ference 36411 ROADS HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON ROADS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SIXTY-NINTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON H. R. 3923 FEBRUARY 15, 1926 STATEMENTS OF HON. R. WALTON MOORE UNITED STATES WASHINGTON 1927 COMMITTEE ON ROADS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SIXTY-NINTH CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION CASSIUS C. DOWELL, Iowa, Chairman JOHN M. ROBSION, Kentucky. W. H. SPROUL, Kansas. WM. P. HOLADAY, Illinois. HENRY L. BOWLES, Massachusetts. JOS. L. HOOPER, Michigan. CHARLES J. ESTERLY, Pennsylvania. EDMUND M. CARPENTER, Pennsylvania. JOHN M. NELSON, Wisconsin. II EDWARD B. ALMON, Alabama. FRANK GARDNER, Indiana. R. W. COLFLESH, Clerk ROADS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The committee met at 10 o'clock a. m., Hon. Cassius C. Dowell (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen of the committee, Congressman Moore, from Virginia, is present, and desires to be heard for a few moments with reference to the bill H. R. 3923, introduced by himself To authorize and direct the construction and maintenance of a memorial highway connecting Mount Vernon, in the State of Virginia, with the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes. (The bill referred to is as follows:) [H. R. 3923, Sixty-ninth Congress, first session] A BILL To authorize and direct the construction and maintenance of a memorial highway connecting Mount Vernon, in the State of Virginia, with the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of Agriculture be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to construct, and thereafter to maintain, a highway to connect Mount Vernon, which was the home and is the burial place of George Washington, in the State of Virginia, with the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia. SEC. 2. The highway authorized to be constructed under the provisions of this act shall be known as the Mount Vernon Avenue. SEC. 3. Immediately after the passage of this act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall cause to be made a complete survey of possible routes for the location of said highway and shall determine the route which said highway shall follow and cause to be prepared such plans, specifications, and estimates therefore as he may deem necessary for its construction. The plans, specifications, and estimates so prepared shall include provision for the planting of shade trees, shrubbery, and such other ornamental treatment within the right of way of said highway as the Secretary of Agriculture may prescribe. The route may, in the Secretary's discretion, include any part of an existing highway. SEC. 4. The highway authorized to be constructed under the provisions of this act shall have a right of way not less than eighty feet in width outside the limits of any incorporated city and shall be constructed only of such durable types of surfacing and kinds of material, to be determined by the Secretary of Agriculture, as will adequately meet the existing and probable future traffic needs and conditions thereon. The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to acquire by gift, grant, dedication, devise, or otherwise, any rights of way necessary for the proper location and construction of said highway. SEC. 5. After the construction of the said highway the Secretary of Agriculture shall cause the same to be properly maintained and shall pay the cost thereof from such funds as may be appropriated by Congress from time to time for that purpose. SEC. 6. For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act there is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, available until expended, the sum of $750,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary. Out of the appropriation herein made, or that hereafter may be made for expenditure under the provisions of this act, and which is also authorized to be made, the Secretary of Agriculture may purchase such supplies, 36411-27 1 1 material, equipment, and apparatus and employ such help and incur such other expenses as he may deem necessary for carrying out the purposes of this act. SEC. 7. The Secretary of Agriculture is hereby authorized, whenever he shall deem such action advisable, to accept contributions from any source whatsoever for the purpose of aiding in the construction or maintenance of the highway herein authorized to be constructed. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Moore, the committee will be glad to hear you now. STATEMENT OF HON. R. WALTON MOORE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF VIRGINIA Mr. MOORE. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I am very much obliged to you for this hearing. The bill to which you have referred, H. R. 3923, is identical with the bill that was introduced in the Sixty-eighth Congress. In that Congress there was a hearing on the bill and the hearings have been printed. I ask that those hearings be considered as hearings had upon the present bill. It does not seem necessary that statements contained in those hearings should be reiterated now. Mr. HOLADAY. What was the number of the bill on which the hearings were held? Mr. MOORE. That bill was H. R. 524. Mr. KEMP. What action did the committee take on that bill? Mr. MOORE. The committee took no action, because the committee felt that they should have further information. Mr. HOLADAY. That was in the Sixty-eighth Congress. Mr. MOORE. Yes. Mr. HOLADAY. In view of the fact that the committee then thought they should have further light on the subject, would it not be advisable to offer such further argument or evidence as the committee then felt was necessary before taking action? Mr. MOORE. I think that the committee might for a few minutes hear Mr. MacDonald, Chief of the Bureau of Public Roads, and who may have gotten together all the information that the committee would probably need. In the event he has not done so, the committee might indicate to him what additional information it may wish, so that he can go to work and make a preliminary survey and furnish the data. I will request that Mr. MacDonald talk for a few minutes on this subject. The CHAIRMAN. We will be glad to hear Mr. MacDonald. STATEMENT OF THOMAS H. MacDONALD, CHIEF BUREAU OF PUBLIC ROADS, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Mr. MACDONALD. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I made a statement on this matter at the hearing on April 25, 1924. Since that time the bureau has made a careful reconnaissance survey of the probable cost of the building of a road from Washington to Mount Vernon and has also investigated to some extent the question of rights of way. This survey, however, was not made on the basis of a close estimate, but was rather to give an approximate estimate. The question of a highway from Washington, D. C., to Mount Vernon involves serious consideration of the very large amount of traffic at certain periods in the future. That means we must take |