64TH CONGRESS, 2d Session. SENATE. UNITED STATES SHIPPING BOARD. { REPORT No. 1106. FEBRUARY 20 (calendar day, FEBRUARY 23), 1917.-Ordered to be printed. Mr. FLETCHER, from the Committee on Commerce, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany S. 8168.] The Committee on Commerce, to which was referred the bill (S. 8168) to amend an act entitled "An act to establish a United States Shipping Board for the purpose of encouraging, developing, and creating a naval auxiliary and naval reserve and a merchant marine to meet the requirements of the commerce of the United States, with its Territories and possessions, and with foreign countries; to regulate carriers by water engaged in the foreign and interstate commerce of the United States, and for other purposes," approved September 7, 1916, having had the same under consideration, reported back with an amendment, and as so amended recommend that the bill do pass. O GRANTING THE RIGHT TO CERTAIN LANDS FRONTING ON LAKE MICHIGAN. FEBRUARY 20 (calendar day, FEBRUARY 23), 1917.-Ordered to be printed. Mr. FLETCHER, from the Committee on Commerce, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany S. 7905.] The Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (S. 7905) authorizing the conveyance to the commissioners of Lincoln Park, Chicago, Ill., of the riparian rights of the United States to certain land fronting on Lake Michigan, having had the same under consideration, report it back with an amendment, and, as so amended, recommend that the bill do pass. A report from the Treasury Department on the above bill is hereto attached: The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, TREASURY DEPARTMENT, United States Senate. SIR: Receipt is acknowledged of your communication of the 22d instant, inclosing copy of S. 7905, a bill authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer and convey to the commissioners of Lincoln Park, Chicago, Ill., the riparian rights of the United States to the marine hospital site in Chicago, Ill. The form of the bill is not quite acceptable in its present shape, nor in accordance with the form which met with the approval of Mr. O'Shaughnessy, the attorney for the commissioners of Lincoln Park, and the Solicitor of the Treasury at their recent conference here. The bill to be acceptable to this department should be changed as follows: In lines 8 and 9, page 1, the words "upon such terms and conditions as he may impose," should be omitted and substitute therefor the following: "upon the condition that the said rights and any lands which may be added to the present water front of said marine hospital site shall be used for no other purpose than that authorized in the statutes of the State of Illinois, entitled 'An act to enable the park commissioners having control of any park bordering upon public waters in this State to enlarge the same from time to time, and granting submerged lands for the purpose of such enlargements, and to defray the cost thereof,' approved June 15, 1895, and upon such other terms and conditions as he may impose.' Respectfully, W. G. McADOO, Secretary. O Mr. JOHNSON of Maine, from the Committee on Pensions, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 20748.] The Committee on Pensions, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 20748) making appropriations for the payment of invalid and other pensions of the United States for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1918, and for other purposes, have examined the same and report: The bill, as it comes from the House, appropriates $160,000,000 for the payment of pensions and $60,000 for the payment of fees and expenses of examining surgeons for pensions, an aggregate of $160,060,000. The appropriations for the current fiscal year for the same purposes amount to $158,065,000. In addition to this, however, a deficiency estimate of $5,000,000 for the fiscal year 1917 has been submitted, which, if granted, will make the sum total for the current year $163,065,000 or $3,005,000 more than is provided for in this bill. The deficiency estimate for the fiscal year 1917, as well as the increase carried in this bill over the $158,065,000 provided for the current year, are made necessary by the enactment of the act of September 8, 1916, commonly known as the Ashbrook pension bill, providing increase of pensions to widows over 70 years of age to certain remarried widows of soldiers of the Civil War and to widows of soldiers of the Civil War married after June 27, 1890, and prior to June 27, 1905. The only matter of legislation contained in the bill is the following: Provided, That hereafter the fee for each examination made at the claimant's residence by an examining surgeon of the Bureau of Pensions for use in a pension claim shall be $4 and in lieu of actual traveling expenses there shall be paid 10 cents per mile for the distance actually traveled each way, but not exceeding the distance by the most direct route between the surgeon's office and the claimant's home. The bill as reported to the House contained this provision with the rate for actual traveling expenses fixed at 15 cents per mile, but by amendment in the House the rate was reduced to 10 cents per mile, in which amount it was passed. The matter has the strong endorse ment and recommendation of the Commissioner of Pensions and is desirable in the interest of economy and good administration. The report of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives on this bill is hereto appended, and the passage of the bill recommended. [House Report No. 1417, 64th Congress, 2d session.] The Committee on Appropriations, in presenting the bill making appropriations for the payment of invalid and other pensions for the fiscal year 1918, submit the following in explanation thereof: The estimates on which the bill is based aggregate $160,060,000, a sum which is composed of $155,560,000 submitted in the Book of Estimates for the fiscal year 1918 and $4,500,000 in House Document No. 1987 of the present session. The appropriations for the current fiscal year amount to $158,065,000. It should be stated, however, that a deficiency estimate of $5,000,000 for the fiscal year 1917 has been submitted, which if granted will make the appropriations for the current year $163,065,000. The accompany bill appropriates $160,060,000, which is the amount of the estimates requested and $3,005,000 less than the probable total appropriations for the current fiscal year. The following provision relative to fees and expenses of examining surgeons is recommended: "Provided, That hereafter the fee for each examination made at the claimant's residence by an examining surgeon of the Bureau of Pensions for use in a pension claim shall be $4 and in lieu of actual traveling expenses there shall be paid 15 cents per mile for the distance actually traveled each way, but not exceeding the distance by the most direct route between the surgeon's office and the claimant's home." TOTAL EXPENDITURES FOR PENSIONS. The following table, furnished by the Commissioner of Pensions, shows the amounts paid by the Government in pensions to soldiers, sailors, and marines, their widows, minor children, and dependent relatives, on account of military and naval service since the foundation of the Republic. The first payments made on new certificates each year for the past five years, with the averages and the averages of first payments, by classes, during the past year, are shown in the commissioner's report, as follows: |