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TO RECONVEY TO THE STATE OF NEW YORK A PORTION OF THE FORT ONTARIO MILITARY RESERVATION

FEBRUARY 11, 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. 15063]

The Committee on Military Affairs, to which was referred the bill (H. R. 15063) to authorize the Secretary of War to reconvey to the State of New York a portion of the land comprising the Fort Ontario Military Reservation, N. Y., having considered the same, report thereon with the recommendation that it do pass.

Fort Ontario is a military reservation situated on the Oswego River, at its junction with Lake Ontario, adjoining the city of Oswego, in Oswego County, N. Y. Letters patent from the Governor of the State of New York, dated August 15, 1839, conveyed title to and jurisdiction over the 75.90 acres embraced in the reservation to the United States for military purposes, with the proviso that when the United States shall cease to occupy the land for the purposes mentioned in the act of the legislature the land shall revert to the people of the State of New York.

This bill seeks to return to the State about 3.4 acres of land which the War Department states has not been needed for military purposes for many years.

The letter of the War Department favoring the legislation is as follows:

Hon. W. FRANK JAMES,

Chairman Committee on Military Affairs,

House of Representatives.

FEBRUARY 9, 1931.

DEAR MR. JAMES: Careful consideration has been given to the bill (H. R. 15063) to authorize the Secretary of War to reconvey to the State of New York a portion of the land comprising the Fort Ontario Military Reservation, N. Y., transmitted with your letter of December 18, 1930, with request for report thereon. There are no applicable provisions of existing law on this subject.

The purpose of the bill is to obtain through the State of New York, for the city of Oswego, a narrow tract (approximately 3.4 acres) of the Fort Ontario Military Reservation along the Oswego River to be used by the city in connection with the harbor-improvement work now being carried out by the Corps of Engineers.

This reservation was obtained by letters patent, dated August 15, 1839, from the State of New York conveying 75.91 acres by virtue of authority given by act of the State legislature passed April 25, 1839. There is in this act of the State legislature a provision that whenever the United States shall cease to occupy the aforesaid mentioned land for the purposes mentioned in the first section of this act, then said land shall revert to the people of this State. For years little, if any, military use has been made of this tract, and its return to the State of New York will not impair the military value of the Fort Ontario Reservation.

The proposed bill does not affect War Department appropriations.
For the above reasons, the War Department favors passage of the bill.

Sincerely yours,

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AUTHORIZE THE CONSTRUCTION ON GOVERNMENT ISLAND, ALAMEDA, CALIF., OF BUILDINGS

FEBRUARY 11, 1931.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

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

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 16947]

The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, to which was referred H. R. 16947, a bill to authorize the construction on Government Island, Alameda, Calif., of buildings required by the Bureau of Public Roads and Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture, and the Coast Guard of the Treasury Department, having duly considered the same, reports back to the House with the recommendation that this bill do pass.

The following letter from the Acting Secretary of Agriculture explains the need of this legislation:

Hon. RICHARD N. ELLIOTT,

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
Washington, February 10, 1981.

Chairman Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds,

House of Representatives.

DEAR MR. ELLIOTT: Reference is made to your letter of February 9 inclosing copy of H. R. 16947 and asking for a report thereon:

The proposed legislation would authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to construct on Government Island, Alameda, Calif., certain buildings needed by the Bureau of Public Roads and the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture, and by the Coast Guard of the Treasury Department. The buildings are to be erected on a tract of land comprising an area of 15 acres which the city of Alameda, Calif., proposes to donate to the United States under authority of a joint resolution of July 3, 1930 (36 Stat. 1018). This tract is located on an arm of San Francisco Bay and is admirably situated to meet the requirements of the three bureaus above mentioned.

At the present time the bureaus named in this bill are using certain temporary structures erected on Government Island by the Shipping Board during the World War. These structures are in a bad state of repair, are wholly inadequate for the present requirements of the Government, and in any event must be removed because of the termination of the lease covering the lands on which they were erected. The needs of the three bureaus is a matter which has been

fully considered by the Chief Coordinator of the Federal Coordination Service, and the plans for the proposed improvement of Government Island meet with his approval.

The Bureau of Public Roads requires an equipment depot, including a repair shop, where may be assembled such road-building equipment as is required in connection with the construction of Federal aid, forest highway, and park roads in the States of California, Arizona, and Nevada, which States comprise the bureau's district No. 2, with headquarters at San Francisco, Calif. The location on Government Island is a desirable one from the standpoint of receiving and shipping equipment to road projects in the district. Rental in any location equally suitable would be very expensive and it would be impracticable to locate the depot at any considerable distance from the district office.

