2d Session. No. 548. RENT PROFITEERING IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. MAY 9, 1918.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed. Mr. JOHNSON of Kentucky, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany S. J. Res. 152.] The Committee on the District of Columbia, to whom was referred the joint resolution (S. J. Res. 152) entitled "A joint resolution to prevent rent profiteering in the District of Columbia," having considered the same, reports it back to the House, with sundry amendments, with the recommendation that the amendments be adopted and that the bill as amended be passed. Amend as follows: On page 1, at line 3, strike out "adjournment sine die of the present session of the Congress," and insert in lieu thereof "expiration of one year after a treaty of peace shall have been definitely concluded between the United States and the Imperial German Government." On the same page, after the word " order" and before the word "for" in line 4, insert, "decree or judgment." On the same page, at line 5, after the word "estate" and before the comma, insert "in the District of Columbia." On the same page, at the end of line 5, insert the words or written." On the same page, at line 10, after the word "tenancy" and before the comma, insert the words "which are not inconsistent herewith." On the same page, at lines 10 and 11, strike out the words "except on the ground that," and insert in lieu thereof the word "unless"; also, on page 1, at line 11, strike out the words "has failed to take reasonable care", and on page 2, at line 1, also strike out the words "of the premises, or;" also, on page 2, at line 1, after the word "guilty "insert "on the premises." Also, on page 2, at line 2, strike out the word "is" and insert in lieu thereof the word "constitutes"; also, on the same page, at the same line, strike out the words "amounts to"; also, on the same page, st line 2, strike out the word "disturbance" and insert in lieu thereot the word "breach." Also, on the same page, at line 3, strike out the words "of adjoining or neighboring occupiers or a violation"; also, on the same page, at the beginning of line 4, strike out the words "of law," and insert in lieu thereof the words, "other misdemeanor or crime,"; also, on the same page, at the same line, strike out the word "reasonably" and insert in lieu thereof the word "necessarily." Also, on page 2, at line 5, after the word "occupation" insert the word "either"; also, on the same page, at the beginning of line 6, strike out the word "family" and insert in lieu thereof wife, children, or dependents"; also, on the same page, at the same line, after the word "while" and before the word "in," insert the words "he is." Also, on the same page, at line 6, after the word "with," and before the word "the" insert the words "any branch of." Also, on the same page, at line 7, strike out the words "disposed of," and insert in lieu thereof the word "sold." Also, on the same page, at line 9, after the word "order," insert “, decree or judgment"; also, on the same page, at line 10, after the word "order," insert ", decree or judgment.' Also, on the same page, at the end of line 10, strike out the word "may" and insert in lieu thereof the word "shall." Also, on the same page, at line 11, after the word "order" and before the word "would," insert the words ", decree or judgment." Also, on the same page, at line 13, after the word "order" and before the word "rescind" insert the words ", decree or judgment"; also, on the same page, and at the same line, after the word "order and before the word "in" insert ", decree or judgment." ,; Also, on the same page, at line 15, after the word "resolution" strike out the colon and the words "Provided, That," and insert in lieu thereof "; and." Also, on the same page, and at the same line, strike out the word "judicial" and after the word "remedies" and before the word "of" insert", at law or in equity,"; also, on the same page, at line 16, after the word "oral" and before the word "agreement" insert the words "or written." Also, after line 21, on page 2, add the following as a new paragraph: That the term "real estate" as herein used shall be construed to include any and all land, any building, any part of any building, house or dwelling, any apartment, room, suite of rooms and every other improvement or structure whatsoever on land situated and being in the District of Columbia. O 2d Session. No. 549. EXEMPTING WRECKING VESSELS FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THE SEAMEN'S ACT. May 10, 1918.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed. Mr. ALEXANDER, from the Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 11408.] The Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 11408) to amend section 4516 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, as amended by sections 1 and 2 of an act entitled "An act to promote the welfare of American seamen in the merchant marine of the United States; to abolish arrest and imprisonment as a penalty for desertion, and to secure the abrogation of treaty provisions in relation thereto; and to promote safety at sea," approved March 4, 1915, having considered the same, report it to the House with amendments with the recommendation that it do pass. Amend the title to read: To amend section forty-five hundred and sixteen of the Revised Statutes of the United States, and section two of an act entitled "An act to promote the welfare of American seaman in the merchant marine of the United States: to abolish arrest and imprisonment as a penalty for desertion, and to secure the abrogation of treaty provisions in relation thereto; and to promote safety at sea," approved March fourth, nineteen hundred and fifteen. Amend line 4, page 1, by striking out the word "sections" and inserting in lieu thereof the word "section"; also by striking out the word "and." Amend line 5, page 1, by striking out the word "two" and the word "an"; also by inserting before the word "act" the words "the act entitled 'an.'" Amend line 9, page 1, by inserting after the word "sea" quotation marks ("). Amend line 1, page 2, by inserting after the word "fifteen" the words "and section two of said act of March 4, 1915, are hereby"; also by striking out the word "be" before the word "amended"; and by striking out the words "striking out" and inserting in lieu thereof the words "inserting before." Amend line 2, page 1, by inserting after the word "of" the words "each of"; also by striking out the words "one and two and adding." The committee have given very careful consideration to the advisability of this legislation and are of opinion that wrecking vessels should be excepted from the provisions of the act of March 4, 1915, along with fishing or whaling vessels, or yachts. This legislation has the approval of the Department of Commerce, as will be noted by the following communication from Hon. A. L. Thurman, Acting Secretary of Commerce, of date April 15, 1918, to Hon. J. W. Alexander, chairman of the Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries: DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, MY DEAR JUDGE ALEXANDER: Yours of the 13th instant, inclosing a copy of House bill 11408, introduced by Mr. Fordney of Michigan, together with two letters addressed to Mr. Fordney on the subject was duly received. The department sees no objection to excluding wrecking vessels from sections 1 and 2 of the seamen's act, and therefore sees no reason why the bill should not be enacted into law. Chairman Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, COMPENSATION FOR EMPLOYEES INJURED IN THE SERVICE. MAY 10, 1918.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. STEELE, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 11999.] The Committee on the Judiciary, to which was referred the bill (H. R. 11999) to amend an act entitled "An act to provide compensation for employees of the United States suffering injuries while in the performance of their duties and for other purposes," approved September 7, 1916, report it back to the House with the recommendation that the bill do pass. The amendments proposed in this bill are intended to perfect the original act. Sections 1, 2, 3, and 5 are merely definements of the act to make its provisions uniform and its benefits equalized to beneficiaries and also for administrative purposes. Sections 4 and 44 introduce two new provisions, as follows: First, to cover all civil officers of the United States whose salaries do not exceed $3,000 per annum, and, second, to authorize the compensation commission to cooperate with the Government establishments to prevent personal injuries and to intelligently interpret the data which accumulates with the commission, and for this purpose the commission is authorized to have a safety engineer as a member of its staff. Section 1 of the amending act would change section 10 of the original act to provide that dependent parents shall receive compensation until marriage, death, or until the dependency ceases. Under the present provision a widowed mother of 50 to 60 years loses a son in the service and will receive compensation for eight years, provided she is dependent, and at the end of eight years the compensation stops. If the dependency of the parent is the reason for the payment of compensation, it is clear that the reason is likely to be very much stronger when the parent has advanced eight years in age than it was at the time of the injury or death of the son or daughter on |