PUBLIC BUILDING AT LONG BEACH, CAL. FEBRUARY 18, 1915.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. CLARK of Florida, from the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 18402.] The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, to which was referred the bill (H. R. 18402) to provide for the erection of a public building at Long Beach, Cal., having considered the same, beg to report thereon, with the recommendation that the bill pass, amended as follows: In line 8, strike out the figures "$308,000" and insert in lieu thereof the figures "$250,000." The purpose of this bill is to authorize the construction of a Federal building in the city of Long Beach, Cal., at a limit of cost of $250,000. While this bill does not come within the strict provisions of the rule adopted by the committee governing emergency cases, yet there are certain facts connected therewith that the committee believes should receive consideration as a matter of justice. The site for this building was authorized in the act of June 25, 1910, but it was passed over in the act of March 4, 1913, and no building provided for in that act. The site was acquired and the citizens of Long Beach subscribed in cash $30,000 toward the cost of the same, which was $70,000, the Government paying $40,000. In the meantime in order to provide adequate quarters and facilities in which to conduct the post-office business, the enterprising citizens of Long Beach secured a five years' lease on a building centrally located, fitted up the same at their own expense, and turned it over to the Government at a nominal rental of $100 per annum, including fuel and light. The Government pays for janitor service in this building the sum of $840 annually. The lease on this building expires December 31, of this year. A fair price for the rent of the same would be $1,800 per annum which the Government will probably be called upon to pay at the expiration of the present lease. The postal receipts in 1904 were $21,968.61; in 1910, $60,122.25; and in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1914, $100,495.43. The city of Long Beach, according to the census of 1910, showed a gain of 690.8 per cent, the largest propor tionate increase of any city in the United States. The site at Long Beach was acquired in the expectation of getting a Federal building, the citizens cooperated with the Government to the extent of paying nearly one-half of the cost of the same in order that Long Beach might have a Federal building commensurate with the growth of the city and the needs of the Postal Service. With the present rate of increase in population and postal receipts it is imperative that an authorization for an adequate Federal building be made at this time to meet the demands and needs of the Postal Service. The following are reports of the Treasury Department on this project, made at the request of the committee: TREASURY Department, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND Grounds, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. SIR: In reply to your request of the 20th instant, the following report is submitted on H. R. 18402, which provides for the erection of a public building at Long Beach Cal. The branches to be accommodated are the post office and Civil Service Commission, and the space requested by those branches is 8,000 square feet. The post office pays $100 for rented quarters, and the receipts for the fiscal years 1914 and 1904 were $89,224.81 and $14,964.85, respectively. The population at the last census was 17,809. It is estimated that a one-story and basement building of 10,000 square feet ground area will be sufficient to accommodate the branches in the city of Long Beach only, and the cost of such a building, fireproof throughout and faced with brick will be $150,000. The above estimate does not include the installation of an elevator, as same is not necessary, the building being only one story in height. Attention is invited to the fact that the site for this building was authorized in the act of June 25, 1910, but that it was passed over in the act of March 4, 1913, and no building was provided for in that act. In this connection you are advised that the Office of the Supervising Architect will be engaged upon the preparation of plans for buildings already authorized until about January 1, 1920, and unless sufficient provision be made by Congress for increasing the force of that office, the project under consideration could not be reached until after that date. While the estimate is submitted in accordance with the committee's request, the department can not recommend that the project be authorized until the present volume of public building construction has been materially reduced. In order that the committee may have the department's estimate in the usual form, there is inclosed a separate report on this building, which contains the information given in the second, third, and fourth paragraphs of this letter. Respectfully, W. G. McADOO, Secretary. [H. R. 18402. Second session of Sixty-third Congress.] CONTEMPLATED FEDERAL BUILDING, LONG BEACH, CAL. TREASURY Department, Washington, D. C., January 25, 1915. The above-mentioned bill provides for the erection of a public building at Long Beach, Cal., at a limit of cost of $308,000. ESTIMATE OF COST. Site acquired (cost).. Building.... $40,000 150,000 Description of building: One story and basement, fireproof, brick faced, 10,000 square feet ground area. The above estimate does not include the installation of an elevator, as same is not necessary, the building being only one story in height. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, House of Representatives. SIR: Reference is made to the report submitted by this department on January 25, in which it was estimated that a one-story and basement building of 10,000 square feet ground area would be sufficient to accommodate those branches of the Government service desiring space in the proposed public building at Long Beach, Cal. The cost of the building, fireproof and faced with brick, was placed at $150,000. The postmaster on October 9, 1914, stated that the population then served by the post office was 50,000, and estimated that such service will increase to 150,000, 10 years hence. Estimates of the present and future population have also been submitted by the superintendent of the city schools of Long Beach and the local chamber of commerce, their estimates being, respectively, 35,000 now and 125,000 in 1922. The population given at the last census was 17,809. The postal receipts for the quarters ending September 30 and December 31, 1914, were $23,227.11 and $29,447.43, which would indicate that the complete receipts for the current fiscal year 1915 will be considerably in excess of those for the preceding fiscal year, which were $89,224.81. You are advised that the estimate of the size and cost of the proposed building contained in the report of January 25 was based on the probable requirements for several years to come, allowing for a reasonable increase of the population, receipts, and number of employees. Should, however, there be such a growth in population as that estimated by the local parties above referred to, as well as a corresponding increase in the receipts and number of employees, a larger building at a greater cost than that previously estimated would be necessary by the time the building could be constructed and occupied. Based on the estimates referred to above, a one-story building of approximately 20,000 square feet ground area will probably be required at a cost of $250,000. Respectfully, W. G. MCADOO, Secretary. There follows a report made by the postmaster at Long Beach, to the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department: EXTRACTS FROM OFFICIAL REPORT OF POSTMASTER AT LONG BEACH, CAL., TO SUPER- Wealth and resources.-Total assessed value of real estate privately owned: Land $23,785,240; improvements, $7,707,845; ratio of assessed to actual value, about 50 per cent; actual value of all property not subject to assessment, $4,000,000; capital invested, in harbor industrial district, $5,588,000; balance unknown. Annual pay roll for harbor district, $1,245,720. Resources and annual business of National and State banks, savings banks, building nd loan associations, etc.: Four national banks, two State banks, one savings bank, one building and loan association-total resources, $9,301,699.81. Annual business, clearing house association, operating since May 18, 1914, shows business $17,378,465.86. 1914 (within corporate limits present time, permanent).. 35,000 to 40,000 Railroads entering city.-Southern Pacific Railroad; San Pedro; Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railway ("Salt Lake Route"); Pacific Electric Railway. Commercial interests and industries represented and conducted.-Two foundries, three brickyards, three sash and door factories, six lumber yards, two building supplies, three canning factories. Other mills, factories, or businesses: Shipbuilding, glass, salt, enamel, shell goods, fertilizer, ironworks, drilling machinery, ice, galvanized iron and tin, cabinetwork, boat works, laundries, oil, carrousel, dredging, creosoting plant, power plant, concrete pipes, etc. Public and semipublic buildings.-City hall, 2-story brick, $15,000; library, $40,000; auditorium, $40,000; Elks' Home, $55,000; Masonic Temple, $30,000; two theaters, one of brick, costing approximately $20.000; another fireproof theater planned to cost $125,000; about 25 or 30 churches-all denominations, ranging from most humble to very fine structures of brick and stone finish, from $1,000 to $125,000 in cost. Schools: Polytechnic high school, $200,000; 12 elementary schools, 3 of brick, 9 frame buildings, average cost, $35,000. Average daily attendance in November, 1914, 5.710. Post office business.-Ten daily incoming mails. Patrons served from this office and its stations, including city and adjoining suburbs, 50,000. These figures include tourists, Long Beach being both a summer and winter resort. Total number of employees, including clerks, postmaster, and assistant, at main office, not including city carriers and rural-route carriers, 25. Number of city carriers at main office, 26 regular, 5 substitutes. Annual gross postal receipts for the last 10 years. 100.00 840.00 Amount paid annually for rent, fuel, and light... Amount paid annually for janitor service (laborer employed by Post Office 2, 331 5, 343 5,808 185 $381, 890.00 822, 450.00 320,000.00 1908, permits, 436; value... 1910, permits, 790; value.. 410, 522.00 798, 212.00 1911, permits, 1,226; value. 1, 607, 210. 00 1912, permits, 1,576; value.. 2, 321, 129. 00 1913, permits, first 8 months, 1,846; value.. 3, 374, 352.00 ARID LANDS IN NEVADA. FEBRUARY 18, 1915.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. HAYDEN, from the Committee on the Public Lands, submitted the following. REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 21377.] The Committee on the Public Lands, to which was referred the bill (H. R. 21377) to encourage the reclamation of certain arid lands in the State of Nevada, and for other purposes, having had the same under consideration, beg leave to report it back to the House with the following amendments: Page 1, line 5, strike out the word "persons" and insert in lieu thereof the word "citizens." Page 1, lines 5, 6, and 7, strike out the words "or any corporation. organized under the laws of the United States, or of any State or Territory thereof." Page 2, line 4, strike out the word "same" and insert in lieu thereof the words "such operations." Page 2, line 22, after the word "and" insert the words " may, within the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior." Page 2, at the end of line 22, insert the following: "to citizens of the United States." Page 2, line 23, after the word "as," insert the word "he." Page 2, lines 23 and 24, strike out the words "be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior" and insert in lieu thereof the word "prescribed." Page 3, line 3, strike out the words "one-half of all" and insert in lieu thereof the word "the." Page 3, strike out all of lines 7 to 19, inclusive, and insert in lieu thereof the following: June seventeenth, nineteen hundred and two, known as the reclamation act, and after use thereof in the construction of reclamation works and upon return to the reclamation fund of any such moneys in the manner provided by the reclamation act and acts amendatory thereof and supplemental thereto, fifty per centum of the amounts so utilized in and returned to the reclamation fund shall be paid by the Secretary |