the Secretary of the Navy, respectively, may suggest. The joint committee further recommends the adoption of a concurrent resolution, which will permit the completion of the arrangements for the holding of the joint session. JAMES W. WADSWORTH, Jr. SELDON P. SPENCER. FRANK W. MONDELL. JULIUS KAHN. S. HUBERT DENT, Jr. CONGRESS BRIDGE ACROSS LUMBER RIVER, N.C. SEPTEMBER 12, 1919.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed. Mr. MONTAGUE, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 8661.] The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the House bill 8661, having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass, as amended. In line 7, after the word "navigation," insert the following: "near the town of Lumberton, Robeson County, North Carolina." The bill as amended has the approval of the War Department, as will appear by the letter attached and which is made a part of this report. [Second indorsement]. WAR DEPARTMENT, Respectfully returned to the chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives. So far as the interests committed to this department are concerned, I know of no objection to the favorable consideration by Congress of the accompanying bill, H. R. 8661, present session, to authorize the Kingsdale Lumber Corporation to construct a bridge across Lumber River, near the town of Lumberton, N. C., if the bill be amended as indicated in red thereon. NEWTON D. BAKER, CONGRESS THEFT OF AUTOMOBILES. SEPTEMBER 12, 1919.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed. Mr. DYER, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted the fol lowing REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 9203.] The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 9203) to punish the transportation of stolen motor vehicles in interstate or foreign commerce, having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass. The Congress of the United States can scarcely enact any law at this session that is more needed than the bill herein recommended, and that has for its purpose the providing of severe punishment of those guilty of the stealing of automobiles in interstate or foreign commerce. There has been and is now a most widespread demand for such a law. State laws upon the subject have been inadequate to meet the evil. Thieves steal automobiles and take them from one State to another and ofttimes have associates in this crime who receive and sell the stolen machines. The losses to the people of the United States by reason of this stealing amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. It is getting worse. It is getting so now that it is difficult for the owners of the cheaper cars to obtain theft insurance, due to the great loss that insurance companies have sustained. During the past year automobile-theft insurance on this class of cars has increased 100 per cent. It is automobiles of that price that are generally stolen. Automobile thieves who make a specialty of this crime do not steal many of the higher priced cars, the reason being of course that they are not so easily sold. I submit the following table in proof of the above statement relative to the increased cost, etc., of automobile-theft insurance: Comparative statement showing increase in cost of automobile theft insurance between June 1, 1918, and June 1, 1919, NOTE.-It will be noticed that the increase in cost of theft insurance on cars selling at $799 (f. o. b.) and under has increased approximately 100 per cent in the period between June, 1918, and June, 1919, while cars in class D, $799 to $1,799, shows a correspondingly large increase. Thieves have found the automobile field one in which they can reap huge harvests, due to the fact no doubt that there are so many automobiles now in use in the United States. On July 1, 1919, the number of automobiles and trucks registered in the United States amounted to a total of 6,353,233. July and August are always heavy selling months. It is therefore quite certain that the number of automobiles now in use has increased to approximately 6,500,000 cars, with an average estimated value of $1,200 each, giving a total value for all cars now in use at $7,800,000,000. I submit the following table showing how these cars are distributed according to States, as of July 1 last. Cars and trucks in United States, July 1, 1919. [All duplicate registrations deducted.] |