flashing light and a reed-horn fog signal are recommended. There is a reservation of land for lighthouse purposes at Kellett Bluff, and another on the west coast of San Juan Island, about 5 miles distant. Detailed estimate: Coquille River, Oreg., aids to navigation. For improvement of aids to navigation at or near the entrance to Coquille River, Oreg., $6,000. NOTE.-Maritime interests have petitioned for the removal of the station to a more advantageous locality and much correspondence on the subject has been had during the past year. In its present location the light is of no great benefit to navigation, and the fog signal would serve its purpose better if on the other side of the river at or near the end of the south jetty. The station is on a point of land which is being encroached upon by the Coquille River. It is proposed to establish an occulting electric light and a fog bell operated by an electric motor at or near the end of the Bouth jetty. A cottage for the keeper will be built near the inner end of the jetty on land formed by accretion since the construction of the jetty, or on a War Depar ment reservation near by. The proposed change will effect an economy in the maintenance of the station, as only one keeper will be required instead of the present number of two. Detailed estimate: Toledo Harbor, Ohio, aids to navigation.-For improving the aids to navigation in Toledo Harbor, Ohio, $15,000. NOTE. The Manhattan Range Lights, marking the axis of the Maumee Bay straight channel leading to Toledo, should be clearly visible after passing the Maumee Bay Range Lights for a distance of about 5 miles. The present lights are too low and are frequently obscured by smoke. They are also sometimes blanketed by vessels mooring in the lagoon. These lights should therefore be raised in order to give greater efficiency. The present wooden towers are not structurally adapted for raising, and it is proposed to replace them with steel towers. Detailed estimate: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, aids to navigation.-For establishing aids to navigation in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, $80,000. NOTE. In view of the fact that the Government has authorized the establishment of a naval station at this point, it is important that the channels and entrance be properly marked; this is rendered more important by the set of the current, which is usually across the channel in the approach, and also on account of the prevailing northeasterly winds. The necessary aids to navigation should be available at the completion of the harbor improvements. It is proposed to establish 9 lighted and 9 unlighted beacons; also 2 gas buoys at the entrance. The Secretary of the Navy, by letter of August 12, 1913, requested favorable consideration for the establishment of suitable aids to navigation in Pearl Harbor. Detailed estimate: Dog Island, Me., light.-For establishing a light at or near Dog Island entrance to St. Croix River, Me., $3,500. NOTE. Several wrecks have occurred in this vicinity. The mean rise and fall of the tide is about 18 feet; and about 125,000 tons of freight are carried annually by this locality, in addition to frequent passenger service daily. It is recommended that an acetylene light with colored sector be established in the vicinity of Dog Island. Detailed estimate: Works considered essential for the immediate needs of navigation and for the efficient equipment of the Lighthouse Service: Sandy Hook, N. J., aids to navigation.—For improving the aids to navigation at Sandy Hook, N. J., $20,000. NOTE.-North Hook Beacon Light and Fog Signal, N. J., are at present so located in front of the batteries at Fort Hancock, Sandy Hook, N. J., as to interfere very seriously with the gun fire of several of the batteries, and absolutely prohibits the training of the guns on the ranges covering the entrances to New York Harbor. The matter has been carefully investigated by representatives of the War Department and of the Light-house Service and the views of maritime interests obtained relative to the best methods of making the necessary changes. It is recommended that the keepers' quarters, light, and fog signal be moved to a new location out of range of the batteries. Detailed estimate: Moving and raising light, with new foundation.. Total...... $7,000 5,000 6,000 2,000 20,000 Delaware River, Pa. and Del., aids to navigation.For improving the aids to navigation and establishing new aids on the Delaware River, Pa. and Del., $80,000. NOTE. The United States Engineer's Office is now dredging a new 35-foot channel in the vicinity of Schooner Ledge, Delaware River. This channel will probably be completed during the present calendar year, and will require two ranges in place of the present Schooner Ledge Range. It is proposed to mark the new ranges as follows: Chester (Upper) Range, oil-vapor rear light on present reservation, acetylene front light in the water, out of the way of heavy ice; electric fog bell to be provided at the front light; Marcus Hook (Lower) Range to be similar, except that a site will be required for the rear light and no fog bell will be needed at the front light. Detailed estimate: Eighth lighthouse district, tender and barge. For constructing, or purchasing, and equipping a small tender and barge for eighth lighthouse district, Texas and Louisiana, $20,000. NOTE.-The tender for the eighth lighthouse district, Texas and Louisiana, which should be a motor launch about 65 feet long, and barge to be equipped with derrick pile driver, neither to exceed 3 feet draft, are absolutely necessary for establishing and maintaining lights and daymarks along the intercostal canals and other shallow waters of the eighth lighthouse district. That portion of the canal from Galveston, Tex., to Corpus Christi, Tex. has been completed by the War Department, and in the next year or two the canal will be open to the Mississippi River. Detailed estimate: Motor launch... Pile driver derrick barge.. Total...... $15,000 5,000 20,000 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, Washington, December 10, 1914. MY DEAR CONGRESSMAN: Referring to the draft of a bill covering legislation for the Lighthouse Service, forwarded you with my letter of December 8, 1914, I have to call your attention, for your information, to the fact that section 4 of this draft of bill, which refers to leave of absence for per