CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - HOUSE

BRIDGE COMMISSIONS, LAWRENCEBURG AND

CANNELTON

H. R. 10468 and H. R. 10662. I am withholding my approval from H. R.

10468 and H. R. 10662, bills creating the

City of Lawrenceburg Bridge Commission and the City of Cannelton Bridge

Commission, respectively. The City of

Lawrenceburg Bridge Commission would

be authorized to construct, maintain, and

operate a bridge across the Ohio River

at or near Lawrenceburg, Ind., and Boone

County, Ky., and to purchase and operate

a ferry at this location. The City of

Cannelton Bridge Commission would be

granted comparable authority with respect to a bridge and a ferry at or near

Cannelton, Ind., and Hawesville, Ky.

On July 26, 1956, I approved H. R.

11010, creating a Muscatine Bridge

Commission and authorizing it to perform functions similar to those contemplated by H. R. 10468 and H. R. 10662.

At that time I indicated that I would

not be inclined to approve the creation

of bridge commissions of the type contemplated by that bill in the absence of

special emergency circumstances. Because the city of Muscatine, Iowa, and

the town of Drury, Ill., were confronted

with a serious disruption of traffic as a result of the collapse of the center span

of an existing bridge, and because it appeared that a bridge commission could

most quickly undertake the construction

of a new bridge, I signed the bill.

I am unaware of any circumstances

which would make the provision of

bridges at Lawrenceburg and Cannelton

so urgent as to justify special Federal

legislation creating additional bridge

commissions. The construction and operation of interstate bridges, as I stated

on July 26, has traditionally been a State

rather than a Federal responsibility.

The General Bridge Act of 1946 facilitated State action by granting blanket

authority for the construction of bridges

over navigable streams without the enactment of special authorizing legislation. In those cases in which the States

choose to create special interstate agencies to build, maintain, and operate toll

bridges, they may do so at any time

through the negotiation of suitable interstate compacts. I am, therefore, unwilling, under ordinary circumstances,

to have the Federal Government take

away from the States and their highway

agencies the responsibility for providing

bridges of concern primarily to the residents of the immediate area to be served.

Bridge commissions of the type provided for by these bills also give rise to

serious legal and administrative problems. Because they owe their creation

and all of their powers to acts of Congress they cannot be State or local agencies. Yet they are not considered to be

instrumentalities of the Federal Government. One result of this uncertainty

is the lack of adequate provisions for

supervising the activities of bridge commissions in the public interest. No State

or Federal official or agency is empowered to see to it that the commissions

proposed by H. R. 10468 and H. R. 10662

carry out their responsibilities in a

faithful and efficient manner.

This lack of supervision can lead to

serious mismanagement and injury to

the public interest, as was recently disclosed by a congressional investigation

of the affairs of the White County Bridge

Commission. That investigation documented questionable expenditures of

many thousands of dollars and led a select committee of the House of Representatives to propose drastic measures

to prevent future abuses.

I, therefore, suggest that if the States

of Indiana and Kentucky determine that

these two bridges are needed, they enter

into appropriate agreements to proceed

with construction under the authority

conferred by the General Bridge Act.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER.

THE WHITE HousE, August 10, 1956.

APPOINTMENTS BY THE SPEAKER

AFTER SINE DIE ADJOURNMENT

The SPEAKER, pursuant to the provisions of section 2, Public Law 954, 84th

Congress, and the order of the House of

July 27, 1956, empowering him to appoint commissions, boards, and committees authorized by law or by the House,

did, on August 7, 1956, appoint as members of the President's Advisory Commission on Presidential Office Space the

following members on the part of the

House: Mr. SMITH of Virginia, Mr. McGREGOR of Ohio.

COMMITTEE EMPLOYEES

COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE

JULY 17, 1956.

To the CLERI OF THE HOUSE:

The above-mentioned committee or subcommittee, pursuant to section 134 (b) of

the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946,

Public Law 601, 79th Congress, approved

August 2, 1946, as amended, submits the

following report showing the name, profession, and total salary of each person employed by it during the 6-month period from

January 1, 1956, to June 30, 1956, inclusive,

together with total funds authorized or appropriated and expended by it:

Total

gross

Name of employee Profession salary

durin

6-month

period

John S. Heimburger.._ Counsel ---------- $7, 158. 87 Francis M. LeMay.__ Staff consultant .... 6,808. 86

Mabel C. Downey ... Clerk ------------- 7,399. 98 Gee. L. Reid, Jr ---- Assistant clerk ---- 7,399. 98

Lydia Vaclin -------- Staff assistant ------- 3, 843. 54 Pauline E. Graves ----...... do ------------- 3,483.90

Betty M. Prezioso ----...... do ------------- 3,124.26

Gladys Ondarcho -----...... do ------------- 2,824. 50 Diane Johnston ---------- do -------------- 302. 34

Funds authorized or appropriated for committee expenditures ------------------ $50, 600.00

Amount of expenditures previously reported. 15,870.30

Amount expended from Jan. 1, to June 30,

1956 ... ... ...------------------------------ 13,081.68

Total amount expended from Jan. 1,

1955, to June 30, 1956 -------------- 28,951.98 Balance unexpended as of June 30, 1950 -- 21, 048. 02

HAROLD D. COOLEY,

Chairman.

