(H. R. 483)

An Act Authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to acquire certain lands within the District of Columbia to be used as sites for public buildings.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That to enable the Secretary of the Treasury to acquire economically and at an early date adequate sites for suitable accommodations in the District of Columbia for the executive departments, and independent establishments of the Government not under any executive department, and suitable grounds, parking, and approaches thereto, the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the construction of certain public buildings, and for other purposes," approved May 25, 1926, is hereby amended so as to authorize and direct him to acquire, by purchase, condemnation, or otherwise, all the lands obtainable with the funds that may be appropriated, including buildings and other structures, included within the triangle bounded by Pennsylvania Avenue and B Street, extending from Fifteenth Street to Sixth Street Northwest, and reservations A, B, C, and D, except property owned by the United States or the District of Columbia as such lands appear in the records of the office of the surveyor of the District of Columbia.

SEC. 2. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated in addition to the amounts authorized in said Act of May 25, 1926, and without regard to the limitations contained in the first paragraph of section 5 of such Act, the sum of $25,000,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to carry out the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 3. The buildings constructed under said Act approved May 25, 1926, when completed and ready for occupancy shall be turned over to the Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks for care, maintenance, and protection, including the furnishing of heat, gas, and electricity therein, together with all machinery, tools, equipments, and supplies to be used in connection therewith.

SEC. 4. That after title has been vested in the United States to any of the properties herein or heretofore authorized to be acquired or taken within the area embraced in this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury be and he is hereby further authorized to enter into contracts for demolishing the buildings thereon, and for clearing and grading the land at such time and to such extent as he may deem proper, and to enter into contracts for plans and specifications for the architectural landscape treatment of the portion of the lands acquired which he may deem proper, with the approval of the Public Buildings Commission created by the Act of March 1, 1919, to reserve for planting and for open spaces for the proper grouping of the Federal buildings which have heretofore been authorized or may hereafter be authorized to be constructed within the area embraced in this Act, the expenditures on account thereof to be charged to the appropriations authorized under the provisions of this Act.

Approved, January 13, 1928.

[H. R. 278]

An Act To amend section 5 of the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the construction of certain public buildings, and for other purposes," approved May 25, 1926.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the first paragraph of section 5 of the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the construction of certain public buildings, and for other purposes," approved May 25, 1926, is amended to read as follows:

SEC. 5. For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Act the sum of $250,000,000, in addition to the amount authorized in section 3 hereof, is hereby authorized to be appropriated, but under this authorization and from appropriations (exclusive of appropriations made for 'remodeling and enlarging public buildings), heretofore made for the acquisition of sites for, or the construction, enlarging, remodeling, or extension of, public buildings under the control of the Treasury Department, not more than $35,000,000 in the aggregate shall be expended annually (except that any part of the balance of such sum of $35,000,000 remaining unexpended at the end of any year may be expended in any subsequent year without reference to this limitation beginning with the fiscal year 1928): Provided, That such amount as is necessary, not to exceed $50,000,000 of the total amount authorized to be expended under the provisions of this Act, shall be available for projects in the District of Columbia, and not more than $10,000,000 thereof shall be expended annually (except that any part of the balance of such sum of $10,000,000 remaining unexpended at the end of any year may be expended in any subsequent year without reference to this limitation): Provided, That at least one-fifth of the expenditures outside of the District of Columbia during the fiscal year 1927 shall be for the buildings heretofore authorized, and at least one-fifth of the expenditures for the fiscal year 1928 and at least one-fifth of the expenditures for the fiscal year 1929 shall be for a like purpose, unless a less amount shall be necessary to complete all of such buildings: Provided further, That expenditures outside the District of Columbia under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the sum of $10,000,000 annually in any one of the States, Territories, or possessions of the United States."

(b) The last paragraph of such section 5 is amended by striking out "$150,000,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "$250,000,000." Approved, February 24, 1928.

