REGULATE INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION OF BLACK

BASS

JUNE 28, 1930.-Ordered to be printed

Mr. NELSON of Maine, from the committee of conference, submitted the following

CONFERENCE REPORT

[To accompany S. 941]

The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendments of the House to the bill (S. 941) to amend the act entitled "An act to regulate interstate transportation of black bass, and for other purposes," approved May 20, 1926, having met, after full and free conference, have agreed to recommend and do recommend to their respective Houses as follows:

That the Senate recede from its disagreement to the amendmɩ at of the House, and agree to the same.

1

JOHN E. NELSON,

CHAS. A. WOLVERTON,
J. L. MILLIGAN,

Managers on the part of the House

JAMES COUZENS,

KEY PITTMAN,

JAMES E. WATSON,

Managers on the part of the Senate

STATEMENT OF THE MANAGERS ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

The managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendments of the House to the bill (S. 941) to amend the act entitled "An act to regulate interstate transportation of black bass, and for other purposes," approved May 20, 1926, submit the following written statement in explanation of the effect of the action agreed upon by the conferees and recommended in the accompanying conference report:

All House amendments are agreed to and the bill remains as passed by the House.

JOHN E. NELSON,

C. A. WOLVERTON,
J. L. MILLIGAN.

Mnnagers on the part of the House.

ALTERATIONS AND REPAIRS TO CERTAIN NAVAL VESSELS

JUNE 28, 1930.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. BRITTEN, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, submitted the

following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 12964]

The Committee on Naval Affairs of the House of Representatives, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 12964) to authorize alterations and repairs to certain naval vessels, having had the same under consideration, report favorably thereon, and, with the following amendment, recommend that the bill do pass:

Line 9, after the numerals "1923", strike out period, insert colon, and add the following proviso:

Provided, That in the allocation to the navy yards of the work authorized by this act, the assignment of vessels to the respective navy yards shall be at the discretion of the Secretary of the Navy, after consideration of estimates of cost to be submitted by the navy yards capable of doing the work and having the facilities available at such yards.

Major alterations to the Florida, Utah, Arkansas, Wyoming, New York, and Texas were authorized by the act approved December 18, 1924, and some additional work was authorized by the act approved May 27, 1926. The first appropriation for work on these vessels was included in the deficiency appropriation act approved March 4, 1925. The balance of funds made available for work on these vessels was included in the appropriation acts approved May 21, 1926, and March 2, 1927. The Florida, Arkansas, and Texas were sent to the Boston, Philadelphia, and Norfolk Navy Yards, respectively, in the fall of 1925 for the accomplishment of the work authorized. These three vessels were returned to active service after completion of their overhauls in November, 1926. The Utah, Wyoming, and New York were sent to the Boston, Philadelphia, and Norfolk Navy Yards, respectively, and placed in reduced commission preliminary to undertaking the modernization work in September, 1926. They ★ 6-30-30

were returned to active service after completion of this work in November, 1927.

The act approved March 2, 1927, supplemented by the act approved January 19, 1929, authorized the modernization of the Oklahoma and Nevada. Funds were appropriated for starting work on these vessels in the deficiency appropriation act approved December 22, 1927. The Oklahoma and Nevada were sent to the Philadelphia and Norfolk Navy Yards, respectively, and placed in reduced commission in September, 1927, but work was not actively undertaken on them until the latter part of December, after the appropriation of the necessary funds. The balance of the funds appropriated for work on these two vessels was included in the appropriation acts approved May 21, 1928, and March 2, 1929. The Oklahoma and Nevada were returned to active service after completion of their modernization overhauls in August, 1929.

The modernization of the Pennsylvania and Arizona was authorized by the act approved February 5, 1929. Funds were appropriated for starting work on these vessels in the appropriation act of March 2, 1929. The Pennsylvania and Arizona were sent to the Philadelphia and Norfolk Navy Yards, respectively, and placed in reduced commission in May, 1929. Work on the vessels started in July, 1929. The balance of funds appropriated for work on these two vessels was included in the appropriation act approved June 11, 1930. It is estimated that the modernization of these vessels will be completed March 1, 1931.

The Navy Department is now asking for authority for the modernization of the New Mexico, Mississippi, and Idaho, with a view to taking up the work on two of these vessels, Mississippi and Idaho, shortly before the completion of the Pennsylvania and Arizona.

The major alterations to the Florida, Utah, Arkansas, Wyoming, Teras, and New York included the installation of additional protection against submarine attack, the installation of air attack deck protection, the conversion of the vessels to oil burning, and the installation of improved airplane handling appliances. In addition, the installation of new fire-control systems was undertaken on the Texas and New York. At the time the vessels were laid up for the major alterations, miscellaneous repairs and minor alterations were undertaken, chargeable to the current appropriations for such work, amounting to approximately $300,000 for each vessel, the statutory limit for vessels of this class.

The work authorized on the Oklahoma, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Arizona includes the installation of additional protection against submarine attack; the installation of air attack deck protection; the reboilering of the vessels, but not conversion from coal to oil burning, as these vessels are already oil burning; the installation of new fire-control systems, of improved airplane handling arrangements, and of a 5-inch antiaircraft battery; the raising of certain secondary battery guns from the second to the main deck: and an increase in the elevation of the turret guns. The authorization also includes an allowance for miscellaneous repairs and minor alterations, as experience with the preceding vessels had shown that all miscellaneous repairs and minor alterations that should be accomplished at the time the vessels are laid up for the major alterations could not be provided for under the statutory limit. In addition, there is being

installed on the Pennsylvania a protected flag battle station similar to the one installed on the California.

The work proposed by the Navy Department on the New Mexico, Mississippi, and Idaho is substantially the same as the work undertaken on the Oklahoma and Nevada and the work being undertaken on the Pennsylvania and Arizona, subject to such variations as are necessitated by the differences in design of the several vessels. The estimates for the several items of work proposed on the New Mexico, Mississippi, and Idaho are as follows:

Summary of revised estimates for modernization, New Mexico, Mississippi, and Idaho

The total authorization for major alterations on the Florida, Utah, Wyoming, Arkansas, New York, and Texas was $19,710,000, to which should be added approximately $300,000 per vessel for work accomplished from the current appropriations during the period of the major overhaul. The authorization for modernization of the Oklahoma and Nevada was $13,600,000, total for both vessels. The authorization for work on the Pennsylvania and Arizona is $14,800,000, total for both vessels.

The following initiatory letter from the Secretary of the Navy and one containing the recommendation of the Bureau of the Budget, addressed to the chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs of the House of Representatives, is hereby made a part of this report:

The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS,

NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, June 17, 1930.

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Replying further to the committee's letter of June 16, 1930, transmitting the bills (H. R. 12964 and H. R. 12965) to authorize alterations and repairs to certain naval vessels, and requesting the views and recommendations of the Navy Department thereon, I have the honor to inform the committee as follows:

The purpose of the proposed legislation is to modernize the U. S. S. New Mexico, U. S. S. Mississippi, U. S. S. Idaho, at a total cost not to exceed $30,000,000, such modernization consisting of repairs and alterations to be subject to the limitations prescribed in the treaty limiting naval armaments ratified August 17, 1923.

The Navy Department desires to perform the following alterations and repairs to the above capital ships, the cost of which would exceed the statutory limit of repairs to naval vessels ($300,000) (39 Stat. 605, U. S. C., title 5, sec. 648):