AUTHORIZING THE USE OF SPACE IN THE OLD POST OFFICE BUILDING IN PORTLAND, OREG., BY THE STATE OF OREGON AS A MUSEUM APRIL 27, 1944.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. LANHAM, from the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 4623] The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 4623) to authorize the use of space in the Old Post Office Building in Portland, Oreg., by the State of Oregon for its use as a museum for relics from the battleship Oregon, together with all other historical documents, objects, and relics of Oregon and the Old Oregon Country held by the State for public display, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill as amended do pass The amendment is as follows: Page 2, line 12, strike out the words "Federal Works Administrator" and insert in lieu thereof the following: "Commissioner of Public Buildings." This bill (H. R. 4623) was introduced in lieu of H. R. 3601 to meet the objections of the Administrator of the Federal Works Agency in an otherwise favorable report on the bill as shown in the following letter: Hon. FRITZ G. LANHAM, FEDERAL WORKS AGENCY, Chairman, Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. LANHAM: Reference is made to your request for the report of this Agency on H. R. 3601, a bill to authorize the use of space in the Old Post Office Building in Portland, Oreg., by the State of Oregon for its use as a museum for relics from the battleship Oregon, together with all other historical documents, objects, and relics of Oregon and the Old Oregon Country held by the State for public display. The bill provides that the Commissioner of Public Buildings of the Public Buildings Administration is authorized and directed to make available to the State of Oregon, free of expense to the State, suitable space and adequate facilities in the Old Post Office Building at Portland, Oreg., for the use of the State as a museum for housing and displaying to the public the relics and historical objects from the battleship Oregon, together with all other historical documents, objects, and relics of Oregon and the Old Oregon Country held by the State for public display. 1 The State of Oregon from June 1925 to October 1942 had possession and custody of the battleship Oregon under a memorandum receipt executed to the Secretary of the Navy by the Battleship Oregon Commission, an agency of that State.3 Title remained in the United States and on October 12, 1942, the Navy Department, with the approval of the President, in order to meet the exigencies of the war occasioned by the shortage of scrap metals, ordered the vessel scrapped. During this period the State, port, and city of Portland with their funds, public subscriptions, and a contribution from the United States? provided a permanent anchorage for the vessel at Portland and the city of Portland dedicated and improved, with the assistance of the Work Projects Administration, an adjacent area of land as the "Battleship Oregon Marine Park " The State during this period also appropriated biannually, to the Commission, the members of which, incidentally, serve without compensation or other allowance, funds for the care and maintenance of the ship." The commission maintained the Oregon as a museum and as a ship of historical interest.10 The gun deck also served as a meeting place for the Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts, Boy Rangers, Girl Scouts, Campfire Girls, Girl Mariners, and other character-building youth organizations." The ship and its museum collection attracted monthly an average of 6,000 visitors, most of whom were school children.12 The demolition of the Oregon now leaves the Commission without suitable accommodations to house and display relics salvaged from that famous vessel and the Commission's museum collection. The Legislature of the State has petitioned the Congress of the United States to commission a battleship as the Oregon in place of this ship 13 and to assist in providing a building to house the museum and relics of the Oregon, using, preferably, as a site, the Battleship Oregon Marine Park.14 The Old Post Office Building at Portland, Oreg., was completed in 1875 at a total cost to the United States of $365,332.20.15 The building was supplanted in 1934 by a new post office and court house.16 However, the Commissioner of Public Buildings advises that the old building since 1934 has been operated on a reimbursable basis for a number of Government agencies, each of which pays its share of the cost of maintenance and operation. Three rooms on the third floor containing approximately 700 square feet of space, with some alterations, and some storage space in the basement may be made available and it is understood that this space will accommodate the museum activities. Although these unusual circumstances suggest favorable consideration by the Congress for the continuance of the educational, historical, and patriotic work of the Commission, partly at the expense of the United States, it is recommended that the present bill be amended so as to provide temporary accommodations during the present emergency or until such time as permanent facilities may be 18. Rept. 1525, 75th Cong., 3d sess., to accompany S. 3242. • Idem. Oregon Compiled Laws Annotated, vol. 7, secs. 103-401 to 103-404, as amended by Oregon Laws, 1943, ch. 358, p. 479; see also Opinions of the Attorney General of the State of Oregon, 1924-26, p. 529, holding the Commission an agency of the State. 8. Rept. 1525. (See note 1.) New York Times, October 12, 1942, idem. Scrapping operations began December 8, 1942. Oregon Compiled Laws Annotated, sec. 103-401; Oregon Blue Book 1939-40, p. 15. Act of June 14, 1938 (52 Stat. 678). Oregon Blue Book 1941-12, p. 19. Biennial Reports of the Secretary of State of the State of Oregon, 1934-40, reflect that from 1927 to June 1941 the State appropriated $154,961.14; biennial reports of the State Treasury of the State of Oregon reflected that from July 1, 1934, to June 30, 1940, the State received as admission fees to the vessel the total sum of $8,640.65. 10 S. Rept. No. 1525. (See note 1.) 11 Oregon Blue Book, 1939-40, p. 15. 12 Oregon Blue Book 1941-42, p. 19. 13 Senate Joint Memorial No. 5, Oregon Laws 1943, p. 752. 14 Senate Joint Memorial No. 6, Oregon Laws 1943, p. 753. 18 Hills and Sutherland, History of Public Buildings under the control of the Treasury Department, p. 487. 