[H. R. 12899]

An Act Authorizing the erection for the sole use of the Pan American Union of an office building on the square of land lying between Eighteenth Street, C Street, and Virginia Avenue northwest. in the city of Washington, District of Columbia.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there is hereby authorized and permitted to be erected an office building for the sole use of the Pan American Union on the triangular piece of ground owned by the United States, bounded on the north by C Street northwest, on the east by Eighteenth Street northwest, and on the south by Virginia Avenue northwest, the plans for the said building to be subject to the approval of the National Commission of Fine Arts.

SEC. 2. The Director of Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital is hereby authorized and directed to remove at the proper time the temporary Government buildings now on the site described in section 1.

SEC. 3. The building which may be erected under the authority of this Act shall be exempt from all taxation so long as it is occupied and used for the purposes herein authorized.

Approved, May 16, 1928.

(55)

(H. R. 9355]

An Act To provide for the acquisition of certain property in the District of Columbia for the Library of Congress, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there is hereby created a joint commission to be composed of the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Library of the Senate, the chairman and ranking minority member of the Coinmittee on the Library of the House of Representatives, and the Architect of the Capítol. The chairman of the Committee on the Library of the Senate shall act as chairman of the commission. The commission is authorized to sit and act at such time and places within the District of Columbia as it deems advisable. The chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Library of the House of Representatives shall continue to serve upon the commission if they have been reelected to the House of Representatives, notwithstanding the expiration of the Congress. The members of the commission shall receive no additional compensation for their services as such members, but they shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred by them in the performance of the duties vested in the commission. The commission shall cease to exist six months after the date of final acquisition of the property under the provisions of section 2 of this Act.

SEC. 2. For the purpose of providing a site for additional buildings for the Library of Congress, the commission is authorized and directed to acquire on behalf of the United States, by purchase, condemnation, or otherwise, at a cost not to exceed $600,000, all the privately owned land, including buildings and other structures, in square numbered 761 and so much thereof in square numbered 760 as is south of the north side of the alley, being lots numbered 15 to 30, inclusive, and including any easements or rights of reversion, in the District of Columbia, as such squares appear on the records in the office of the surveyor of the District of Columbia as of the date of the enactment of this Act. Any condemnation proceedings necessary to be instituted under the authority of this Act shall be in accordance with the provisions of section 3 of the Act entitled "An Act making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, and for other purposes,' approved August 30, 1890. as amended.

SEC. 3. All such land, buildings, and structures, when acquired, shall be under the jurisdiction and control of the Architect of the Capitol, who is authorized, pending the demolition of such buildings and structures and the use of the land for Library purposes (a) to lease any or all of such property for such periods and under such terms and conditions as he may deem most advantageous to the United States, (b) out of such appropriations as may be made therefor, to provide for the maintenance, repair, and protection of

such property and to incur such other expenses as may be necessarily incident to such jurisdiction and control, and (c) to render available for the use of the Library, upon the request of the librarian, such portions thereof as may be suitable temporarily for storage or other purposes.

The proceeds of any leases hereunder shall be covered into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts, and the Architect of the Capitol shall include in his annual report a detailed statement of his action under this section during the period covered by such report.

SEC. 4. The Architect of the Capitol is authorized to remove or to provide for the removal of such buildings and structures or such part thereof as may be necessary, upon request of the Joint Committee on the Library, when it shall become apparent to such committee that such land or any part thereof is needed for the purpose of commencing the construction of any additional building or buildings for the Library of Congress.

SEC. 5. After the demolition of the buildings and structures acquired hereunder, the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, upon request of the Joint Committee on the Library, are authorized and directed to close and vacate that part of A Street southeast, lying between the east side of Second Street and the west side of Third Street southeast, and also the alley intersecting square numbered 760 as described above in section 2, and the portion of such street and the whole of said alley so closed and vacated, together with the land acquired under this Act, shall thereupon become a part of the grounds of the Library of Congress.

SEC. 6. Appropriations made for carrying out the provisions of this Act shall be disbursed by the disbursing officer of the Interior Department.

Approved, May 21, 1928.