diem employees of the Lighthouse Service, has the effect of amplifying legislation which was included in the sundry civil bill approved August 1, 1914, being the last paragraph under Lighthouse Service on gage 56 of that bill (Public, No. 161, 63d Cong.) The reason for including this more extended legislation on this subject is the fact that the original legislation in the act of August 1, 1914, referred to, is somewhat uncertain in meaning in several respects, and might possibly be construed to refer to a wider class of employees than it is thought was the intention of Congress, as, for instance, to persons employed on vessels of the Lighthouse Service as well as postlight keepers, etc. This is not considered desirable, for the reason that the regulations of the Lighthouse Service already provide for shore liberty for employees on vessels, and the post-light keepers are required to give only a part of their time to their work in the Lighthouse Service. The legislation in section 4 of the draft of bill submitted with my letter of December 8, 1914, explicitly carries out the intention of granting leave with pay to the per diem employees of the Lighthouse Service, who are for the most part mechanics employed at lighthouse depots and in field construction work, and accords with the bill on this subject which passed the Senate February 12, 1914, Senate bill 1262. The foregoing is submitted for your information in case inquiries should arise as to the object of this legislation, superseding that contained in the previous bill. Very truly, yours, Hon. Wм. C. ADAMSON, A. L. THURMAN, Acting Secretary. Chairman Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, CONSTRUCTION OF TWO REVENUE CUTTERS. DECEMBER 12, 1914.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. BARKLEY, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 18876.] The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 18876) to provide for the construction of two revenue cutters, having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass. The bill has the approval of the Treasury Department, as will appear by the letter attached and which is made a part of this report. WASHINGTON, D. C., October 2, 1914. CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE, House of Representatives. SIR: The department is in receipt of your letter of the 26th ultimo, inclosing copy of bill H. R. 18876, "To provide for the construction of two revenue cutters," and asking for the views of the department concerning the bill. In reply I have the honor to state that the two new vessels contemplated in this bill are most urgently needed in order to maintain the fleet of revenue cutters in an efficient condition. The first-class vessel called for in the bill for service in the waters of California, at a cost of $350,000, will be used to replace the Perry, which was lost during the summer of 1910 in a dense fog off the Pribilof Islands while engaged in the seal patrol. The fleet of revenue cutters at present on the Pacific coast is inadequate to perform the numerous tasks assigned them. It is now necessary for a portion of each year to withdraw all seagoing vessels from the west coast of the United States in order properly to perform the work of the seal patrol, and other urgent duties in Alaskan waters. This has caused much dissatisfaction to the maritime interests along the Pacific coast, and there have been frequent complaints in regard to leaving the coast without the service of revenue cutters during the entire summer season, from May until October. The proposed vessel, in order to be efficient under present conditions, will have to be much larger than the old Perry, which was lost, as vessels to perform present-day duties in Alaskan waters properly must carry not less than six months' stores and provisions, which necessitates ample stowage room, and, being obliged to cruise for a month at a time without calling at any port, ample coal-bunker space, H R-63-3-vol 1-5 or space for fuel oil, is of course necessary. The Perry was only 161 feet long and had a displacement of 451 tons. Her coal capacity was only 90 tons, which gave her a cruising radius of but 1,500 miles. Frequently she had to carry stores on deck which, for vessels in these rough waters, constituted an element of danger. With the amount asked for in this bill a proper vessel, capable of carrying all necessary store and having a steaming radius of at least 4,500 miles, can be provided. The new steam revenue cutter proposed for service as anchorage patrol boat in New York Harbor is to replace the old revenue cutter Manhattan, now over 41 years of age. The iron hull of this vessel is about rusted out. Her boiler and machinery are obsolete in type and nearly worn out. Her function of patrolling New York Harbor for the purpose of enforcing the anchorage laws is a most important one, and the Manhattan in her decrepit condition is not capable of performing this duty in an efficient manner. During the past two winter seasons there has been considerable demand from the maritime and manufacturing interests in and bordering on these waters for a vessel fit to cope with the ice conditions and to clear of ice the channels leading to the various localities about New York Harbor where are located large manufacturing establishments depending upon water traffic for their raw materials. The principal channel congested during ice conditions is between the States of New York and New Jersey, and it is therefore clearly a legitimate Federal function to see that an effort is made to keep this thoroughfare open. The amount named in the bill, $110,000, is deemed necessary to provide a suitable anchorage patrol vessel and to equip her for the additional duty of ice breaking. The total cost of these two new ships is but $460,000. In view of the facts that the Revenue-Cutter Service annually saves maritime property averaging in total value about $3.50 worth for each dollar which the Government invests in the service, and during the last fiscal year alone rescued 476 lives from peril, I am of the opinion that the expenditure of this money would constitute a good investment by the Govern ment. In order that work may be begun on these vessels as soon as possible, it is earnestly recommended that, if possible, favorable legislation be enacted during the approaching short session of Congress. Respectfully, W. G. McADOO, Secretary. O |