TO AUTHORIZE ACCEPTANCE OF BEQUEST OF THE LATE WILLIAM F. EDGAR, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIF.

February 24, 1931.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed

Mrs. KAHN, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. J. Res. 472]

The Committee on Military Affairs to whom was referred the joint resolution (H. J. Res. 472) to authorize the acceptance on behalf of the United States of the bequest of the late William F. Edgar, of Los Angeles County, State of California, for the benefit of the museum and library connected with the office of the Surgeon General of the United States Army, 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.

The will of the late Dr. William F. Edgar, who died August 3, 1897, bequeaths the residue of his estate, in an amount not exceeding $40,000 to the Army Medical Museum and Army Medical Library for the benefit of those institutions. Due to the termination of the life interest in the estate which was enjoyed by the widow of Doctor Edgar, the distribution is about to be made. The consent of Congress to the acceptance of this gift is necessary under existing law.

The letter of the Secretary of War requesting the introduction and enactment of this measure is as follows:

The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

JANUARY 15, 1931.

DEAR MR. SPEAKER: There is inclosed a draft of a joint resolution to authorize the acceptance of a bequest to the Army Medical Museum and the Army Medical Library which the War Department persents for the consideration of Congress with a view to its enactment into law.

The will of the late Dr. William F. Edgar, of Los Angeles County, Calif., who died August 3, 1897, bequeaths the residue of his estate, in an amount not exceeding $40,000, to the Army Medical Museum and the Army Medical Library for the benefit of those institutions, four-fifths to the former and one-fifth to the latter. The distribution of the estate is about to be made, due to the termination of the life interest therein which was enjoyed by the widow of Doctor Edgar.

The consent of Congress to the acceptance of this gift is necessary under existing law. The proposed joint resolution authorizes the Surgeon General of the Army to accept and receipt for the bequest, to deposit it in the Treasury as a special fund to be available until expended, and to expend it, under authority of the Secretray of War, for the purposes stated in Doctor Edgar's will. As this gift will be of great benefit to the museum and library, it is requested that the resolu tion be given early and favorable consideration.

Sincerely yours,

F. H. PAYNE, Acting Secretary of War.

APPROPRIATION FOR CONSTRUCTION AT RANDOLPH FIELD, SAN ANTONIO, TEX.

FEBRUARY 24, 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. 14912]

The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bil (H. R. 14912) to authorize an appropriation for construction at Randolph Field, San Antonio, Tex., and for other purposes, introduced by Mr. James of Michigan at the request of the War Department, having considered the same, report thereon with the recommendation that it do pass with the following amendments:

Line 4, after the word "of", strike out the words "noncommissioned officers' barracks to cost not more than $100,000,

Line 8, strike out all the language beginning with the figures, "$100,000", down to and including the word "of" on line 2, page 2. This is a measure to permit the use of a part of funds already authorized and appropriated for construction at the new Primary Flying School (Randolph Field), San Antonio, Tex., for construction of nurses' quarters and a school. The bill is amended by striking out all language referring to the construction of separatenoncommissioned officers' barracks, as your committee is of the opinion there is no necessity for the construction of such separate barracks.

In the original plan for the construction of officers' quarters it was intended to provide quarters, in the same building as officers' quarters, for six nurses of the Medical Nurse Corps. Your committee feel that it would be better to authorize the use of $25,000 out of the amount appropriated for officers' quarters to erect a special building for the six nurses.

Your committee also feel that a change should be made in the original construction plans combining a chapel and school. Therefore, it is recommended in this legislation that, inasmuch as chapel requirements can be handled by use of the auditorium in the adminis

tration building, the $50,000 authorized for chapel and school be used for a suitable school building.

The letter of the Secretary of War on the legislation is as follows: DECEMBER 8, 1930.

The SPEAKER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

DEAR MR. SPEAKER: There is inclosed the draft of a bill to authorize appropriations for construction at Randolph Field, San Antonio, Tex., and for other purposes, which the War Department presents for the consideration of the Congress, with a view to its enactment into law.

The applicable provisions of existing law on the subject of the noncommissioned officers' barracks appear in the act, approved May 26, 1928 (45 Stat. 748), which authorized an appropriation of $180,950 for barracks at the New Primary Flying School (Randolph Field), San Antonio, Tex., and in the act of February 28, 1929 (45 Stat. 1358), making the appropriation for the same purpose. Under this legislation authority exists for the construction of barracks for enlisted men below the first three grades. The proposed legislation has for its purpose authorization for construction at the cost of not to exceed $100,000 (out of the $180,950 appropriated) of barracks of a different type for the accommodation of bachelor noncommissioned officers of the first three grades. It is to the best interest of the service from the point of view of morale, discipline, and economy, to provide these noncommissioned officers with bachelor barracks SB proposed.

The applicable provisions of existing law on the subject of nurses' quarters are to be found in the act approved May 26, 1928 (45 Stat. 748), which authorized an appropriation of $1,250,000 for officers' quarters at the New Primary Flying School (Randolph Field), San Antonio, Tex., and in the act of February 28, 1929 (45 Stat. 1358), making the appropriation for the same purpose. It was originally intended to house six nurses of the Medical Nurse Corps in officers' quarters. However, in view of the fact that quarters of a special type are generally being provided for nurses under the Army housing program, and that funds for such construction are being appropriated in separate items from those for officers' quarters, a change in existing legislation is desirable. The proposed legislation has for its object taking $25,000 out of the $1,250,000 appropriated for officers' quarters and erecting a special building for six nurses.

The applicable provisions of existing law on the subject of the school at Randolph Field, Tex., appear in the act approved February 18, 1928 (45 Stat. 129), which authorized an appropriation of $50,000 for a chapel and school at the New Primary Flying School (Randolph Field), San Antonio, Tex., and in the act approved February 28, 1929 (45 Stat. 1358), making the appropriation for the same purpose. It has been ascertained that the chapel requirements can be accommodated in the auditorium of the administration building already provided for. Eventually this station will have several hundred children of grammarschool age. The station is approximately 14 miles from the nearest town, and it is urgent that a suitable school building be provided. All of the $50,000 is needed for the school, and it is not desired to incorporate chapel facilities in this structure. The proposed legislation will result in better utilization of funds previously appropriated for construction at the same station.

This legislation will be without any additional cost to the Government.

Sincerely yours,