Muscle Shoals. Operating, etc., MUSCLE SHOALS For operating, maintaining, and keeping in repair the 2, Tennessee Riv- Works at Dam Numbered 2, Tennessee River, including works at Dam No. er. Relief of States for loss of roads floods of 1927. the hydroelectrical development, $270,000, to remain available until June 30, 1930, and to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of War and the supervision of the Chief of Engineers. FLOOD CONTROL Flood control, Mississippi River and tributaries: For prosecuting work of flood control in accordance with the provisions of the Flood Control Act, approved May 15, 1928 (45 Stat., p. 534), $30,000,000. Emergency fund for flood control on tributaries of Mississippi River: For rescue work and for repair or maintenance of any flood-control work on any tributaries of the Mississippi River threatened or destroyed by flood, in accordance with section 7 of Flood Control Act, approved May 15, 1928 (45 Stat., p. 534), $800,000. Flood control, Sacramento River, California: For prosecuting work of flood control in accordance with the provisions of the Flood Control Act approved March 1, 1917 (U. S. C., p. 1090, sec. 703), as modified by the Flood Control Act approved May 15, 1928 (45 Stat., p. 534), $1,000,000. Return of funds contributed for flood control, Sacramento River, California: For return to the State of California of funds contributed by the State for flood control in the Sacramento River, under the provisions of section 2 of the Flood Control Áct approved March 1, 1917 (U. S. C., p. 1090, sec. 703), as authorized by section 13 of the Flood Control Act approved May 15, 1928 (45 Stat., p. 534), $4,370,000. For the relief of the following States, as a reimburseand bridges by ment or contribution in aid from the United States, induced by the extraordinary conditions of necessity and emergency resulting from the unusually serious financial loss to such States through the damage to or destruction of roads and bridges by the floods of 1927, imposing a public charge against the property of said States beyond their reasonable capacity to bear, and without acknowl[States specified. edgement of any liability on the part of the United States in connection with the restoration of such local improvements, namely: Missouri, $258,418; Mississippi, $628,000; Louisiana, $967,582; Arkansas, $1,800,000; in all, $3,654,000, to be available immediately and to remain available until expended: Provided, That such portion of the sums hereby appropriated as will be available for approval of future construction shall be expended by the State highway departments of the respective States with the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture for the restora Proviso. Restoration of roads and bridges on Secretary of Agriculture. Equal expenditure by the State, tion, including relocation, of roads and bridges so damaged or destroyed, in such manner as to give the largest measure of permanent relief, under rules and regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture: Provided further, That any sum hereby appropriated for any required. State shall become available when the State shall have actually expended or shall have made available for expenditure a like sum from State funds for the purposes contained herein: Provided further, That where any sive type used, roads or bridges shall be or shall have been constructed appropriation not of a more expensive type than those which were damaged cost. or destroyed, the appropriation contained herein shall not be used to defray any part of the increase in cost occasioned thereby. If more expen to defray increased * CHAP. 374.—An Act Authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to employ engineers and economists for consultation purposes on important reclamation work. February 28, 1929. Reclamation important work of. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, service. Employing enThat the Secretary of the Interior is authorized, in his gineers, etc., for judgment and discretion, to employ for consultation consultation on purposes on important reclamation work five consulting engineers, geologists, and economists, at rates of compensation to be fixed by him, but not to exceed $50 per day for any engineer, geologist, or economist so employed: Provided, That the total compensation paid to any engineer, geologist, or economist during any fiscal limited. year shall not exceed $5,000: Provided further, That notwithstanding the provisions of any other Act, retired officers of the Army or Navy may be employed by the and Navy officers Secretary of the Interior as consulting engineers in accordance with the provisions of this Act. SEC. 2. The joint resolution approved June 28, 1926, authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to employ engineers for consultation in connection with the construction of dams for irrigation purposes, is hereby repealed. Approved, February 28, 1929. CHAP. 383.-An Act To authorize the assessment of levee, road, drainage, and other improvement-district benefits against certain lands, 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 consent of the Government of the United States to the levy of special assessments, based upon benefits estimated to be derived from local levee and drainage districts within the boundaries of the Saint Francis Levee district of Arkansas, within the State of Arkansas, is Provisos. Retired Army may be employed. Employing engineers, on irriga re tion dams, plicable. Proviso. to Government lands, etc. State laws ap- hereby expressed and given. The laws of the State of Arkansas levying said special assessments and providing for the enforcement of such levy and the establishment of a lien and of all remedies pertaining thereto are expressly made applicable to the lands described in this Act: Provided, That no levy, assessment, or collection Not applicable of any special assessment shall attach or be applicable to any lands of the United States, nor permit the collection of any special assessment for such tax from the United States Government, nor from any entryman or person as to any such lands until the date when the entryman or purchaser shall become entitled to a patent from the United States for such land. Such levy, special assessment, or tax shall not operate against the Government of the United States, and shall only operate and take effect and be in force when and if the equitable title to any particular tract of land involved shall have passed from the United States to such entryman or purchaser, and such entryman or purchaser shall have become entitled to patent therefor. Acts, etc., in accordance with confirmed, etc. SEC. 2. That all the Acts, levies, assessments, and Arkansas laws, proceedings in substantial accordance with the laws of Arkansas, and all levies and assessments of benefits against lands, the equitable title to which had passed as provided in section 1 of this Act, are hereby cured and confirmed, and