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SENATE

72D CONGRESS 1st Session

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REPORT No. 101

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION AND SURVEY OF WILLAMETTE RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES, OREGON

JANUARY 15, 1932.-Ordered to be printed

Mr. JOHNSON, from the Committee on Commerce, submitted the

following

REPORT

[To accompany S. 730]

The Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (S. 730) to provide for preliminary examination and survey to be made of the Willamette River and its tributaries, Oregon, with a view to providing a navigable channel from Eugene to Springfield, having considered the same, report favorably thereon, and recommend that the bill do pass without amendment.

The bill has the approval of the War Department as will appear by the annexed communication.

WAR DEPARTMENT, December 24, 1931.

Respectfully returned to the chairman Committee on Commerce, United States Senate.

I know of no objection to the passage by Congress of the bill (S. 730) to provide for preliminary examination and survey to be made of the Willamette River and its tributaries, Oregon, with a view to providing a navigable channel from Eugene to Springfield.

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PATRICK J. HURLEY,
Secretary of War.

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Mr. JOHNSON, from the Committee on Commerce, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany S. 723]

The Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (S. 723) authorizing a preliminary examination and survey of the Yamhill River, Oreg., have considered the same and report thereon with amendments, and as so amended, recommend that the bill do pass. The amendments referred to therein have been incorporated in the bill as reported, and are as follows:

Page 2, line 13, strike out the word "A sum sufficient to pay". Page 2, line 14, strike out the words "is hereby made available", and insert in lieu thereof the words, "shall be paid".

Page 2, line 16, strike out the word "examination", and insert in lieu thereof the word "examinations'

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Page 2, line 16, strike out the word "for", and insert in lieu thereof the word "of".

The bill thus amended has the approval of the Department of War, as will appear by the annexed communication.

WAR DEPARTMENT, December 29, 1931. Respectfully returned to the chairman, Committee on Commerce, United States Senate.

This department sees no objection to the enactment of Senate bill No. 723, "Authorizing a preliminary examination and survey of the Yamhill River, Oreg., if amended as indicated on a copy of the same herewith.

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72D CONGRESS 1st Session

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SENATE.

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REPORT No. 103

REDUCING PENALTY OF BOND OF BRAZOS RIVER HARBOR NAVIGATION DISTRICT, TEX.

JANUARY 15, 1932.-Ordered to be printed

Mr. JOHNSON, from the Committee on Commerce, submitted the

following

REPORT

[To accompany S. 2278]

The Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (S. 2278) authorizing the Secretary of War to reduce the penalty of the bond of the Brazos River and Harbor navigation district, of Brazoria County, Tex., furnished as surety for its doing certain work on the improvement of Freeport Harbor, Tex., have considered the same and report thereon with amendments, and, as so amended, recommend that the bill do pass.

The amendments are as follows:

Page 1, line 5, after the word "River," strike out the word "and". Page 1, line 5, in the words "navigation district", change the small letters "n" and "d" to capital letters.

Page 1, line 9, after the word "River", strike out the word "and". Page 1, line 10, in the words "navigation district", change the small letters "n" and "d" to capital letters.

Amend the title of the bill to read:

A bill authorizing the Secretary of War to reduce the penalty of the bond of the Brazos River Harbor Navigation District, of Brazoria County, Texas, furnished as surety for its doing certain work on the improvement of Freeport Harbor, Texas.

The bill thus amended has the approval of the War Department, as will appear by the annexed communication, the amendments referred to therein having been incorporated in the bill as reported.

Hon. HIRAM W. JOHNSON,

Chairman Committee on Commerce,

United States Senate, Washington, D. C.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, January 8, 1932.

DEAR SENATOR: Careful consideration has been given to the bill (S. 2278) authorizing the Secretary of War to reduce the penalty of the bond of the Brazo8

River Harbor navigation district of Brazoria County, Tex., furnished as surety for its doing certain work on the improvement of Freeport Harbor, Tex., which you transmitted to the War Department under date of December 22, 1931, with request for suggestions touching the merits of the bill and the propriety of its passage.

The purpose of the bill is to authorize the Secretary of War to reduce the penalty of a certain bond executed April 27, 1928, by the Brazos River Harbor navigation district, of Brazoria County, Tex., as principal, and the National Surety Co. as surety, to guarantee the payment of $861,000 toward the prosecution of the project for the improvement of Freeport Harbor, Tex.

Under the terms of the project for Freeport Harbor adopted in the river and harbor act of March 3, 1925, local interests were required to contribute all funds needed for the work in excess of the sum of $500,000 which was to be furnished by the United States. Omitting the cost of a highway bridge which the project contemplated should be built in advance by local interests, the amount of cash contribution which it was then estimated they would be required to furnish was $961,000. To insure the payment of this contribution the Brazos River Harbor navigation district furnished two surety bonds; the one for $961,000 referred to in this bill, and another for $100,000 which has been canceled pursuant to authority granted in section 7 of the river and harbor act of July 3, 1930.

Because of lowered construction costs all the principal features of this project have been completed with a contribution of only $550,000 from local interests, of The improvement works have which amount $15,000 is still unexpended. operated under various flood conditions for about one and one-half years and there is no indication to date that any large sum of money will be required for contingencies or further work.

The navigation district desires that the penalty of this bond be reduced to an amount conforming more nearly to the estimated cost of such extraordinary repairs and similar contingencies as now seem likely to be required, so that the burden of paying annual premiums on the bond may be correspondingly reduced. The bill (S. 2278) proposes to confer on the Secretary of War the necessary authority to reduce the penalty of the bond and also to cancel said bond when he is satisfied that no further expenditures will be required on this project except for normal maintenance.

Under the circumstances herein stated the War Department knows of no A correction in the name of the navigaobjection to the enactment of the bill. tion district as printed in the bill has been indicated in red on the copy herewith. Sincerely yours,

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PATRICK J. HURLEY,
Secretary of War.

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