ADDING CERTAIN PUBLIC LANDS TO THE WASHAKIE NATIONAL FOREST, WYO. FEBRUARY 14, 1931.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. SMITH of Idaho, from the Committee on the Public Lands, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 5588] The Committee on the Public Lands, to whom was referred the bill (S. 5588) to add certain public lands to the Washakie National Forest, Wyo., having considered the same, report favorably thereon with the recommendation that the bill do pass. The facts concerning the proposed legislation are set forth in the following letters from the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior, addressed to the chairman of the Committee on Public Lands and Surveys of the Senate: Hon. GERALD P. NYE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Chairman Committee on Public Lands and Surveys, United States Senate. DEAR SENATOR NYE: Reference is made to your letter of January 14 inclosing copy of S. 5588, a bill to add certain lands to the Washakie National Forest, Wyo., and asking for a report thereon. The measure would add to the Washakie National Forest an area of approximately 2,700 acres of described lands which lie adjacent to that national forest. The lands are of a character which should have been included within this national forest when it was originally established. They contain a substantial stand of merchantable timber consisting of Douglas fir and lodgepole pine. There is a demand for this timber, particularly for making railroad ties. At the present time a company is operating in the locality, and if the lands had a national forest status it would be possible to sell the mature timber to the company and thereby utilize this resource and also give some employment to local labor. The placing of these lands within the Washakie National Forest would not add to the cost of administering that forest. It is noted that there is an error in description on page 1 of the bill. This should be corrected as follows: After the word "quarter," at the beginning of line 9, insert a comma and the words "north half"; after the word " quarter,' near the center of line 9, strike out the words "of section 13, township quarter of" and insert the word "and"; after the word "of," near the beginning of line 10, insert the words "the southeast quarter." In the judgment of the department the enactment of this legislation would be in the public interest. Sincerely yours, R. W. DUNLAP, Acting Secretary. Hon. GERALD P. NYE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Washington, January 23, 1931. Chairman Committee on Public Lands and Surveys, United States Senate. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: In response to your request of January 14 for an early opinion as to the merits of S. 5588, which is a bill proposing to add certain public lands to the Washakie National Forest in Wyoming, I transmit herewith a memorandum on the subject that has been submitted by Commissioner Moore, of the General Land Office. After a review of the proposed legislation, I agree with Mr. Moore. Very truly yours, Memorandum for the Secretary. I have by departmental reference the request of the chairman of the Committee on Public Lands and Surveys for report on S. 5588, proposing to add, subject to valid existing applications or entries, the therein described area in Wyoming to the Washakie National Forest. There is a duplication in the description in lines 9 and 10 of page 11. The described area lies along a portion of the southern boundary of the national forest and contains approximately 2,830 acres, of which about 470 acres are unsurveyed. The records of this office show that the land is unappropriated with the exception of an unperfected homestead entry covering 151 acres. None of the area has been designated as enterable under the enlarged stockraising homestead laws, and there is no detailed information in the department as to its character as a whole. Information is available, however, indicating that a portion of the area in the southeastern part of tract 43 north, range 107 west, is timbered land. The general policy of Congress as to additions to national forests appears to be set forth in section 8 of the act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. 653). This section provides in substance that the Secretary of Agriculture may report to the National Forest Reservation Commission the location of public lands chiefly valuable for timber production or stream-flow protection, and that thereafter if the commission shall determine that the administration of the lands will protect the flow of streams used for navigation or promote a future timber supply, the President shall lay the findings before the Congress. The prescribed procedure has not, however, been followed in this case. I therefore recommend that the bill be not enacted. C. C. MOORE, Commissioner. [S. 5588, Seventy-first Congress, third session] AN ACT To add certain public lands to the Washakie National Forest, Wyoming. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following described public lands be, and the same are hereby, added to and made a part of the Washakie National Forest, Wyoming, and are to be hereafter administered under the laws and regulations relating to national forests: Northeast quarter, southeast quarter of the northwest quarter, north half of the southeast quarter and the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 13, township 43 north, range 108 west, sixth principal meridian; all of section 19, all of section 27, north half of section 28, north half, north half of the southwest quarter of section 29, northeast quarter of section 30, west half of the northeast quarter, northwest quarter, southwest quarter, west half of the southeast quarter, southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 35, township 43 north, range 107 west, sixth principal meridian: Provided, That the inclusion of any of the aforesaid land in the Washakie National Forest shall not affect adversely any valid application or entry pending at the date of the approval of this act. Attest: EDWIN P. THAYER, Secretary. О CONSTRUCTION AT PLATTSBURG BARRACKS, FEBRUARY 14, 1931.