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946,

Public Law 601, '79th Congress, approved

August 2, 1946, as amended, submits the

following report showing the name, profession, and total salary of each person employed by it during the 6-month period from

January 1, 1956, to June 30, 1956, inclusive,

together with total funds authorized or appropriated and expended by it:

Total

gross Name of employee Profession salary during

6-month

period

George Y. Harvey-_ Clerk and staff di- $6,166.65 rector Corhal D. Orescan ----...... do ------------ 7,399.98 Kenneth Sprankle --...... do ------------ 7, 30. 98

Paul M. Wilson ....- do ------------- 7, 399. 08

Jay B. Howe ---------- Staff assistant ------- 6,808.8f; Ross P. Pope ------------ do ------------ 6, 808. 86

Robert M. Moyer -----...... do ------------ 6, 808.86

Carson W. Culp --------- do ------------ 6,808. 86

Samuel W. Crosby ----...... do ------------ 6, 808.86

Harris H. Hustos -----...... do ------------ 6,808. 86

Frank Sanders ----------- do ------------ 6,288. 66

Eugene B. Wilhel s---.....do ------------ 6,288.66 George S. Green ---- Clerk to minority.-- 6, 282.46

Robert P. Williams... Editor ------------ 5,917.14

E. L. Eckloff --------- Clerk to majority -- 5,824.20 Robert L. Michaels... Staff assistant ------ 5,322.60

G. Homer Skarin -----...... do ------------ 4,727.94

Earl C. SlIsby ----------- do -------------- 4,54. 44

Lawrence C. Miller-... Assistant editor......- 3,723. 66

Francis 0. Merrill.... Staff assistant ------- 3,552.42

Samuel R. Preston .... Junlorstaff assistant. 3, 124.26

Donald R. Bridges -- Clerical assistant .... 2,353. 50

Donald F. Berens -----...... do -------------- 1,889.90 John C. Pugh --------- Consultant --------- 1,461.00

Randolph Thomas .... Janitor-messenger... 1,601.52

Dolores Cropper ---- Clerk-stenographer 2,610.42 to the chairman.

Julia M. Elliott ------- Clerc-stenographer._ 2,610.42

Rose Ann Nimitz .-.........do -------------- 2,175.35

Mary A. Vaughn -----...... do ------------- 2, 610.42

Phyllis N. Troy ---------- do ------------- 2, 610.42

William 1. Neary -----...... do -------------- 2, 610.42

Ann R. Davis ---------- --- do -------------- 2,175.35 Shirley Rae Colley ----...... do -------------- 2,610.42

Catherine D. Norrell- ...... do -------------- 2, 610. 42

Mildred Burnham --...... do ------------- 2, 610.42

Barbara Grey --------- - do--- ----- - 2,010.42

Molly O'Day Saguto --.... do ------ - 2, 353. 50

Donald L. Bernard --...... do -------------- 2, 610.42

David P. Doyle ---------- do -------------- 1,740.28

Edwin A. Sheehan ----...... do ------------ 1,479. 24

Margie H. Trew --------- do -------------- 2,610.42

James W. Dudley -----...... do ..------------ 2,610.42

John G. Clevenger ----...... do ------------- 2, 610. 42

Charles C. Andersen --...... do ------------- 2, 610.42

Gladys ICofmehl ---------- do -------------- 2, 610.42

Frank B. Melchior ----...... do ------------- 2, 507. 64

Monica Smith -------- Clerk-stenographer 2, 524.80 to the ranIng minoritymember. Frank Mentillo ------- Clerk-stenographer.. 2,353. 50

Elaine M. Hopkins --...... do ------------ 1,961. 25

Barbara J. Groves --...... do -----....--- 2,353. 50

Baert Devos Brand --...... do ------------ 1,939.63 Roma E. Jaques --------- do ------------ 1, 396.68

Wilburn L. McClure.- Clerical *ssistant... 206. 40

Glenna L. Taylor --- Clerk-stenographer_ 435.07

Helen B. Rogers --------- do--- ---------- 392.25

Agnes Norton ----------- do ------------- 870.14

Ruth M. Young --------- do -------------- 435.07

Luman H. Long --------- do -------------- 435.07

Funds authorized or appropriated for com- committee expenditures ----------------- $405,000.60

Amount of expenditures previously re- ported ----------------------------------- 187,992.90

Amount expended from Jan. 1 to June 30, 1956 ------------------------------------- 199,123. 13

Total amount expended from July 1,

1055 to June 30, 1956 -------------- 387, 116. 03

Balance uuexpended as of June 30, 1956-- 17, 883.97

CLARENCE CANNON,

Chairman.

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

JUsY 9, 1956.

TO TULY 9, ±0o0. To the CLERK OF THE HOUSE: the CLERK OF THE HOUSEz:

The above-mentioned committee or sub- The above-mentioned committee or subcommittee, pursuant to section 134 (b) of committee, pursuant to section 134 (b) of

15306 July 27