The Forest Service is very much in need of suitable warehouses for storage and distribution of (a) machinery and other equipment and supplies required in the construction of national forest roads and trails constructed and maintained by the Forest Service, and (b) equipment and supplies necessary for prompt use in the fighting of forest fires which may occur within or near the national forests in California, and office supplies for all national forests.

The department is advised that the Coast Guard requires (a) shops for the repair of vessels and boats used on the western coast; (b) storage space for different vessels; (c) office space for the base commander's force; (d) barracks for guards and recruits and crews, including a sick bay and medical officers' office; and (e) a marine railway on which smaller vessels may be hauled out for repair. In addition, the Pacific coast supply depot and offices, and telephone and cable supply office of the telephone force of the Coast Guard, which are at the present time in the customhouse and appraiser's building at San Francisco, must be moved therefrom because the building is being reconstructed and there is inadequate space. It is desirable that these offices be consolidated with the other activities of the Coast Guard on Government Island. The following active units afloat will berth at this base:

First-class cutters: Tahoe, Shoshone, and Northland.

Second-class cutters and boats: Shawnee, Cahokia, three 125-foot off-shore patrol boats, two subchasers, 9 other patrol vessels used on coast and for harbor patrol, and seized vessels and boats held awaiting court action, as well as such other vessels as come to San Francisco for repair or inspection from the base at San Pedro and Honolulu.

In addition to the structures above indicated, it is proposed that there shall be erected an administrative building for the joint use of the three services. This building would be 60 feet by 100 feet, and two stories in height.

The estimated cost of the proposed structures is $800,000. The bill would authorize an appropriation for this amount. The department has been informed that the proposed legislation meets with the approval of the Treasury Department. The department recommends that a favorable report be made by your committee on House bill 16947.

Sincerely yours,

C. F. MARVIN, Acting Secretary.

A letter addressed to the Secretary of Agriculture, from the Bureau of the Budget, states that this legislation is not in conflict with the financial program of the President, and reads as follows:

The SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE.

FEBRUARY 6, 1931.

MY DEAR MR. SECRETARY: I have your letter of February 4, 1931, submitting a copy of proposed communication to Hon. Albert E. Carter, House of Representatives, relative to the construction on Government Island, Alameda, Calif., of buildings required by the Bureau of Public Roads and Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture and the Coast Guard of the Treasury Department, together with your draft of proposed legislation thereon.

You are advised that the expenditures contemplated by your draft of proposed legislation would not be in conflict with the financial program of the President. I have consulted the Treasury Department with regard to this proposed legislation and have been informed that it meets with the approval of that department. Very truly yours, J. CLAWSON ROOP, Director

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TO INCREASE THE PAY OF MAIL CARRIERS IN THE VILLAGE DELIVERY SERVICE

FEBRUARY 11, 1931.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. KENDALL of Pennsylvania, from the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany S. 543]

The Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, having had under consideration the bill (S. 543) to increase the pay of mail carriers in the village delivery service, reports the same back to the House with the following amendments:

In line 8, after "1925," insert "(U. S. C., title 39, sec. 106)."

Strike out lines 9, 10, and 11 on page 1, and "$1,550 per annum" on page 2, and insert in lieu thereof the following:

SEC. 10. Carriers in the village delivery service shall be graded, with salaries for each grade, as follows: First grade, $1,250; second grade, $1,350; third grade, $1,450. That in the readjustment of salaries for letter carriers in the village delivery service to conform to the grades herein provided, village letter carriers who are now receiving $1,150 per annum shall be placed in grade one, those who are now receiving $1,250 per annum shall be placed in grade two, and those now receiving $1,350 per annum shall be placed in grade three. In determining the aggregate period of service upon which promotions are to be based, all time served as letter carrier in the village delivery service is to be included: Provided, That hereafter substitute letter carriers in the village delivery service when appointed regular carriers shall have credit for actual time served on a basis of one year for each three hundred and six days of eight hours served as substitute, and appointed to the grade to which such carrier would have progressed had his original appointment as substitute been to grade one: Provided further, That letter carriers in the village delivery service shall be promoted successively after one year's satisfactory service in each grade to the next higher grade until they reach the third grade. All promotions shall be made at the beginning of the quarter following one year's satisfactory service in the grade.

So amended, the committee recommends that the bill be passed. Below is given a comparative print of the present law (sec. 10 of Title I of the act of February 28, 1925; U. S. C., title 39, sec. 106); the bill (S. 543) as passed by the Senate, showing in brackets the

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