[PUBLIC-No. 410-73D CONGRESS] [H. R. 9721] AN ACT Authorizing the Spencer County Bridge Commission, of Spencer County, Indiana, to construct, maintain, and operate a toll bridge across the Ohio River between Rockport, Indiana, and Owensboro, Kentucky Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in order to promote interstate commerce, improve postal service, and provide for military and other purposes, the Spencer County Bridge Commission, of Spencer County, Indiana, be, and is hereby, authorized to construct, maintain, and operate a bridge and approaches thereto, across the Ohio River, at a point suitable to the interests of navigation, between Rockport, Indiana, and Owensboro, Kentucky, in accordance with the provisions of the Act entitled "An Act to regulate the construction of bridges over navigable waters", approved March 23, 1906, and subject to the conditions and limitations contained in this Act. SEC. 2. There is hereby conferred upon the Spencer County Bridge Commission, of Spencer County, Indiana, all such rights and powers to enter upon lands and to acquire, condemn, occupy, possess, and use real estate and other property needed for the location, construction, maintenance, and operation of such bridge and its approaches as are possessed by railroad corporations for railroad purposes or by bridge corporations for bridge purposes in the State in which such real estate or other property is situated, upon making just compensation therefor, to be ascertained and paid according to the laws of such State, and the proceedings therefor shall be the same as in the condemnation or expropriation of property for public purposes in such State. SEC. 3. The said Spencer County Bridge Commission, of Spencer County, Indiana, is hereby authorized to fix and charge tolls for transit over such bridge. and the rates of toll so fixed shall be the legal rates until changed by the Secretary of War under the authority contained in the Act of March 23, 1906. SEC. 4. In fixing the rates of toll to be charged for the use of such bridge, the same shall be so adjusted as to provide a fund sufficient to pay for the reasonable cost of maintaining, repairing, and operating the bridge and its approaches under economical management, and to provide a sinking fund sufficient to amortize the cost of such bridge and its approaches, including reasonable interest and financing cost, as soon as possible, under reasonable charges, but within a period of not to exceed twenty years from the completion thereof. After a sinking fund sufficient for such amortization shall have been so provided, such bridge shall thereafter be maintained and operated free of tolls, or the rates of toll shall thereafter be so adjusted as to provide a fund of not to exceed the amount necessary for the proper maintenance, repair, and operation of the bridge and its approaches under economical management. An accurate record of the cost of the bridge and its approaches, the expenditures of maintaining, repairing, and operating the same, and of the daily tolls collected shall be kept and shall be available for the information of all persons interested. Sec. 5. The right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby expressly reserved. Approved, June 18, 1934. [PUBLIC NO. 128-75TH CONGRESS] [CHAPTER 286-1ST SESSION] [H. R. 4550] AN ACT To extend the times for commencing and completing the construction of a bridge across the Ohio River between Rockport, Indiana, and Owensboro, Kentucky Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the times for commencing and completing the construction of a bridge across the Ohio River between Rockport, Indiana, and Owensboro, Kentucky, authorized to be built by the Spencer County Bridge Commission, by an Act of Congress approved June 18, 1934, and extended one and three years, respectively, from June 18, 1936, by an Act of Congress approved April 10, 1936, is again extended one and three years, respectively, from June 18, 1937. SEC. 2. The right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby expressly reserved. Approved, June 2, 1937. О 75TH CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 3d Session { REPORT No. 2029 AMENDING THE ACT APPROVED JUNE 30, 1930, RELATING TO BRIDGES WITHIN THE STATE OF KENTUCKY MARCH 29, 1938.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed Mr. CHAPMAN, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 9980] The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 9980) amending sections 1 and 4 of an act of Congress approved June 18, 1930, entitled "An act authorizing the Commonwealth of Kentucky, by and through the State Highway Commission of Kentucky or the successors of said commission, to acquire, construct, maintain, and operate bridges within Kentucky and/or across boundary-line streams of Kentucky," having considered and amended the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass. Amend the bill as follows: Page 2, line 3, strike out "heretofore". Page 2, line 4, after the word "constructed" and before the word "by" insert "prior to the enactment of this amendatory provision". Page 2, strike out lines 8 to 14, inclusive, and insert: SEC. 2. Section 4 of such Act of June 18, 1930, is amended by inserting before the period at the end of the second sentence thereof the following: ", or in the case of the bridge constructed prior to the enactment of this amendatory provision by the City of Louisville, Kentucky, across the Ohio River from a point at or near Second Street in said City of Louisville to a point opposite in the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana, within a period of not exceeding twenty year from the date of the approval of this amendatory provision.' The bill has the approval of the War and Agriculture Departments, as will appear by the letters attached. Hon. CLARENCE F. LEA, WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, March 25, 1938. Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. LEA: The Department is in receipt of your letter of March 23, 1938, transmitting a copy of H. R. 9980 of the Seventy-fifth Congress, third session, entitled “A bill amending sections 1 and 4 of an act of Congress approved June 18, 1930, entitled 'An act authorizing the Commonwealth of Kentucky, by and through the State Highway Commission of Kentucky or the successors of said commission, to acquire, construct, maintain, and operate bridges within Kentucky and/or across boundary line streams of Kentucky'", with the request that the committee be furnished with a report, together with such comment as the Department might desire to make. Section 1 of the act approved June 18, 1930, among other things, authorizes the Commonwealth of Kentucky to acquire certain existing bridges within Kentucky and/or across boundary line streams of Kentucky, while section 4 provides that the rates of toll charged by the Commonwealth at a bridge or bridges shall be adjusted so as to provide a sinking fund sufficient to amortize the cost of the bridge or bridges within a period not exceeding 20 years, that is June 18, 1950. House bill 9980 proposes to amend section 1 of the act approved June 18, 1930, so as to empower the Commonwealth of Kentucky to acquire the bridge constructed by the city of Louisville, Ky., across the Ohio River from a point at or near Second Street in said city of Louisville to a point opposite in the city of Jeffersonville, Ind. This bridge was constructed by the Louisville Bridge Commission for and on behalf of the city of Louisville in pursuance of an act of Congress approved February 25, 1928, wherein the right to alter, amend, or repeal the act is expressly reserved. The bill also proposes to amend section 4 so as to permit the Commonwealth of Kentucky to adjust the rates of toll so as to provide for the amortization of bridges within a period of not exceeding 20 years from the date of acquisition or completion of construction of a bridge or bridges, rather than June 18, 1950, as now specified. So far as the interests committed to this Department are concerned there is no objection to the enactment of H. R. 9980. Sincerely yours, LOUIS JOHNSON, Acting Secretary of War. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Hon. CLARENCE F. LEA, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. LEA: Careful consideration has been given to the bill, H. R. 9980, transmitted with your letter of March 23 with request for a report thereon and such views relative thereto as the Department might desire to communicate. This bill would amend section 1 of the act of Congress approved June 18, 1930 (46 Stat. 778), by adding at the end of said section a provision to include the bridge heretofore constructed by the city of Louisville across the Ohio River. It also would amend section 4 of said act which provides that if tolls are charged the rates shall be so adjusted as to pay the reasonable costs of maintaining, repairing, and operating each bridge or all bridges included in a particular project, and to provide a sinking fund sufficient to amortize the cost of any such bridge or group of bridges within a period not exceeding 20 years from the date of approval of the act. Under the proposed amendment, such period of 20 years will run from the date of acquisition or completion of construction of any particular bridge or of all of the bridges embraced in one project. The bill is without objection so far as this Department is concerned. Sincerely, HARRY L. BROWN, Assistant Secretary. O 75TH CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 3d Session REPORT No. 2030 NATIONAL PLANNING FOR REGIONAL CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL RESOURCES MARCH 29, 1938.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. MANSFIELD, from the Committee on Rivers and Harbors, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 10027] The Committee on Rivers and Harbors, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 10027) to provide for the regional conservation and development of the national resources, and for other purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon and recommend that the bill do pass with the following amendments: On page 4, strike out in line 18 "or the Classification Act of 1923, as amended"; and in line 19, strike out "and fix the compensation of"; and insert after the word "Act" in line 21: "and to fix their compensation in accordance with the Classification Act of 1923, as amended", so as to make this sentence read: (f) The Board and each Regional Conservation Planning Committee is authorized, without regard to the civil service laws, to employ such officers and employees as it deems necessary to carry out its functions and duties under this Act and to fix their compensation in accordance with the Classification Act of 1923, as amended. In line 16, on page 12, strike out "activities, except that" and insert in lieu thereof "activities: Provided, That"." The creation of a National Planning Board was recommended by the President of the United States in a message transmitted to Congress on June 3, 1937, which reads as follows: To the Congress of the United States: Nature has given recurrent and poignant warnings through dust storms, floods, and droughts that we must act