JULY 25, 1912.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. FITZGERALD, from the Committee on Appropriations, submitted the following

REPORT.

[To accompany S. J. Res. 122.]

The Committee on Appropriations, to whom was referred Senate joint resolution 122, appropriating $10,000 for the payment of the expenses of the Senate in the impeachment trial of Robert W. Archbald, having considered the same, report it back herewith and recommend that the House concur in its passage without amendment.

O

PENSION APPROPRIATION BILL.

JULY 25, 1912.-Ordered to be printed.

Mr. BORLAND, from the committee of conference, submitted the following

CONFERENCE REPORT.

[To accompany H. R. 18985.]

The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendments of the Senate to the bill (H. R. 18985) making appropriations for the payment of invalid and other pensions of the United States for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1913, and for other purposes, having met, after full and free conference have agreed to recommend and do recommend to their respective Houses as follows:

That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 1, and agree to the same with an amendment as follows:

In the matter inserted by the Senate strike out the words "five hundred thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to be immediately available"; and the Senate agree to the same.

That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendments of the Senate numbered 6, 7, 8, and 12, and agree to the same. The conferees further report that they are unable to agree as to amendments numbered 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, and 11.

WM. P. BORLAND,

JAMES W. GOOD,

Managers on the part of the House.

P. J. MCCUMBER,

HENRY E. BURNHAM,

BENJ. F. SHIVELY,

Managers on the part of the Senate.

STATEMENT OF THE MANAGERS ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE.

The amendments of the Senate, Nos. 1, 6, 7, 8, and 12, to which the House recedes from its disagreements, are as follows:

Amendment No. 1 adds $12,500,000 to the appropriation. This amendment was made necessary by the enactment of the law known as the act of May 11, 1912, which became a law after the passage of the bill in the House which increased the amount paid for pensions.

Amendment No. 6 is an amendment striking out the word "hereafter" and inserting in lieu thereof "not later than January first, nineteen hundred and thirteen," at which time pensions should be paid by check instead of by the present voucher system.

Amendment No. 7 is an exception made in the matter of payment by check in cases where pensions are paid to persons other than the pensioners, and is upon the recommendation of the Secretary of the Interior.

Amendment No. 8 provides for the conduct of postmasters and post-office employees in the matter of delivering pension checks going through their hands and which are to be sent in advertised envelopes. It is practically the same provision as was contained in the bill as it was reported to the House but which was stricken out on the floor of the House on a point of order.

Amendment No. 12 is simply changing the number of a section from 6 to 5.

Amendments Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, and 11, on which the conferees have been unable to agree, are amendments inserted by the Senate restoring to the bill a provision for the continuance of the 18 agencies and rent of the New York agency, as provided for in existing law.

WM. P. BORLAND,
JAMES W. GOOD,

Managers on the part of the House.

2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. No. 1069. {

PUBLIC BUILDING, RICHFORD, VT.

JULY 26, 1912.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. ASHBROOK, from the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, submitted the following

REPORT.

[To accompany S. 6899.]

The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, to which was referred the bill (S. 6899) increasing the limit of cost for the erection and completion of a public building in the city of Richford, Vt., having considered the same, beg to report thereon with the recommendation that the bill do pass.

The above-mentioned bill provides for increasing the limit of cost for the erection and completion of a public building at Richford, Vt., from $60,000 to $74,000.

The act of May 30, 1908, limits the cost of site and building to $60,000, of which $7,000 was expended for a site. The contract was awarded for the erection of the building, but it was necessary to eliminate many desirable features in connection with the approaches, interior and exterior finish, and mechanical equipment. The excavation was begun, but when it was nearly completed it was found that it would be necessary to make a rock cut in order to complete it. This would entail an expense of $4,186.

The Secretary of the Treasury ordered the work stopped and it is in that condition at the present time, and if an appropriation is not made at this session of Congress the work will not be started again for another season. In the meantime, the excavation, which fills with water from time to time, is proving a menace to the health of the community and has been complained of by the board of health of the city, and the municipality has been compelled to drain the water out to comply with the orders of the board of health. The stench from the stagnant water extends 100 rods in the heart of the city of Richford.

Richford is the port of entry for the Canadian Pacific Railway and the customs receipts at that port have doubled in the last fiscal year,

the receipts for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1912, being $448,000, and there is every indication that they will continue to so increase.

In view of this fact, and the insanitary condition of the excavation and the enforced suspension of the work, the committee deem this a most emergent case and recommend that the alternates which were omitted in the original contract be restored and that the entire building be lowered so that the entrances and approaches provided for may be carried out.