cong., 1st sess.) to extend the times for commencing and completing the construction of a bridge across the French Broad River on the proposed Morristown-Newport Road between Jefferson and Cocke Counties, Tenn., if amended as indicated in red thereon. Hon. HIRAM W. JOHNSON, PATRICK J. HURLEY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULture, Chairman Committee on Commerce, United States Senate. DEAR SENATOR: Receipt is acknowledged of your letter of December 24, transmitting a copy of a bill (S. 2388) with the 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 January 31, 1931, the times for commencing and completing the construction of a bridge across the French Broad River on the proposed Morristown-Newport Road, between Jefferson and Cocke Counties, Tenn., authorized by act of Congress approved February 6, 1931, to be built by the Tennessee highway department. It is suggested that the intent of the bill probably was to make such extension of time from January 31, 1932, for the reason that any extension from January 31, 1931, will very soon expire in so far as the time allowed for the commencement of construction is concerned. The location indicated for the proposed bridge is on the system of Federal-aid highways approved for Tennessee and is embraced within the termini of Tennessee Federal-aid project No. 232. Favorable action on the bill is recommended Sincerely, R. W. DUNLAP, Acting Secretary. The act of Congress referred to in the bill is as follows: [PUBLIC NO. 610-71ST CONGRESS] [S. 5319] AN ACT To grant the consent of Congress to the Highway Department of the State of Tennessee to construct a bridge across the French Broad River on the proposed- Morristown-Newport Road between Jefferson and Cocke Counties, Tenn. 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 Highway Department of the State of Tennessee and its successors and assigns to construct, maintain, and operate a free highway bridge and approaches thereto across the French Broad River on the proposed Morristown-Newport Road between Jefferson and Cocke Counties, in the State of Tennessee in accordance with the provisions of the act entitled "An act to regulate the construction of bridges over navigable waters," approved March 23, 1906. SEC. 2. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this act is hereby expressly reserved. |