the same shall not be set aside, vacated, or annulled by any court for want of jurisdiction or any irregularity in the proceedings based upon the want of authority now conferred by this Act. SEC. 3. That this Act shall be available to the Saint Francis Levee district of Arkansas, and to any drainage district within the boundaries of the Saint Francis Levee district heretofore or hereafter created, as expressing the consent of the Government to the special assessments fixed substantially in accordance with the laws of Arkansas and this Act. SEC. 4. That in all cases where there has been a foreclosure of the liens of any improvement district and said lands have been purchased by the said districts, it shall be the duty of the Commissioner of the General Land Office, upon proof of such sale and purchase and upon the payment of the sum of $5 per acre, together with the usual fees and commissions charged entry of lands under the homestead laws, where such payment has not heretofore been made, to execute to said district or districts a patent to said lands; and in all cases of future foreclosures and purchases by said districts it shall be the duty of the Commissioner of the General Land Office, upon the payment of a like sum and proof of the foreclosure and purchase by the said districts, to execute to them patents for the lands so purchased upon the expiration of the period of redemption in the areas in Mississippi and Poinsett Counties described in the Act of January 17, 1920. SEC. 5. If any portion of this Act be held unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the remaining provisions of the Act. SEC. 6. This Act shall repeal all laws and parts of laws in conflict herewith and shall take effect forthwith. Approved, February 28, 1929. Invalidity of any portion not to affect remainder of Act. Effective forth with and conflict ing laws repealed. CHAP. 428.-An Act To legalize a trestle, log dump, and boom in Henderson Inlet near Chapman Bay, about seven miles northeast of Olympia, Washington. March 1, 1929. [H. R. 15382.] [Public, No. 879.] Vol. 45, p. 1430. Henderson Inlet, Wash. Trestle, etc., in, by Weyerhaeuser Company, lega lized. Location, etc. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the trestle, log dump, and boom built by the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company in Henderson Inlet, State of Washington, on the westerly side near the mouth of Chapman Bay and the mouth of Woodards Bay, which is about seven miles northeast of the city of Olympia, in the State of Washington, be, and the same are hereby, legalized to the same extent and with like effect as to all existing or future laws and regulations of the United States as if the permit required by the existing laws of the United States in such cases made and provided had been regularly obtained prior to the erection of said trestle, log dump, and boom: Provided, That any changes in said trestle, log dump, and boom which the Secretary changes of War may deem necessary and order in the interest of navigation shall be promptly made by the owner thereof. SEC. 2. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby expressly reserved. Approved, March 1, 1929. Proviso. made. to be Amendment. March 1, 1929. [S. J. Res. 201.] CHAP. 450.-Joint Resolution Restricting the Federal Power Commission from issuing or approving any permits or licenses affecting the Colorado River or any of its tributaries, except the [Pub. Res., No. Gila River. 98.] Vol. 45, p. 1446. Colorado Riv. er, etc. Water power permits upon, in not to be issued 1930. designated States, until March 5, Vol. 41, p. 1063. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Federal Power Commission is hereby directed not to issue or approve any permits or licenses under the provision of the Act of Congress approved June 10, 1920 (Forty-first Statutes, page 1063, known as the Federal Water Power Act), upon or affecting the Colorado River or any of its tributaries, except the Gila River and its tributaries, in the States of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, and California, until the 5th day of March, 1930, unless prior thereto the Act approved effective. December 21, 1928, known as the Boulder Canyon Project Act, becomes effective as therein provided. Approved, March 1, 1929. Allowed if Boulder Dam Act Ante, p. 1057. March 2, 1929. [H. R. 16612.] [Public, No. 905.] Vol. 45, p. 1450. Neches River. Construction of dam or across, above designated parties, authorized. CHAP. 479.-An Act Granting the consent of Congress for the construction of dam or dams in Neches River, Texas. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That dams the consent of Congress is hereby granted to the Neches Beaumont, by Canal Company, Neches Water Company, Beaumont Irrigating Company, the city of Beaumont, Texas, or the city of Port Arthur, Texas, or any one or more of them, to construct a dam or dams across the Neches River, at points suitable to the interests of navigation, above the city of Beaumont, Texas: Provided, That the work on such dam or dams shall not be commenced until the plans therefor have been filed with and approved by the Secretary of War and the Chief of Engineers of the not au United States Army: And provided further, That this Act shall not be construed to authorize the use of such dam to develop water power or generate hydroelectric energy. SEC. 2. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby expressly reserved. Provisos. Approval of plans required. Use for water power, thorized. Amendment. Shipping. Load lines es tablished. For merchant United States for Approved, March 2, 1929. CHAP. 496.-An Act To legalize the sewer outlet in the Allegheny River at Thirty-second Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the sewer outlet constructed in the Allegheny River at Thirty-second Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by the city of Pittsburgh, be, and the same is hereby, legalized to the same extent and with like effect as to all existing or future laws and regulations of the United States as if the permit required by the existing laws of the United States in such cases made and provided had been regularly obtained prior to the construction of said sewer outlet. SEC. 2. That any changes in said sewer outlet which the Secretary of War may deem necessary and order in the interest of navigation shall be promptly made by the owner thereof. SEC. 3. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby expressly reserved. Approved, March 2, 1929. CHAP. 508.-An Act To establish load lines for American vessels, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That load lines are hereby established for the following vessels: (a) Merchant vessels of two hundred and fifty gross vessels loading in tons or over, loading at or proceeding to sea from any except the port or place within the United States or its possessions for a foreign voyage by sea, the Great Lakes excepted. sea, |