16 Act of March 5, 1928, 45 Stat. 162, 181. This act also provides that the Old Post Office Building shall not be sold for an amount less than $1,750,000. provided by the State. It is also suggested that the allowance of the use of such facilities be discretionary with the Commissioner of Public Buildings since space may now or hereafter become available in State buildings or those of city and port of Portland. Similarly, the terms and conditions upon which the facilities may be made available should be discretionary, so that whatever funds are available to the Commission may be paid, as nearly as possible, upon the same basis as that required of Federal agencies occupying the building. To this end I attach herewith a suggested revision of the bill which, if enacted, would be without objection to this agency. The Bureau of the Budget advises that the bill, as so revised, would be in accord with the President's program. Sincerely yours, PHILIP B. FLEMING, A BILL To authorize the use of space in the Old Post Office Building in Portland, Oregon, by the State of Oregon, for its use as a museum for relics from the battleship Oregon, together with all other historical documents, objects, and relics of Oregon and the Old Oregon Country held by the State for public display Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Commissioner of Public Buildings is authorized to lease, without regard to Section 321 of the Act of June 30, 1932 (47 Stat. 412; 40 U. S. C. 303b), for temporary periods and revocable at any time, upon such terms and conditions as he may determine to be in the public interest, surplus space in the Old Post Office Building at Portland, Oregon, to the State of Oregon for the use of the Battleship Oregon Commission in storing, housing, and displaying to the Public the relics and historical objects from the battleship Oregon, together with all other historical objects, and relics of Oregon and the Old Oregon Country in the custody of the Battleship Oregon Commission: Provided, That the activities of the Battleship Oregon Commission, while occupying such space, shall be subject to such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Federal Works Administrator. The purpose of the proposed legislation is fully set out in the following letter from the sponsor of the bill, Representative Homer D. Angell: Hon. FRITZ LANHAM, CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, Chairman, Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, House of Representaties, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. LANHAM: The sole purpose of this bill is to provide temporary housing for the historical objects, souvenirs, and relics which come from the battleship Oregon collection, and which were housed on the battleship at the time it was ordered dismantled for salvage purposes. The battleship Oregon was constructed pursuant to an act of Congress June 30, 1890, at a cost of $6,280,000, and was launched October 26, 1893. Capt. Charles Edgar Clark assumed command on March 17, 1898, and was in command when the historic ship made its famous run around South America, through the Straits of Magellan, on to Key West and then to Santiago, arriving in time and in shipshape to play an important role in the famous battle of Santiago, which resulted in the destruction of the Spanish fleet on July 3, 1898. At the time this was perhaps the most famous trip by battleship on such an important mission over such a long journey, resulting so favorably to the welfare of this Nation. The people of my State entertained a keen appreciation of the heroic achievements of the battleship so that when she was taken out of commission the Federal Government turned her over to the State, to be held and maintained by it forever as an historic shrine in commemoration of her achievements and as a meeting place for patriotic groups, youth organizations, and civic bodies, for the purpose of instilling and perpetuating patriotism and love of country in our people, and particularly the youth of the State. There was also kept on the ship a museum consisting of the priceless relics and historic objects which had become a part of the battleship, and which were transferred to the State, to be maintained for historic and patriotic purposes. When the ship was dismantled, this valuable collection was deprived of its home and now is temporarily stored and is not available for display. The Old Post Office Building, described in the bill as the pioneer historic post office of the city of Portland, was abandoned for general post-office purposes when the New Post Office Building was built, and is now being temporarily occupied in part by some of the war agencies. There is still available in it space that would be suitable for temporary quarters for housing and displaying the valuable battleship Oregon collection, and it was my purpose in introducing this bill to authorize the Federal agency in control of the building to enter into an agreement with the State of Oregon, permitting the use of the available space in the Old Post Office Building to house and display this collection, until more suitable and permanent quarters may be made available. I appreciate the action of the committee in approving the bill. Sincerely yours, FEDERAL LAND BANK AND LAND BANK COMMISSIONER LOANS APRIL 27, 1944.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. PACE, from the Committee on Agriculture, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 4102] The Committee on Agriculture, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 4102) to extend for 2 additional years the reduced rates of interest on Federal land bank and Land Bank Commissioner loans, having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it do pass, as amended. Strike out all after the enacting clause, and insert the following: That the first sentence of the last paragraph of section 32 (relating to reduction in the interest rate on loans by the Land Bank Commissioner) oft he Emergency Farm Mortgage Act of 1933, as amended (U. S. C., 1940 edition, supp. II, title 12, sec. 1016 (i)), is amended to read as follows: "Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, the rate of interest on loans made under this section shall not exceed 4 per centum per annum for all interest payable on installment dates occurring on or after July 22, 1937, and prior to July 1, 1940, and shall not exceed 31⁄2 per centum per annum for all interest payable on installment dates occurring on or after July 1, 1940, and prior to July 1, 1944, and shall not exceed 4 per centum per annum for all interest payable on installment dates occurring on or after July 1, 1944, and prior to July 1, 1945." Change the title to read: A bill to extend for one additional year the reduced rate of interest on Land Bank Commissioner loans. STATEMENT Federal land-bank loans: The interest rate on Federal land-bank loans made through national farm-loan associations in the continental United States is fixed by law at a rate not exceeding, except with the approval of the Governor of the Farm Credit Administration, 1 percent per annum more than the interest rate borne by the last series of farm-loan bonds, but not to exceed 6 percent (12 U. S. C. 771). On loans to direct borrowers, the rate is one-half of 1 percent per annum |