Indian Service. Communication from the President of the United States


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Source: 68th Congress, 1st Session, House of Representatives, Document No. 197

INDIAN SERVICE.


COMMUNICATION FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, TRANSMITTING SUPPLEMENTAL ESTIMATE OF APPROPRIATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1924, PERTAINING TO THE INDIAN SERVICE, AMOUNTING TO $300,000.


February 16, 1924.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed.


The White House,
Washington, February 15, 1924.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives:

Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith for the consideration of Congress a supplemental estimate of appropriation for the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year 1924, pertaining to the Indian Service, amounting to $300,000.

The details of this estimate, the necessity therefor, and the reason for its submission at this time are set forth in the letter of the Director of the Bureau of the Budget transmitted herewith, with whose comments and observations thereon I concur.

Respectfully,

Calvin Coolidge.


Bureau of the Budget
Washington, February 15, 1924.

Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith for your consideration, and upon your approval for transmission to Congress, a supplemental estimate of appropriation for the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year 1924, for completing the dam, with bridge superstructure, across the Gila River on the Gila Indian Reservation in Arizona, amounting to $300,000.

In support of this estimate the Secretary of the Interior, in a letter dated February 13, 1924, states as follows:

Construction of the project was authorized by the act of May 18, 1916 (39 Stats. 129), and by the act of February 14, 1920 (41 Stats. 408), the cost was limited to $400,000. Actual construction work was started in the spring of 1922 and has been continued as rapidly as conditions would permit. The available funds out of the sums appropriated will be exhausted about the 1st of April.

This project consists of a floating or Indian type weir, the fore apron of which is used to protect the piers supporting the bridge. Water is prevented from passing around the exposed end of the structure by a guide bank extending up the river at nearly right angles to the dam. This guide bank is of earth fill, heavily armored with rock. The dam is protected on the downstream face by a broad heavy talus of rock and the dam rests on two rows of sheet piling totaling 3,000 feet in length. The bridge piers are supported by some 300 piles. At the present time all the piles have been driven and the guide bank and talus have been completed, which contains 120,000 cubic yards of rock. The work remaining to be performed is the placing of the concrete forming the dam and bridge and the construction of the necessary dikes to complete the structure. The work is now protected by temporary dikes and unless construction work is continued there is grave danger of floods destroying that which has been accomplished.

At the time the original estimates were prepared for this project there was a distance of 1,200 feet between the banks of the river. Due to erosion this distance has been increased to 2,400 feet, which doubles the quantity of work required in the construction, and since the cost of material, labor, and freight has greatly increased, it will be necessary to obtain additional funds to complete the project.

The closing down of the work on the 1st of April, which will be necessary if funds are not made available, will result disastrously in that no benefit can be derived from the money already expended and there will be grave danger, by reason of floods, of total destruction of the work already accomplished, making the total sum expended a complete loss. You will, therefore, see the exigency of the item.

The cost of this work is at present limited to $400,000. This amount has been appropriated and will be exhausted in a short time. The reasons for the increase in cost are given in the letter from the Secretary of the Interior quoted above. The additional amount of $300,000 is for the completion of the project. On the assurances of the Indian Service that the work will be fully completed on or before June 30, 1925, the estimate contains provisions increasing the limit of costs to $700,000 and making the additional $300,000 available until the end of the fiscal year 1925.

The above estimate of appropriation is required to meet an unforeseen contingency arising during the fiscal year indicated and since the transmission of the Budget for that year.

Approval of the estimate is recommended.

Very respectfully,

H. M. Lord,
Director of the Bureau of the Budget.

The President.


Supplemental estimates of appropriations required for the service of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1924, by the Department of the Interior.

OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.

Completing dam and irrigation system, Gila River Reservation, Ariz.:

For completing the construction by the Indian Service of a dam with a bridge superstructure and the necessary controlling works for diverting water from the Gila River for the irrigation of Indian land and Indian allotments on the Gila River Indian Reservation, Ariz., as recommended by the Board of Engineers of the United States Army in paragraph 217 of its report to the Secretary of War of February 14, 1914 (H. Doc. No. 791), $300,000, to remain available until June 30, 1925, reimbursable as provided in section 2 of the act of Aug. 24, 1912 (37 Stat. L. 522), the total cost to be increased from not to exceed $400,000 to not to exceed $700,000 (acts May 25, 1918, vol. 40, p. 569, sec. 2; Feb. 14, 1920, vol. 41, p. 416, sec. 2; (submitted)---------$300,000


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