NECESSITY FOR FEDERAL ACTION.

The necessity for legislation of this character is denied by no one; and, indeed, the increasing menace of the situation in regard to unemployment at certain seasons of the year is so apparent that all students of the question agree that some remedy must be found. It is also agreed that the problem can not be handled efficiently except by an agency having a power and scope of a national bureau, since it is an interstate problem and utterly beyond the power of the individual States to cope with, although it is believed that the national bureau can cooperate with the State institutions of a like character, and the bill makes provision for such cooperation.

The Department of Labor, under limited powers conferred upon a division in the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization, has already been able to demonstrate the effectiveness with which valuable aid can be rendered in the way of putting the man or woman in touch with the job; and, with enlarged powers and complete authority, there is no reason to doubt that much greater headway can be made toward the solution of the entire problem.

CONCLUSION.

The committee is convinced that it is in the power of Congress, by immediate action (which should be taken before another season of unemployment is upon us), to alleviate to a large extent the appalling situation that periodically confronts the country by reason of unemployment and earnestly urges the immediate attention of Congress thereto.

O

BRIDGE ACROSS TENNESSEE RIVER NEAR CHATTANOOGA, TENN.

MARCH 25, 1916.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed.

Mr. SIMS, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following

REPORT.

[To accompany S. 4657.]

The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (S. 4657) to authorize the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway Co. to rebuild and reconstruct, maintain, and operate a bridge across the Tennessee River near Chattanooga, in Hamilton County, in the State of Tennessee, having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass.

The following is the report of the Senate Committee on Commerce on this bill:

The Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (S. 4657) to authorize the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway Co. to rebuild and reconstruct maintain, and operate a bridge across the Tennessee River near Chattanooga, in Hamilton County, in the State of Tennessee, having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass without amendment.

The bill has the approval of the Department of War, as will appear by the following letter, which is made a part of this report:

[Second indorsement.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, March 11, 1916. Respectfully returned to the chairman Committee on Commerce, United States Senate.

The Chief of Engineers reports that S. 4657, Sixty-fourth Congress, first session, "To authorize the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway Co., to rebuild and reconstruct, maintain, and operate a bridge across the Tennessee River near Chattanooga, in Hamilton County, in the State of Tennessee," makes ample provision for the protection of the interests committeed to the War Department, and I know of no objection to the favorable consideration of the bill by Congress so far as those interests are concerned.

JOHN S. SCHOFIELD,
Assistant and Chief Clerk.

BRIDGE ACROSS SUSQUEHANNA RIVER, SUNBURY, PA.

MARCH 24 (calendar day MARCH 25), 1916.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed.

Mr. DEWALT, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following

REPORT.

[To accompany S. 3977.]

The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce; to whom was referred the bill (S. 3977) to authorize the Shamokin, Sunbury & Lewisburg Railroad Co., its lessees, successors, and assigns, to construct a railroad bridge across the Susquehanna River from the borough of Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pa., to Monroe Township, Snyder County, Pa., having considered the same, report thereon with amendments and as so amended recommend that it pass.

Amend the bill as follows:

Page 1, lines 5 and 6, strike out the word "railroad."
Amend the title so as to read:

An act to authorize the Shamokin, Sunbury and Lewisburg Railroad Company, its lessees, successors, and assigns, to construct a bridge across the Susquehanna River from the borough of Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, to Monroe Township, Snyder County, Pennsylvania.

The following is the report of the Senate Committee on Commerce on this bill:

The Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (S. 3977) to authorize the Shamokin, Sunbury & Lewisburg Railroad Co., its lessees, successors, and assigns to construct a railroad bridge across the Susquehanna River from the borough of Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pa., to Monroe Township, Snyder County, Pa., having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass without amendment.

H R-64-1-vol 2—10

The bill has the approval of the War Department, as will appear by the following letter, which is made a part of this report:

Second indorsement.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, February 2, 1916. Respectfully returned to the chairman Committee on Commerce, United States Senate.

The Chief of Engineers reports that Senate bill 3977, Sixty-fourth Congress, first session, to authorize the Shamokin, Sunbury & Lewisburg Railroad Co., its lessees, successors, and assigns to construct a railroad bridge across the Susquehanna River from the borough of Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pa., to Monroe Township, Snyder County, Pa., makes ample provision for the protection of the interests committed to the War Department, and I know of no objection to the favorable consideration of the bill by Congress, so far as those interests are concerned.

HENRY BRECKINRIDGE,
Acting Secretary of War.