TABLET OR MARKER AT THE BIRTHPLACE OF WILLIAM RUFUS KING FEBRUARY 28. 1930.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed Mr. LUCE, from the Committee on the Library, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 10171] The chairman of the Commission of Fine Arts has advised your committee as follows in connection with the matter of erection of a tablet or marker at the birthplace of William Rufus King, as authorized by H. R. 7903, passed in the Seventieth Congress: We are continually running into difficulties in regard to contracts for the small monuments authorized by Congress because of the necessity, under the law, of selecting a sculptor or architect by competition, when we can only get real results by direct selection. Both sculptors and architects to-day are too busy to pay attention to competition, even if competitions were worth while in themselves. In order to meet the situation in this particular instance your committee recommends the passage of H. R. 10171. NATIONAL HYDRAULIC LABORATORY FEBRUARY 28, 1930.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. O'CONNOR of Louisiana, from the Committee on Rivers and Harbors, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 8299] The Committee on Rivers and Harbors, 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, having considered the same, report it to the House with the following amendments: On page 1, strike out the period at the end of line 10, insert a colon in lieu thereof, and add the following proviso: 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 other bureau or department 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 bureau charged with the execution of such project. On page 2, strike out all of section 2. On page 2, line 9, strike out the figure "3" and insert in lieu thereof the figure "2". As so amended the committee recommends that the bill do pass. Extensive hearings were held by your committee on this bill during this Congress, and on a smiliar bill which had passed the Senate (the Ransdell bill, S. 1710), in the Seventieth Congress. Many distinguished scientists and engineers engaged in hydraulic work, as well as representatives of the field services of the Government concerned with hydraulic operations, testified, all of whom earnestly advocated the passage of this bill. Maj. Gen. Lytle Brown, Chief of Engineers, United States Army, in the hearings of February 4, 1930, made the following statements: I am of the opinion that there is need for a national hydraulic laboratory, as indicated in the bills introduced by Senator Ransdell and Representative O'Connor. It is evident that such a thing is required in this country because of the numerous efforts on the part of private interests to establish these laboratories. They have been established over the country by colleges, and the Corps of Engineers, in its work, has felt the need of such an instrument. In the flood control act of 1928, an hydraulic laboratory was authorized on the Mississippi River for special investigation of problems that occurred out there, or might occur, during the prosecution of that flood-control work. I believe that the Corps of Engineers needs data from such a laboratory, perhaps as much as any other agency of the Government, but there are other agencies that also require much data on the subject of hydraulics. In my experience in the brief time I have spent in visiting works on the Mississippi River the character of information that we need there is not so much the fundamental laws of hydraulics but to try out certain situations that exist there, the answer to which nobody can give. They are matters of opinion only. Hydraulic formulas are not absolutely reliable. It is necessary, therefore, in many cases, to make a model of the situation and try it out by actual flow of water. I understand, however, that rather more fundamental things are contemplated in this bill than that. We would like to have the privilege of trying out things of a very special nature that occur in our work, which I believe we would have, and I do not anticipate that there is anything in this bill that would interfere with us in any way in that line. * * * * * * * * I do not feel that this (the establishment of an hydraulic laboratory in the Bureau of Standards) is any threat to the initiative or responsibility, or anything else, of the Corps of Engineers. I feel that it is brought about by a demand for hydraulic tests and investigation of fundamental hydraulic policies on the part of some agency of the Government that is not responsible for these results, and to which everybody can go freely and feel that there is no idea of being partial to anybody at that point. I believe that that is the best place to go to get it. The following are letters received from Major General Brown approving the object of this bill, and the amendments suggested by the Director of the Bureau of Standards, whose communication is also appended herewith: Hon. S. WALLACE DEMPSEY, Chairman Committee on Rivers and Harbors, WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, February 6, 1930. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. DEMPSEY: In reference to your advice to me at the recent hearing on the national hydraulic laboratory, I wish to inform you that I have gone over a good portion of the previous hearings on the subject, and I am prepared to inform you as to any new impressions that I have. In further explanation of my views before the committee I wish to say that I appeared before the committee as free from the ideas of anyone else as it was possible to do, not wishing to be influenced in any way thereby. My conviction that a laboratory in the Bureau of Standards for general service is desirable is strengthened. If there is any danger, of which I believe there is none, that the Bureau of Standards will be used to meddle with the business of others, then I favor the amendment mentioned by Mr. Hull. The amendment only provides that the laboratory shall act in what all know to be the proper way. I do not favor the board of secretaries contained in the bill because I do not see that it will ever be called upon to function, and it is not a body calculated to expedite work in any way. A board can not of itself settle anything; it can only advise, and I see no occasion for advice in this matter. I am informed by a credible witness that opposition to the laboratory formerly on the part of some engineer officers was through an impression_that the laboratory might be used by irresponsible parties to dictate to the Corps of Engineers as to how the work intrusted to its care should be executed, and so be constituted as an origin of controversy, delay, and confusion. I see no foundation for that view and have not the least fear of any such evil. I notice in former testimony a tendency to confuse this laboratory with experimental work to be done by the Corps of Engineers which may lead one to the belief that it is desirable to entrust the laboratory to that corps rather than to the Bureau of Standards. Such action would be unwise as I have probably pointed out in my testimony. The work entrusted to the Corps of Engineers is specific in character, and does not pertain to other departments of the Government, and is not for general informative purposes. Trusting that this letter complies fully with your wishes and that of the committee in this matter, I am Sincerely yours, Hon. S. WALLACE DEMPSEY, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, February 10, 1930. MY DEAR MR. DEMPSEY: I am forwarding herewith a letter from Doctor Burgess, Director of the Bureau of Standards. The date of the letter is the 8th instant, file number D. I concur with the ideas expressed by Doctor Burgess as you may see by reference to a letter already written by me to you. Sincerely yours, Hon. S. WALLACE DEMPSEY, Chairman Rivers and Harbors Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR CONGRESSMAN: In order to meet comments expressed in committee with respect to the text of bill H. R. 8299, pending in the Rivers and Harbors Committee, I venture to suggest the following modifications to the bill: (1) Page 1, paragraph 1, line 10, add: "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 other bureau or department 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 bureau charged with the execution of such project." (2) Page 2, lines 1 to 9, strike out all of section 2. The proposed proviso to be inserted in paragraph 1 appears on page 284 of the hearings before the committee and is the wording suggested by General Taylor. As to the elimination of section 2, this was originally suggested as a safeguard to the Chief of Engineers, which safeguard, however, would be given by the proviso proposed. There seems to be a general feeling, which I understand is shared by General Brown, the present Chief of Engineers, that the proposed board is an unnecessary administrative body. I inclose copy of the proposed amended bill. Respectfully, GEORGE K. BURGESS, Director. [H. R. 8299, Seventy-first Congress, second session] A BILL 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, the development and testing of hydraulic instruments and accessories: Provided, |