In each of the cities in which a site is to be acquired under the provisions of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall solicit proposals by public advertisement. Such advertisement shall be published for a period of twenty days in one of the newspapers in said city having the largest circulation, for the sale of lands suitable for the purpose. The Secretary of the Treasury shall cause the sites offered, and such others as may be found to be suitable or desirable for the purpose, to be examined in person by an agent employed or detailed for the purpose, who shall make written report to said Secretary of the results of said examination and of his recommendation thereon and the reasons therefor, which shall be accompanied by the original proposals and all maps, plats, and statements which shall have come into his possession relating to the said proposed sites. That in case a site or additions to a site acquired under the provisions of this Act contains a building or buildings, the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized, in his discretion, to rent until their removal becomes necessary such of said buildings as may be purchased by the Government, or the land on which the same may be located where the buildings are reserved by the vendors, at a fair rental value, the proceeds thereof to be deposited in the Treasury of the United States, and a report of the proceedings to be submitted to Congress annually.

That, so far as practicable, all buildings constructed, enlarged, or extended under the provisions of this Act shall be unexposed to danger of fire from adjacent buildings by an open space of at least forty feet on each side, including streets and alleys: Provided, That the Secretary of the Treasury may, in his discretion, acquire sites on which an open space of the extent hereinbefore specified can not be reserved, and he is likewise authorized, whenever in his judgment such action is necessary and warranted, to reduce the open space about any Federal building heretofore constructed and under the custody and control of said department.

In carrying into effect the provisions of this Act, if the Secretary of the Treasury deeins it to be to the best interests of the Government to construct Federal buildings to take the place of existing Federal buildings, he is hereby authorized to cause the present buildings to be demolished, in order that the sites may be utilized in whole or in part for such buildings, or where in his judgment it is more advantageous to construct a Federal building on a different site in the same city, to sell any such building or buildings and the site or sites thereof, at such time and on such terms as he deems proper, and to convey the same to the respective purchasers thereof by the usual quitclaim deed, and to deposit the proceeds of the sales thereof in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts, and to charge against the total sum of $150,000,000 hereinbefore authorized only the respective net excess cost, if any, over and above the proceeds of such sales, of providing such new sites and buildings.

SEC. 6. The provisions of section 10 of the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Appropriation Act for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1920, approved March 1, 1919, relating to the assignment of space in public buildings in the District of Columbia, shall apply to all buildings constructed, extended, or enlarged under the provisions of this Act in the District of Columbia, and no land for sites or enlargement of sites therefor shall be acquired or land belonging

to the United States be taken for sites or enlargement of sites therefor, without prior approval of the commission created by said Act of March 1, 1919; no contract shall be let for any building or the enlargement or extension of any building in the District of Columbia, under the provisions of this Act without the approval of said commission as to the assignment and general arrangement of space therein; and said commission shall determine the order in which buildings or enlargement of buildings in the District of Columbia, under the provisions of this Act shall be constructed.

SEC. 7. That the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby further authorized and empowered to cause such survey and investigations of public building conditions to be made, and such data obtained as he deems necessary properly to carry into effect the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 8. That in the event local interests in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, shall offer to advance funds for the acquisition of a site for a quarantine station in or near said city, the Secretary of the Treasury may, in his discretion, receive such funds and expend the same in the immediate acquisition of such site, and the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized and directed to repay without interest, from appropriations available for the acquisition of such site, the amounts so advanced or expended.

Approved, May 25, 1926.

(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. 6120]

An Act To amend the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the construction of certain public buildings, and for other purposes," approved May 25, 1926 (Forty-fourth Statutes, page 630); the Act entitled "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," dated February 24, 1928 (Forty-fifth Statutes, page 137); and the Act entitled "An Act authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to acquire certain land within the District of Columbia to be used as space for public buildings," approved January 13, 1928 (Forty-fifth Statutes, page 51).

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the construction of certain public buildings, and for other purposes," approved May 25, 1926 (Fortyfourth Statutes, page 630); the Act entitled "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," dated February 24, 1928 (Forty-fifth Statutes, page 137); and the Act entitled "An Act authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to acquire certain land within the District of Columbia to be used as space for public buildings," approved January 13, 1928 (Forty-fifth Statutes, page 51), are hereby amended to provide that for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of said Acts and also for the remodeling, extension, or enlarging of departmental or other Federal buildings in the District of Columbia not under the control of the Treasury Department, the amounts heretofore authorized to be appropriated for public-building projects outside the District of Columbia are extended $115,000,000, and the amounts heretofore authorized to be expended in the District of Columbia are hereby extended $115,000,000, of which amount not to exceed $15,000,000 may be expended within the areas hereinafter specified for land not belonging to the United States or the District of Columbia: Provided, That out of the money appropriated under the authorization contained herein, at least two buildings shall be constructed in each State for post offices with receipts of more than $10,000 during the last preceding year, for which post offices no public buildings have been provided: Provided further, That 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 $50,000,000 in the aggregate shall be expended annually, of which sum not to exceed $15,000,000 may be expended on projects in the District of Columbia (except that any part of the balance of such sum of $50,000,000 remaining unexpended at the end of any fiscal year may be expended in any subsequent year without reference to this limitation beginning with the fiscal year 1928.

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