SALARIES OF CUSTOMS INSPECTORS. JANUARY 25, 1907.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. MCCALL, from the Committee on Ways and Means, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 12222.] The Committee on Ways and Means, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 12222) authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to fix the compensation of inspectors of customs, submit the following report: The act increasing the maximum salaries of inspectors of customs from $3 to $f per day was passed in 1864. By an act of Congress passed in 1902 the Secretary of the Treasury was authorized to increase the salaries of the inspectors of customs at the port of New York, as he might think advisable, to $5 per day. The reasons for the passage of the act relating to the port of New York were well stated by Mr. Dalzell in the report from the Committee on Ways and Means, and those reasons are so precisely in point for the support of the pending bill that a considerable part of the report may well be quoted here: Inspectors detailed to discharge a steamer's cargo are required to be at their vessel ready for business never later than 7 o'clock in the morning, from the time of her arrival until cargo is finally and completely disposed of. From early morning until sunset they must be skillful, alert, and unflagging in their duties. This would ordinarily be considered a long, hard day's work, but in addition they are frequently ordered to report at headquarters at the barge office after sunset and detailed for examination of incoming passengers' baggage at the various steamship docks, where they are often detained until midnight or even later, but it is absolutely necessary that they shall be at their several vessels promptly the next morning ready to resume the discharge of cargo. Compensation of inspectors is now $4 per diem. By a circular of the Treasury Department, dated April 4, 1894 (synopsis, 14864), collectors of customs were authorized to permit the landing of passengers' baggage under the regulations governing the landing of cargoes at night under special license. This was to be done upon the application of agents or owners of steamships in the foreign trade, who were required to deposit a sufficient sum of money to cover the necessary disbursements of inspectors for this extra service, and the collectors were authorized to distribute the amount so deposited to the officers in accordance with the time in which they were employed, not to exceed $2.50 for each night. This practice continued for about one year, when it was decided by the Solicitor of the Treasury-as appears by Department circular of April 18, 1895 (Synopsis, 15917)-that passengers' baggage was not included in the word "cargo," as used in section 2871, Revised Statutes, and therefore the collection of moneys from the steamship companies to pay for this extra service was illegal. The Department, however, continued the practice of examining baggage after sunset, but denied to the officers any compensation for their services in that connection, and such practice continues to this day, thus adding greatly to the onerous duties of inspectors and involving increased personal expense to them. The evil sought to be remedied is the employment of inspectors for night services in the examination of passengers' baggage and their detention for the purpose of such examination, oftentimes when there is no necessity therefor. It seems to the committee that the existing evil ought to be remedied, and therefore recommend the passage of the bill. The condition in some of the ports to-day is precisely that which existed in New York at the time of the writing of the above report. The passenger business of the port of Boston, for instance, has increased about 300 per cent in the last twenty years, whereas the number of inspectors has been reduced during that period from 85 to 77. With their original duties augmented by those put upon them by the circular of the Secretary of the Treasury above referred to these men not only have to work from sunrise to sunset but often until midnight, and have entailed upon them a considerable extra expense for meals and hotels. Where eight hours constitute generally a day's work in the Departments of the Government it is unfair that in some cases as high as fifteen or sixteen hours a day should be exacted of inspectors—certainly without any commensurate compensation. A similar condition. to that existing in Boston, so far as extra night work is concerned, may be found in other large customs districts in the country. The bill is simply permissive and gives the Secretary of the reasury authority to increase the pay in his discretion and make it a maximum of $5 per day. The bill stands upon precisely the same principle as the law passed in 1902 with regard to New York. The committee recommend that the bill be amended by striking out the word "limit" in the fourth line and inserting in the place thereof the word "increase," and as thus amended they recommend that the bill do pass. о VIRGINIA MILITARY, CONTINENTAL, OR STATE LAND WARRANTS. JANUARY 25, 1907.-Ordered to be printed. Mr. LACEY, from the Committee on the Public Lands, submitted the following ADVERSE REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 19517.] The Committee on the Public Lands, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 19517) relating to the Virginia military, continental, or State land warrants and Ohio University lands, having had the same under consideration, respectfully submit the following report: Your committee have heard the claimants, through their counsel, and recommend that the bill do lie upon the table. A full hearing upon this bill will be found in House Document No. 500 of the second session of the Fifty-ninth Congress. HR-59-2-Vol 1-33 REMOVAL OF OBSTRUCTIONS FROM PAVED SIDEWALKS AND ALLEYS. JANUARY 25, 1907.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. SAMUEL W. SMITH, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 20067.] The Committee on the District of Columbia, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 20067) to remove dirt, gravel, sand, and other obstructions from the paved sidewalks and alleys in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes, report the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass. This measure was drafted by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, whose communication on the subject is as follows: WASHINGTON, D. C., June 6, 1906. DEAR SIR: The Commissioners of the District of Columbia have the honor to transmit herewith a draft of "A bill to remove dirt, gravel, sand, and other obstructions from the paved sidewalks and alleys in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes," and recommend favorable action thereon. Very respectfully, Hon. J. W. BABCOCK, HENRY B. F. MACFARLAND, President Board of Commissioners, District of Columbia Chairman Committee on District of Columbia, House of Representatives. Your committee called upon the Commissioners for further information as to the necessity for this legislation, and also requested the views of the Commissioners as to whether it would not be more equitable to provide for assessing the actual cost of removing the obstructions from the sidewalks and alleys instead of fixing a flat rate per linear foot, as provided in the bill. The Commissioners' response, giving this information, is as follows: WASHINGTON, D. C., December 13, 1906. DEAR SIR: Replying to your request made through the clerk of your committee as to the necessity for the legislation suggested in H. R. 20067, to remove dirt, gravel, sand, and other obstructions from paved sidewalks and alleys in the District of |