INCREASE IN SALARY OF UNITED STATES DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT.

APRIL 25, 1918.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. MANSFIELD, from the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Justice, submitted the following

REPORT:

[To accompany H. R. 4246.]

The Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Justice, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 4246) providing for an increase of salary of the United States attorney for the district of Connecticut, having had the same under consideration, unanimously recommend that the bill do pass, with the following amendment:

On line 5, after the word "of," strike out "$5,000," and in lieu thereof insert "$4,500."

The State of Connecticut comprises one judicial district with a population of 1,114,756, as of 1910, and the law provides for the holding of court at New Haven and Hartford. The present salary of the United States attorney for this district is $2,500. The population of the district has increased more than 600,000 since the salary was fixed at $2,500, and your committee believe that at present it is wholly inadequate.

The present incumbent states that between March 1, 1917, and March 15, 1918, there were 253 criminal cases begun and 236 cases closed; and 28 civil cases begun and 11 closed; while during the same period there were approximately 100 complaints made, which never developed in cases.

The population of the different other New England States and the salaries paid the United States attorneys therein follow:

Maine, 742,371; salary, $3,000.

New Hampshire, 430,572; salary, $2,000.

Vermont, 355,956; salary, $3,000.

Massachusetts, 3,366,416; salary, $5,000.

Rhode Island, 542,610; salary, $2,500.

2 INCREASE IN SALARY U. S. DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR CONNECTICUT.

In the first session of the Sixty-third Congress a bill (S. 281) passed the United States Senate, approving an increase in the salary of the United States attorney for Connecticut to $4,000, and that was before the large amount of extra work, entailed by the war, was added to the routine of the office. On account of the outbreak of the European conflict at that time, the House took no action, as the policy adopted at the period was that no more bills for increases in salaries should

be considered.

The clerk of the court receives about $6,000 a year. The internalrevenue officer for the district receives $4,500 a year. The postmaster at Hartford receives $6,000 a year. The salary of the collecter of customs for Connecticut is $5,000 a year.

INCREASED RANK FOR OFFICERS OF THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD.

APRIL 25, 1918.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. PADGETT, from the Committee on Naval Aƒ

following

REPORT

[To accompany F

The Committee on Naval Affe' (H. R. 9747) to provide temng United States Coast Guard W during the period of the pres had the same under consider with the following amend the bill do pass:

.. R. 9747.]

airs, submitted the

rs, to whom was referred the bill' rary increased rank for officers of the hile operating as a part of the Navy ent war, and for other purposes, having ation, report the same back to the House nent, and as amended recommend that

it "four hundred and twenty" and insert in nd."

uring time of war the Coast Guard is transunder and as a part of the Navy. There are in the Coast Guard possessing splendid qualifiand having many years of actual sea service. rd was transferred to the Navy it lost its identity ganization, the officers and men being distributed Navy as individuals wherever needed. Some of on ships abroad and others in various services on

Page 3, line 1, strike or lieu thereof "one thousa Under existing law ferred to and operates a number of officers: cations as officers When the Coast Gu as a Coast Guard or to service in the them are serving sea at other poin' The promotic during the cont returns to its officers will b Coast Guard The follo

Navigation

My DEAJ viding ter of the her in detail

ts.

n of the officers provided for is only temporary inuance of the war, and after the war the Coast Guard service under the Treasury Department, and the e restored to their ranks under the law governing the as a part of the Treasury service.

wing letter of Admiral Palmer, Chief of the Bureau of fully explains the situation:

MARCH 25, 1918.

& MR. PADGETT: I have the honor to state, with reference to the bill proporary promotions for Coast Guard officers, that I am afraid certain features rings on that bill will give a wrong impression unless the matter is explained

You will note that most of the officers of the Coast Guard, if this bill becomes law, will become temporary captains and temporary first lieutenants, and that the lower grades will be practically empty. While this appears on the face of it to be improper, when considering the Coast Guard alone, it is entirely proper from the viewpoint of the service as a whole. The Coast Guard is now a part of the Navy, and unless we can have means of utilizing its experienced officers as a part of the Navy in their proper positions relative to all other officers of the Navy, then the original legislation which placed it under the Navy will to a great extent be nullified. The Coast Guard, for the period of the war, has lost its identity entirely as a separate organization. Its officers and men are considered as much a part of the Navy personnel as the officers and men of the reserve force or the regular Navy are, and are assigned to duty accordingly. We have ships which have both Coast Guard officers and reserve officers on them, and we have stations where regular officers, Coast Guard officers, and reserve officers are on duty together. We could very easily have a ship commanded by a regular officer, a Coast Guard officer second in command, and reserve officers the juniors. In order to utilize the long experience of these Coast Guard officers it is necessary that they be given a rank commensurate with their experience, and whether it advances all of them to higher grades or not is immaterial. There is no object in keeping the proportions in the various grades of the Coast Guard as they at present stand. In fact, it can not be done without detriment to the Navy, if we are to utilize the services of these officers to the best advantage.

We would not wish to appoint temporary junior officers in the Coast Guard, because our temporary junior officers in the Navy and the reserve force are appointed to meet our demands for junior officers. It would be manifestly unnecessary to appoint junior Coast Guard officers, and still more improper to keep Coast Guard officers of long experience in junior positions. I would ask you to consider that these Coast Guard officers are just a number of qualified officers for assignment to duty in the Navy, and do not belong to any corps independent of the Navy.

I believe that with this explanation you will see that the bill in this particular is entirely for the best interests of the naval service.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA APPROPRIATION BILL.

APRIL 25, 1918.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. SISSON, from the Committee on Appropriations, submitted the following

REPORT.

[To accompany H. R. 11692.]

The Committee on Appropriations, in presenting the bill making appropriations for the support of the government of the District of Columbia for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1919, submit the following in explanation thereof:

The estimates of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, upon which the bill is based, will be found on pages 831 to 912 of the Book of Estimates and in House Documents Nos. 773, 932, 964, and 976, and, exclusive of the amount for the water department, aggregate $17,806,479.99, one-half of which amount, or of such sum as Congress may appropriate, is required to be drawn from the revenues of the General Government and the remaining one-half to be levied upon the taxable property and privileges in the District of Columbia, other than the property of the United States and_the District of Columbia, pursuant to section 3 of the act approved June 11, 1878, entitled "An act providing a permanent form of government for the District of Columbia." (Stat. L., vol. 20, p. 102.)

The total amount recommended to be appropriated for the general expenses of the District of Columbia for the fiscal year 1919 in the bill submitted herewith, exclusive of the amount for the water department payable out of water revenues, is $13,426,393.66, of which sum the General Government and the District of Columbia each are required to pay $6,713,196.83.

The amount similarly appropriated for the general expenses of the District of Columbia for the current fiscal year (1918) in the District of Columbia appropriation act and deficiency acts for items usually carried in the District of Columbia act is $14,405,277.85.

Compared with the appropriations for the current year, 1918, and with the estimates submitted to Congress for the ensuing fiscal year, 1919, the following differences are shown:

The bill appropriates $978,884.19 less than was appropriated for the same service for the fiscal year 1918.