64TH CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 1st Session.

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TO EXTEND THE TIME FOR CONSTRUCTING BRIDGE ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT OR NEAR BATON ROUGE, LA.

MARCH 14, 1916.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed.

Mr. RAYBURN, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following

REPORT.

[To accompany S. 3722.]

The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (S. 3722) to extend the time for constructing a bridge across the Mississippi River at or near the city of Baton Rouge, La., having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass.

The following is the report of the Senate Committee on Commerce on this bill:

The Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (S. 3722) to extend the time for constructing a bridge across the Mississippi River at or near the city of Baton Rouge, La., having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass without amendment.

The bill has the approval of the Department of War, as will appear by the following letter, which is made a part of this report:

Hon. JAMES P. CLARKE,

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, February 18, 1916.

Chairman Committee on Commerce, United States Senate. MY DEAR SIR: In further reply to your letter of the 24th ultimo, inclosing, with request for the views of the department thereon, Senate bill 3722, Sixty-fourth Congress, first session, "To extend the time for constructing a bridge across the Mississippi River at or near the city of Baton Rouge, La.," I beg to state that the bill has been under the consideration of the Chief of Engineers of the United States Army, who reports to me as follows:

"By an act of Congress approved March 2, 1913, the Baton Rouge Bridge & Terminal Co. was authorized to construct a bridge across the Mississippi River at or near Baton Rouge, La., under the provisions of the greneral bridge act, with a proviso that the bridge shall be so constructed, maintained, and operated that, in addition to its use for railroad trains and trolley cars, it shall provide for a separate roadway and approaches, and the continuous use as a highway bridge.

Under the date of February 28, 1914, the chairman of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce referred, with a request for the views of the department thereon, H. R. 13985, Sixty-third Congress, second session, to authorize the construction of a

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TO EXTEND THE TIME FOR CONSTRUCTING BRIDGE.

bridge across the Mississippi River at or near Baton Rouge, La., by the same company. That bill, in all essential particulars, was identical with the terms of the act approved March 2, 1913, except that the provision requiring the use of the bridge for highway purposes was omitted. Assuming that the object of the bill was merely to extend the life of the act, a report in accordance with that view was submitted by the department to the committee, inclosing for its consideration an amended copy of the bill to effect that purpose. The committee accepted the department's report and recommended the passage of the bill as amended, which would have left the original act unchanged, as was intended. Congress, however, passed the bill in its original form, and the measure became a law by an act approved July 17, 1914.

"The object of the bill now under consideration is to extend the time limit of the act approved July 17, 1914, and, from the standpoint of navigation interests, I know of no objection to its passage by Congress, unless Congress desires to restore the provisions for its use as a highway bridge."

Very respectfully,

No. 355.

BRIDGE ACROSS MISSOURI RIVER BETWEEN YANKTON COUNTY, S. DAK., AND CEDAR COUNTY, NEBR.

MARCH 14, 1916.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed.

Mr. DILLON, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following

REPORT:

[To accompany S. 4190.]

The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (S. 4190) authorizing the Yankton County Bridge Co., a corporation, to construct and maintain a bridge or bridges and approaches thereto across the Missouri River at a point between Yankton County, S. Dak., and Cedar County, Nebr., having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass. The following is the report of the Senate Committee on Commerce on this bill:

The Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (S. 4190) authorizing the Yankton County Bridge Co., a corporation, to construct and maintain a bridge or bridges and approaches thereto across the Missouri River at a point between Yankton County, S. Dak., and Cedar County, Nebr., having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass without amendment.

The bill has the approval of the Department of War, as will appear by the following letter, which is made a part of this report:

WAR DEPARTMENT, February 29, 1916. Respectfully returned to the chairman Committee on Commerce, United States Senate. The Chief of Engineers reports that S. 4190, Sixty-fourth Congress, first session, "Authorizing the Yankton County Bridge Co., a corporation, to construct and maintain a bridge or bridges and approaches thereto across the Missouri River at a point between Yankton County, S. Dak., and Cedar County, Nebr.," makes ample provision for the protection of the interests committed to the War Department, and I know of no objection to the favorable consideration of the bill by Congress so far as those interests are concerned. H. L. SCOTT, Secretary of War ad interim.