while there is yet time if we would preserve for ourselves and our posterity the natural sources of a virile national life. Experience has taught us that the prudent husbandry of our national estate requires farsighted management. Floods, droughts, and dust storms are in a very real sense manifestations of nature's refusal to tolerate continued abuse of her bounties. Prudent management demands not merely works which will guard against these calamities, but carefully formulated plans to prevent their occurrence, Such plans require coordination of many related activities. For instance, our recent experiences of floods have made clear that the problem must be approached as one involving more than great works on main streams at the places where major disasters threaten to occur. There must also be measures of prevention and control among tributaries and throughout the entire headwaters areas. A comprehensive plan of flood control must embrace not only downstream levees and floodways, and retarding dams and reservoirs on major tributaries, but also smaller dams and reservoirs on the lesser tributaries, and measures of applied conservation throughout an entire drainage area, such as restoration of forests and grasses on inferior lands, and encouragement of farm practices which diminish run-off and prevent erosion on arable lands. Taking care of our natural estate, together with the stopping of existing waste, and building it back to a higher productivity, is a national problem. At last we have undertaken a national policy. But it is not wise to direct everything from Washington. National planning should start at the bottom or, in other words, the problems of townships, counties, and States, should be coordinated through large geographical regions and come to the Capital of the Nation for final coordination. Thus the Congress would receive a complete picture in which no local detail had been overlooked. It is also well to remember that improvements of our national heritage frequently confer special benefits upon regions immediately affected, and a large measure of cooperation from State and local agencies in the undertaking and financing of important projects may fairly be asked for. Any division of the United States into regions for the husbandry of its resources must possess some degree of flexibility. The area most suitable as a region for the carrying out of an integrated program designed to prevent floods is the basin including the watersheds of a pivotal river. But other problems dependent upon other combinations of natural economic and social factors may require a somewhat different area to permit the most effective functional program. For instance, the problem of the Great Plains area is a problem of deficient rainfall, relatively high winds, loose, friable soils, and unsuitable agricultural practices. The natural area for solution of the Great Plains drought problem is different from that for the solution of dynamic water problems presented by the rivers which traverse that The rational area for administration of a Great Plains rehabilitation program crosses the drainage areas of a number of dynamic water problems presented by the rivers which traverse that area. The rational area for administration of a Great Plains rehabilitation program crosses the drainage areas of a number of parallel major tributaries of the Mississippi River. It should therefore be kept in mind that in establishing a region for one type of comprehensive program, parts or all of the same area may be included in a different region for another type of comprehensive program with the result of a Federal system, as it were, of programs and administrative areas for solution of basically different yet interrelated problems. area. Neither the exact scope nor the most appropriate administrative mechanism for regional husbandry can at the start be projected upon any single blue print. But it is important that we set up without delay some regional machinery to acquaint us with our problem. I think, however, that for the time being we might give consideration to the creation of seven regional authorities or agencies; one on the Atlantic seaboard; a second for the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley; a third for the drainage basin of the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers; a fourth embracing the drainage basins of the Missouri River and the Red River of the North; a fifth embracing the drainage basins of the Arkansas, Red, and Rio Grande Rivers; a sixth for the basins of the Colorado River and rivers flowing into the Pacific south of the California-Oregon line; and a seventh for the Columbia River Basin. And in addition I should leave undisturbed the Mississippi River Commission which is well equipped to handle the problems immediately attending the channel of that great river. Apart from the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Columbia Valley Authority, and the Mississippi River Commission, the work of these regional bodies at least, in their early years, would consist chiefly in developing integrated plans to conserve and safeguard the prudent use of waters, water power, soils, forests, and other resources of the areas entrusted to their charge. Such regional bodies would also provide a useful mechanism through which consultation among the various governmental agencies working in the field could be effected for the development of integrated programs of related activities. Projected programs would be reported by the regional bodies annually to the Congress through the President after he has had the projects checked and revised |