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. MCSWAIN, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 15071] The Committee on Military Affairs to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 15071) to authorize appropriations for construction at Plattsburg Barracks, Plattsburg, N. Y., and for other purposes, introduced by Mr. Snell, having considered the same report thereon with the recommendation that it do pass with the following amendment: Line 5, after the word "gymnasium" insert ", service club, theater, and library." One of the largest and most efficient citizens military training camps is located at Plattsburg Barracks. In 1917 the old gymnasium, or drill hall, was destroyed by fire. Citizens of Plattsburg, together with the Young Men's Christian Association erected a building during the war which was called a community hall and served the purposes formerly served by the so-called gymnasium. This community hall burned down last December. Since that time there has been no building or room where post activities can be carried on inside. In a climate as cold as at Plattsburg it is very necessary that such accommodations be provided, because for several months in the year it is necessary to carry on drills, lectures, assemblies, and so forth on the inside. A full explanation of the subject is given in the letter of the Secretary of War, which is, therefore, made a part of this report as follows: Hon. W. FRANK JAMES, Chairman Committee on Military Affairs, House of Representatives. JANUARY 28, 1931. DEAR MR. JAMES: Careful consideration has been given to the bill (H. R. 15071) to authorize appropriations for construction at Plattsburg Barracks, Plattsburg, N. Y., and for other purposes, transmitted with your letter of December 15, 1930, with a request for report thereon. The effect of the bill would be to authorize the appropriation of not to exceed $150,000 for the construction, at Plattsburg Barracks, N. Y., of a gymnasium and such utilities and appurtenances thereto as may be necessary "to replace the buildings destroyed by fire in 1917, and the temporary building that was destroyed by fire in 1930." The bill evidently refers to buildings Nos. 41 and 66. Building No. 41, a drill hall and gymnasium of brick construction, was built in 1895 at a cost of $20,437, was remodeled in 1903 at a cost of $29,000, and was destroyed by fire in 1917. Building No. 66, a temporary Red Cross building used as a combined enlisted men's service club, theater, and library, was erected during the World War. This building was destroyed by fire on December 9, 1930, the damage to building and contents being estimated at $75,000. A gymnasium for this post is needed and its eventual inclusion in the War Department housing program has been contemplated. Since the fire of December 9, 1930, the need of a building for a gymnasium and the activities for which building No. 66 was used has been greatly accentuated. It will be noted that the proposed bill, while stating that the appropriation to be authorized is for replacement of the two buildings hereinbefore mentioned, provides specifically for the construction of a gymnasium. Although the bill, if passed in its present form, might be construed as permitting the construction of a building adapted to all of the activities served by buildings Nos. 41 and 66, it is believed that, in order to preclude any possibility of misunderstanding, the bill should be amended by inserting after the word "gymnasium," in line 5, a comma and the words "service club, theater, and library.' It is estimated that a building for the purposes hereinbefore mentioned can be constructed at a cost of approximately $150,000. The War Department favors the passage of this bill with an amendment as hereinbefore stated, provided that the cost of this construction will be included in the $15,000,000 Army housing program for the fiscal year 1933. Sincerely yours, PATRICK J. HURLEY, Secretary of War. A letter from the author of the bill also gives information as to the necessity for the legislation, and that letter is also made a part of this report, as follows: Hon. W. FRANK JAMES, Chairman Military Affairs Committee, FEBRUARY 9, 1931. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR CHAIRMAN: I am very much interested in H. R. 15071, a bill introduced by me to provide for a new gymnasium or drill hall at the Plattsburgh Barracks at Plattsburgh, N. Y. This is really a very emergent proposition. The old gymnasium or drill hall burned in 1917, but at that time we had a community center hall there that was built by the people of Plattsburgh and the Young Men's Christian Association to take care of the training of soldiers during the war, and we have been able to use that in the place of a drill hall and general meeting place for all these years. Last December this temporary building burned and at the present time there is absolutely no building at the Plattsburgh Barracks to take the place of this hall that has burned or to answer for a general meeting place at the barracks. I understand that on one or two former occasions where there has been a fire, your committee has considered the situation as an emergency one and have reported out a bill rather than wait for the general construction bill. I feel that this is a real emergency and I wish that you would get the bill reported out. I would be pleased to have you advise me relative to the same. Very truly yours, О B. H. SNELL. ACQUISITION OF LAND IN OAHU, HAWAII FEBRUARY 14, 1931.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. WAINWRIGHT, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 3149] The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 3149) to authorize the acquisition of land in Oahu, Hawaii, introduced by Mr. James, of Michigan (by request of the War Department), having considered the same, report thereon with the recommendation that it do pass. This is a measure to authorize the purchase of nearly 13 acres of land on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, for use in the national-defense program on that island. The language of the bill is in rather vague terms in order to permit the Secretary of War freedom of action. However, your committee has been advised in all particulars regarding the acquisition of this land and the purposes for which it will be used; therefore, it is urged that favorable action be taken on this measure with the full assurance that it is to the best interests of the Government. The letter of the Secretary of War is as follows: WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., May 18, 1929. Hon. W. FRANK JAMES, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. JAMES: I submit herewith a draft of bill which I request be introduced in the House of Representatives and enacted into law, as follows: A BILL To authorize the acquisition of land in Oahu, Hawaii "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of War is hereby authorized to acquire by purchase, condemnation, or otherwise, a tract of land on the island of Oahu with necessary right of way as may, in his discretion, be necessary in the proper defer se of the island of Oahu, and the sum of $12,000 is hereby authorized to be appropriated from any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated." HR-71-3-VOL 2-23 |