HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. No.

SUBDIVISION OF LAND ENTERED UNDER THE RECLAMATION ACT.

JUNE 19, 1906.-Ordered to be printed.

Mr. MONDELL, from the committee of conference, submitted the

following

CONFERENCE REPORT.

[To accompany H. R. 18536.]

The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendments of the Senate to the bill (H. R. 18536), entitled "An act providing for the subdivision of lands entered under the reclamation act, and for other purposes," having met, after full and free conference have agreed to recommend and do recommend to their respective Houses as follows:

That the Senate recede from its amendment on page 1, line 9, striking out "ten" and inserting twenty.

That the House recede from its disagreement to amendments of the Senate as follows:

Amendment on page 1, line 3, after the word "Interior", inserting by reason of market conditions and the special fitness of the soil and climate for the growth of fruit and garden produce.

Amendment on page 1, line 4, striking out "reasonably required" and inserting sufficient.

Amendment on page 2, line 6, after "fund", inserting Provided, That an entryman may elect to enter under said reclamation act a lesser area than the minimum limit in any State or Territory.

On page 2, line 9, after "acquire", inserting by relinquishment. Amendment inserting a new section designated as section 5, and agree to the same.

That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate inserting a new section designated as section 4 with an amendment as follows:

Strike out all after the period following the words "Secretary of the Interior" in said amendment and insert the following:

Providing that the limitation on the size of town sites contained in the act of April sixteenth, one thousand nine hundred and six, entitled "An act providing for the withdrawal from public entry of lands

needed for town-site purposes in connection with irrigation projects under the reclamation act of June seventeenth, one thousand nine and two, and for other purposes," shall not apply to the town sites named in this section; and whenever, in the opinion of the Secretary of the Inte rior, it shall be advisable for the public interest he may withdraw and dispose of town sites in excess of one hundred and sixty acres under the provisions of the aforesaid act approved April sixteenth, one thousand nine hundred and six, and reclamation funds shall be available for the payment of all expenses incurred in executing the provisions of this act and the aforesaid act of April sixteenth, one thousand nine hundred and six, and the proceeds of all sales of town sites shall be covered into the reclamation fund.

F. W. MONDELL,

W. A. REEDER,

W. R. SMITH,

Managers on the part of the House.

LEVI ANKENY,

THOS. H. CARTER,

FRED T. DUBOIS,

Managers on the part of the Senate.

STATEMENT OF MANAGERS ON PART OF THE HOUSE.

The House conferees on H. R. 18536 submit the following statement to accompany the conference report thereon:

The amendment of the Senate on page 1, line 9, from which the Senate recedes, increased the minimum area of entries under the reclamation act from 10 to 20 acres. As agreed to, the minimum entry is 10 acres, as provided in the House bill.

The Senate amendment, to which the House conferees agree, inserting in section 1 the words "by reason of market conditions and special fitness of soil and climate for the growth of fruit and garden produce" and the word "sufficient" instead of the words "reasonable required" are in the nature of directions to the Secretary of the Interior as to conditions which he should inquire into and take into consideration in determining upon the establishment of a minimum area per entry under the reclamation act.

The amendment in the form of a proviso to section 1 as follows: "That an entryman may elect to enter under said reclamation act a lesser area than the minimum limit in any State or Territory," authorizes the entryman to elect to enter a still smaller area than the limit fixed in the bill, and is intended to make possible the entry of small lots which may be surveyed under the subdivision surveys provided for in the bill.

66

The amendment inserting in the second section, after the word acquires" the words "by relinquishment," modifies the provision of the House bill which authorizes second entries where lands included in unperfected entries were acquired by the Government under the reclamation act by confining such second entries to cases where the lands were acquired by the Government by relinquishment.

The amendment numbered section 4 is in the identical language of a bill which passed the House and in substance the same as a bill

which passed the Senate, and provides that the occupants of certain lots in the town sites of Rupert and Heyburn, in Idaho, who have permanent buildings shall have the first right to purchase, at a price fixed by the Secretary of the Interior. It also provides that the present area of said town sites may be disposed of without regard to the limit of 160 acres, contained in the act of April 16, 1906; and also that where, in the opinion of the Secretary, it shall be advisable for the public interest, he may create town sites in excess of 160 acres under the provisions of the above mentioned act.

The amendment, section 5, is intended to meet a condition which exists within the boundaries of certain lands withdrawn under the provisions of the reclamation act, and which may occur in the future elsewhere, whereby entrymen under the desert-land laws are unable to comply with the provisions of the law owing to conditions growing out of such withdrawals, and, while relieving such entrymen from the danger of losing their lands in case contemplated projects are not carried out, brings them under the provisions of the reclamation act if the project is constructed and developed.

F. W. MONDELL,

W. A. REEDER,
W. R. SMITH,

Managers on the part of the House.

BRIDGE OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT ST. LOUIS, MO.

JUNE 19, 1906.-Ordered to be printed.

Mr. BURKE, of South Dakota, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following

REPORT.

[To accompany H. R. 20210.]

The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 20210) to authorize the construction of a railroad, wagon, or foot bridge over the Mississippi River at St. Louis, Mo., submit the following report:

On June 12 the people of St. Louis, Mo., voted on several propositions to issue bonds for municipal improvements. These propositions included one for an issue of bonds to the amount of $3,500,000 for a free municipal bridge, to be owned and controlled by the city for all time to come. The vote on this proposition was about 52,000 to 6,400, showing an overwhelming sentiment in favor of a free bridge. In pursuance to this verdict of the people, the bill (H. R. 20210) was introduced granting the consent of Congress for the construction of a bridge across the Mississippi River by the city of St. Louis. The bill is in proper form, has the approval of the War Department, and under the provisions of the general act approved March 23, 1906, leaves all particulars to be arranged between the War Department and the city authorities.

Your committee has carefully considered this bill and unanimously recommends its passage, with the following amendments:

In line 4, after the word "Missouri," strike out "its successors and assigns."

In line 5, after the word "and", strike out the words "they are" and insert the word "is"; and in lines 8 and 9, after the word "Missouri", strike out "and within the corporate limits of said city, in the State of Missouri."