TO EQUALIZE THE PAY AND ALLOWANCES OF OFFICERS OF THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS ON SEA DUTY (H. R. 13614) L15-3/L16-7(2) (280509) L NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, December 31, 1928. The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS, House of Representatives, MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Replying further to the committee's letters of May 9, 1928, and June 25, 1928, with reference to the bill. (H. R. 13614), "To equalize the pay and allowances of officers of the Navy and Marine Corps on sea duty," requesting the views and recommendations of the Navy Department relative to this measure, I have the honor to advise you as follows: The purpose of the proposed legislation is to provide that hereafter officers of the Navy and Marine Corps, without dependents, on sea duty shall receive the same pay and allowances as is paid to officers of the same rank and service with dependents. The increased cost to the Government of this bill, if enacted, is at the rate of $748,000 per annum for the Navy and normally $15,000 per annum for the Marine Corps. At the present time, however, in view of the large expeditionary forces in China and Nicaragua, the cost for the Marine Corps will be at the rate of $100,000. The proposed legislation was referred to the Bureau of the Budget with the above information. Under date of December 11, 1928, the Director of the Bureau of the Budget advised the Navy Department that the proposed legislation was in conflict with the financial program of the President. The Navy Department recommends against the enactment of the proposed legislation. Sincerely yours, CURTIS D. WILBUR, [H. R. 13614, Seventieth Congress, first session] A BILL To equalize the pay and allowances of officers of the Navy and Marine Corps on sea duty Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That hereafter officers of the Navy and Marine Corps, without dependents, on sea duty shall receive the same pay and allowances as are paid to officers of the same rank and service with dependents. (329) 2197-29-No. 42 AUTHORIZING PAVEMENT OF F STREET, SOUTH CHARLESTON, THE UNITED STATES NAVAL PLANT W. VA., ADJOINING (H. R. 10551) NP5/N2-1 (280207) U. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, January 2, 1929. The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Replying further to the committee's letter of February 7, 1928, transmitting the bill (H. R. 10551), authorizing pavement of F Street, South Charleston, W. Va., adjoining the United States naval plant, and requesting report and recommendation of the Navy Department thereon, I have the honor to advise you as follows: The purpose of this bill is to authorize and direct payment, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, of the sum of $25,000 for paving and otherwise improving F Street from the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad to Eighth Avenue, adjacent to the United States naval ordnance plant located at South Charleston, W. Va., with the proviso that the city of South Charleston or the adjacent property owners shall pay an equal amount in making said improve ments. In 1917 the Chamber of Commerce of South Charleston acquired and donated to the United States approximately 206 acres of land for the purpose of a naval ordnance plant. There were 19 structures located thereon for which the Government paid the sum of $44,151.93. In the development of this plant the Government has expended for buildings, shop equipment, fences, etc., the sum of $23,701,833. Active operations at the plant ceased in 1922. Since that date the operations have been reduced to a maintenance basis. The temporary State capitol at Charleston, W. Va., used by the State for its administrative offices, was destroyed by fire on March 3, 1927. Upon the request of the governor and in consideration of the generous act of the chamber of commerce in donating the land above referred to, the Navy Department on March 10, 1927, leased to the State of West Virginia for its administrative offices available office space in the administration building at the naval ordnance plant, South Charleston, W. Va. This lease was made for the nominal consideration of $1 for the purpose desired, for such period as may be necessary, provided that the period thereof shall not exceed five years, and that it is revocable at any time by the Secretary of the Navy. The naval ordnance plant located in an unimproved section on the outskirts of the city lies on the Kanawha River. It has a width of about 2,800 feet and extends from the river approximately 3,600 feet to the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad. Eighth Avenue passes through the naval reservation, being a section of the paved highway known as United States Road No. 60. This avenue is double tracked by the Charleston Interurban Railway. The administration building faces this highway. Along the southeast boundary line of the reservation and parallel to Eighth Avenue are the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad tracks and the James River Turnpike. It is under(331) 2197-29 No. 43 stood that it is contemplated to pave this turnpike some time in the future. The bill H. R. 10551, if enacted into law, will provide for the payment by the Government of one-half the cost for the paving of that section of F Street (2,400 feet in length) along the northeast boundary of the reservation and connecting Eighth Avenue with the James River Turnpike. The city of South Charleston owns a 60-foot right of way