It is presumed that this refers to the act entitled "An act to open to settlement and entry under the general provisions of the homestead laws of the United States certain lands in the State of Oklahoma, and for other purposes." Under the conditions, this department is not inclined to interpose any objection to the enactment of this bill into law if provision be made that the deferred payments shall draw interest at the rate of 6 per cent per annum for the time covered by such extension. It is suggested further that the bill be amended by inserting at the appropriate place the title of the act of June 17, 1910, referred to.

Very respectfully,

O

SAMUEL ADAMS,
Acting Secretary.

62D CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 1st Session.

WATERSHED OF NAVIGABLE STREAMS.

AUGUST 8, 1911.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. LAMB, from the Committee on Agriculture, submitted the following

REPORT.

[To accompany H. J. Res. 117.]

The Committee on Agriculture having had under consideration House joint resolution 117, to amend an act entitled "An act to enable any State to cooperate with any other State or States, or with the United States, for the protection of the watersheds of navigable streams, and to appoint a commission for the acquisition of lands for the purpose of conserving the navigability of navigable rivers,” approved March 1, 1911, submit the following report and recommend the pasage of the said House joint resolution 117.

The resolution refers solely to section 3 of the above-mentioned act of March 1, 1911, which section appropriates a total sum of $11,000,000 for the purposes named, said sum to become available in installments, as follows: $1,000,000 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1910, and for each of the succeeding five fiscal years, up to and including the year ending June 30, 1915, the sum of $2,000,000.

It was clearly the intention of Congress to appropriate the sum of $11,000,000, and to have that entire sum expended for the purposes set forth in the act, but the Comptroller of the Treasury has ruled that, under the wording of said section 3, only such sums as are actually expended during each or any fiscal year are appropriated for that year, and any unexpended balances are not available after the expiration of the fiscal year, but lapse and go back to the Treasury.

Although this act was not approved until March 1, 1911, section 3 provides for an appropriation for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1910. This was clearly an oversight, and the object of House joint resolution 117 is merely to correct this error, make clearly plain and legal the intent of Congress, and make available for the purposes set forth in the said act of March 1, 1911, the whole amount appropriated thereby. Slight amendments to the resolution, as suggested by the Comptroller of the Treasury, have been adopted, and with said amendments, your committee recommend that it do pass.

O

62D CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 1st Session.

PUBLIC BUILDING AT GETTYSBURG, PA.

AUGUST 8, 1911.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

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

REPORT.

[To accompany H. R. 13277.]

The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, to which was referred the bill (H. R. 13277), to increase the limit of cost of the public building authorized to be constructed at Gettysburg, Pa., beg leave to report the same with the recommendation that the bill do

pass.

The bill provides an increase of $17,000 in the limit of cost of this building. The committee finds, after investigation and after consultation with the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department, that this building can not be finished in marble, as was originally intended, for less than $117,000. Unless the limit is extended, as provided in this bill, the building will have to be constructed of some such material as limestone or sandstone. This would be entirely out of keeping with the surroundings of the building.

The town of Gettysburg is completely surrounded by the famous battle field of Gettysburg, which is now one of the great national military parks of the country. As is well known, this battle field is now filled with costly and handsome monuments of marble and granite, erected by various States of the Union and various military organizations throughout the country. The United States has expended millions of dollars in preserving and beautifying this battle field.

Besides the use of the building authorized by the present bill for post-office purposes, it is to be used by the Gettysburg Battlefield. Commission to preserve the maps and records of the battle. The committee is therefore of the opinion that this building should be constructed with an outside finish of marble, in order that it may be in keeping with its purposes and surroundings.

It is especially desired that the building be completed by the time of the fiftieth anniversary of the battle, and in order that this may be done the committee unanimously recommends the immediate passage of the bill, with the following amendment:

Insert in line 4, before the word "for," the words "June twenty

AUGUST 9, 1911.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

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

REPORT.

[To accompany H. R. 13391.]

The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, to which was referred the bill of the House (H. R. 13391) to increase the limit of cost of the public building at Lynchburg, Va., respectfully report the same with the recommendation that the bill do pass. The Congress appropriated $150,000 to make imperative extensions and improvements to the existing public building at Lynchburg, Va. The original plan of improvement was abandoned by the Government architects owing to insuperable difficulties due to the topography of the building site, and they decided to demolish a building that cost $138,000 to erect on its ruins a new building within the appropriation of $150,000 made by Congress solely for "extension and improvement."

In order to get the necessary floor space for actual Government needs it was found necessary to construct the second and third stories of the new building of cheap stucco material, which is now admitted by the Treasury officials to have been a mistake. The chamber of commerce, board of trade, merchants' associations, and councils of Lynchburg have protested against being given a building of less imposing appearance and of a less permanent character than the old building which was demolished, and the Government officials advise that, with a view to greater permanence and the need of further extension made necessary by the remarkable growth of the town, it would be better and ultimately more economical to substitute stone for cheap stucco in the new building. The contractors have just now reached a point in the process of construction that necessitates immediate action by Congress if the proposed change is made. Upon a full review of the facts the committee unanimously recommends the suggested alteration.

It is submitted that to build the first story of stone and the remaining stories of cheap stucco, as is necessary under the present appropriation, would constitute an architectural blot that ought not to be permitted. The bill under consideration provides an increase of $30,000 in the limit of cost, which is sufficient to build the second and third stories of the same material as the first, insuring sightliness and permanence and rendering feasible future extension as the necessity shall arise.