Amendment numbered 2:

That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 2, and agree to the same with an amendment as follows:

On page 1, line 4, of the engrossed Senate amendments, strike out the word "may" and insert, in lieu thereof, the word shall; and the Senate agree to the same..

F. N. ZIHLMAN,

GALE H. STALKER,

MARY T. NORTON,

Managers on the part of the House.

ARTHUR CAPPER,

HAMILTON F. KEAN,

WILLIAM H. KING,

Managers on the part of the Senate.

The managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendments of the Senate to the bill (H. R. 14922) to amend the acts approved March 3, 1925, and July 3, 1926, known as the District of Columbia traffic acts, etc., submit the following statement explaining the effect of the action agreed upon by the conferees and recommended in the accompanying conference report:

Amendment No. 1: The conference committee recommends the reincorporation in the bill, with certain modifications, of a provision stricken out by the Senate amendment. As agreed upon by the conferees, the new language of this amendment provides for the issuance by the District Commissioners to members of the Senate and House of congressional tags for official use. These tags will permit their owners to park their automobiles in any available curb space in the District of Columbia, except spaces where parking is prohibited because of the presence of fire plugs, fire houses, loading stations, or loading platforms. The tags may not be assigned to nor used by others.

Amendment No. 2: This amendment, by substituting the word "shall" for "may," makes it mandatory on the District Commissioners to establish parking areas near Government establishments for the use of Members of the Senate and House and governmental officials when on official business.

Amendment No. 3: This amendment corrects a minor error by the addition of quotation marks.

Amendment No. 4: The amendment provides penalties for hitand-run drivers, and prescribes procedure on the part of owners or operators of automobiles in collisions.

F. N. ZIHLMAN,

GALE H. STALKER,

MARY T. NORTON,

Managers on the part of the House.

3

O

ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION FOR TARGET RANGE AT FORT ETHAN ALLEN, VT.

FEBRUARY 24, 1931.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. WAINWRIGHT, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 3593]

The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 3593) to authorize an additional appropriation of $7,500 for the completion of the acquisition of land in the vicinity of and for use as a target range in connection with Fort Ethan Allen, Vt., introduced by Mr. James, by request of the War Department, having considered the same, report thereon with the recommendation that it do pass.

On April 27, 1926, the President signed a bill passed by Congress reading as follows:

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of War is hereby authorized and empowered to acquire, by purchase, condemnation, or donation, a tract of land containing approximately six thousand and seven acres in the vicinity of and for use as a target range in connection with Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont, and there is hereby authorized to be appropriated for such purpose a sum not to exceed $200,000 out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated.

By the condemnation proceedings the town of Jericho is damaged on account of certain lease rights and improvements to the extent of $7,500, and the court by its order dated December 31, 1928, ordered that the plaintiff, the United States of America, pay the town of Jericho the sum of $7,500, for its lease rights and improvements, and that the plaintiff pay the clerk of the court said amount for that purpose. The Attorney General reports that the proceeding has been regularly conducted and judgment entered. He also states that when the sum of $7,500 has been paid the proceeding will be closed.

The letter from the Secretary of War explaining this measure is as follows:

Hon. W. FRANK JAMES,

Chairman Committee on Military Affairs,

House of Representatives.

MAY 20, 1929.

DEAR MR. JAMES: It is requested that the following draft of a bill be introduced and enacted into law:

"A BILL To authorize an additional appropriation of $7,500 for the completion of the acquisition of land in the vicinity of and for use as a target range in connection with Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That a sum not to exceed $7,500 is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the completion of the acquisition of lands in the vicinity of and for use as a target range at Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont, and the Secretary of War is hereby authorized to complete the acquisition of said land." The act of April 27, 1926 (44 Stat. 328), contains authority for the acquisition of said land. This act, however, does not contain an appropriation for the additional funds required for such purpose.

The necessity for legislation authorizing an appropriation of additional funds for the completion of the acquisition of the land in question by the Government is as follows:

The act referred to above authorizes the Secretary of War to acquire, by purchase, condemnation, or donation, a tract of land containing approximately 6,007 acres in the vicinity of and for use as a target range in connection with Fort Ethan Allen, Vt., at a cost not to exceed $200,000. This amount was appropriated by the second deficiency act of July 3, 1926 (Public, 492, 69th Cong.). Condemnation proceedings were instituted in the United States District Court of Vermont and the sum of $188,626.60 of the original appropriation has been paid into the registry of said court in payment of the awards made by the court. The balance of said appropriation, except a sum of $725.68 was expended as incidental expenses to the acquisition of the property. According to report filed by the commissioners of the court dated December 31, 1928, the commissioners found, inter alia, that by reason of the taking of certain lands by the United States in said condemnation proceedings, the town of Jericho is damaged on account of certain lease rights and improvements to the extent of $7,500, and the court by its order dated December 31, 1928, ordered that the plaintiff, the United States of America, pay the town of Jericho the sum of $7,500 for its lease rights and improvements, and that the plaintiff pay to the clerk of the court said amount for that purpose.

The Attorney General by letter dated April 8, 1929, reports that he has examined the transcript of record in the case of the United States v. Patrick Agan et al., pertaining to the condemnation of 6,007 acres of land at Fort Ethan Allen, Vt.; that on examination he finds that the certificate attached to the transcript of record is complete, covering all papers filed in the proceeding; that the proceeding has been regularly conducted and judgment entered, reciting that the clerk shall pay to the persons therein named the sum of $188,626.60 in his hands for that purpose; and that upon payment into the registry of the court of $7,500, to be paid to the town of Jericho for certain lease rights and improvements, a fee simple title to all the lands shall vest in the United States. The Attorney General states that when he is advised that the sum of $7,500 has been paid into the registry of the court at Burlington, Vt., he will then direct the United States attorney in charge of the matter to close the proceeding.

It is urgent that the condemnation proceedings be closed and in view of the foregoing and the fact that the unexpended balance of $725.68 of the original appropriation is insufficient to satisfy the order of the court, I recommend that the proposed legislation be enacted into law.

If any additional information from the War Department is desired I shall be pleased to furnish it. If the Committee on Military Affairs wishes to have hearings on the proposed legislation a suitable witness will be designated to appear before your committee.

This proposed legislation has been submitted to the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, who advises that the same is not in conflict with the financial program of the President.

Sincerely yours,

JAMES W. GOOD, Secretary of War.