along this section of the street. At present the street amounts to nothing more than a country road and for about one-half of the way toward the Chesapeake & Ohio tracks not even a roadway exists. There is a short strip of concrete sidewalk on the side of the road opposite from the ordnance plant. The undulating character of the land, together with the small stream which runs across the street, requires considerable grading and the construction of a culvert or bridge add to the cost of construction in this development. It is understood that the estimate for the cost of this development covers the laying of a 27-foot driveway over a 6-inch concrete base covered by asphalt, with combination concrete curb and gutter. Sidewalks are not contemplated at this time. Reports from the ordnance plant indicate that the proposed paving of F Street would not be of service to the plant except that it would improve the appearance of that side of the naval reservation. While the bill now under consideration contemplates only the paving of a section of street 2,400 feet in length, attention is invited to the fact that with the inclusion of the reservation waterfront and Eighth Avenue, which passes through the reservation, there are approximately 16,000 feet in length of streets which may be constructed around or through the reservation over which highways and sidewalks may be laid and for the cost of which the Government may be asked to contribute. In view of the fact that this paving is not required for the effective operation of the plant and that a precedent would be set for similar projects not only in this vicinity but around other Government reservations, it is not believed that the Government should contribute toward the cost of this development. The bill H. R. 10551 was referred to the Bureau of the Budget with the above information and with the statement that the Navy Department contemplated recommending that the bill be not enacted. Under date of December 18, 1928, the Director of the Bureau of the Budget advised that the proposed report is not in conflict with the financial program of the President. It is accordingly recommended that said bill be not enacted. Very respectfully, CURTIS D. WILBUR, [H. R. 10551, Seventieth Congress, first session] A BILL Authorizing pavement of F Street, South Charleston, West Virginia, adjoining the United States naval plant Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Navy be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to pay, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $25,000 for paving and otherwise improving F Street from the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad to Eighth Avenue, adjacent to the United States naval ordnance plant, located at South Charleston, West Virginia: Provided, however, That the city of South Charleston, or the adjacent property owners shall pay an equal amount in making said improvement. HEARING ON (H. R. 9972) A BILL FOR THE RELIEF OF CHARLES SILVERMAN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Friday, January 4, 1929. The subcommittee this day met, Hon. Clark Burdick (chairman) presiding. Mr. BURDICK. The first bill for consideration this morning is H. R. 9972, which is for the relief of Charles Silverman. The clerk will read the bill and the report thereon by the Navy Department. (The clerk read as follows:) [H. R. 9972, Seventieth Congress, First Session] A BILL for the relief of Charles Silverman Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to pay, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $76 to Charles Silverman, supervising clerk, navy yard, New York, for the loss of ten days' pay, due to his suspension by the Secretary of the Navy for said period of time (August 16-26, 1926), at the request of the United States Civil Service Commission, on account of an error made by him, in good faith, as to the date of his birth in a civil-service examination taken in September, 1898; and the Secretary of the Navy is hereby authorized and directed to remove this order of suspension from the record of the said Charles Silverman. [No. 311] FOR THE RELIEF OF CHARLES SILVERMAN (H. R. 9972) The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON CLAIMS. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, March 12, 1928. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Replying further to the committee's letter of February 1, 1928, transmitting the bill (H. R. 9972) for the relief of Charles Silverman, and requesting the views and recommendations of the Navy Department thereon, I have the honor to inform you as follows: The purpose of this bill is to remove from Mr. Silverman's record a suspension of 10 days without pay for falsification of his age in applying for a civil-service examination in 1898, and for an appropriation of $76 retained from his pay at the time of his suspension. On September 21, 1898, Mr. Silverman competed in the messenger examination at New York, stating that he was born on July 15, 1880, and that he was 18 years of age. That age was the minimum at which the examination could be taken. Subsequent statements made by Mr. Silverman showed that he was born on July 15, 1881, in Russia, and that he was therefore only 17 years 2 months and 6 days old at the time he competed in the examination. In December, 1925, the Civil Service Commission, for the purpose of perfecting its records under the retirement act, asked the Navy Department to investiThe result showed that Mr. Silverman had falsified his age by gate the matter. 2197--29--No. 44 (333) |