4. S, Congress. Special joint committee on general leasing bill. PROCEEDINGS OF THE 606 755 SPECIAL JOINT CONFERENCE OF THE AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DEPARTMENTS SIXTY-FOURTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON H. R. 406 AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE EXPLORATION FOR AND DISPO- Printed for the use of the Senate Committee on Public Lands WASHINGTON 191% UNITED STATES CONGRESS, The joint conference met in the room of the Senate Committee on Public Lands for the purpose of arriving at an agreement with regard to the provisions of H. R. 406, commonly known as the general leasing bill: The Public Lands Committee of the Senate, represented by Senators Pittman, Phelan, and Clark; the Public Lands Committee of the House of Representatives, represented by Representatives Ferris, Taylor, and Lenroot; the Department of the Interior, represented by Messrs. Clay Tallman, Commissioner United States Land Office, Edward C. Finney, counsel for the Department of the Interior, and W. A. Williams, of the Bureau of Mines; the Navy Department, represented by Mr. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and Commander James O. Richardson, Bureau of Steam Engineering; and the Department of Justice, represented by S. W. Williams and Francis J. Kearful. Upon motion of Mr. Scott Ferris, seconded by Senator Phelan, Senator Pittman was elected chairman of the conference. The conference directed the employment of a stenographer for the purpose of taking the proceedings, and Louis E. Reichard was employed as stenographer at the request of Senator Pittman. Senator PITTMAN. The object and purpose of the meeting, as understood by the representatives of the Public Lands Committee of the Senate, is this: A few days ago several Senators, including Senator Phelan, Senator Walsh, and myself, were informed that there was a possibility of a compromise being reached with the Navy Department which would eliminate the objection of that department to the general leasing bill, H. R. 406. We were advised that certain informal negotiations had already taken place between certain interested parties and the Navy Department in respect of Naval Reserve No. 2. The Senators referred to then called upon the Secretary of the Navy, in company with some of the gentlemen who had been conducting the negotiations with the Navy Department, to which I have referred. These gentlemen were Mr. Titus and Governor Gillett, of California. An informal conference was had with the Secretary of the Navy, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt, and Commander Richardson. At that conference it was proposed that a 3 |