Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1919-10-23

ordering the War Department to turn
other road machinery to the Highway
Departments of the several States to
De used in the improvement of public
roads. Mr.. Browne said in substance:
"The Post Office Appropriation
Bill passed by Congress became law
February %, 1919. 1t enacted the
provision of the Swanson and Browne
Bills appropriating $200,000,000 10
be divided among the several States.
1t also provided that the War De-
partment turn over its surplus motor
trucks and road machinery consisting
of rollers, concrete mixers, steam
shovels, plows, tractors and other
road machinery to the Department of
Agriculture for distribution among
the different states. After consider
able delay in making inventories,
ETC., the War Department turned over
to the Highway Departments of the
several States, 600 motor trucks
and some other road machinery.
'On the 22nd of August the War
Department refused to turn over any
more road machinery, claiming that
the provision ordering them to dis
tribute road machinery to the several
States had been repealed by general
bill known as the Sundry Civil Bill,
which was passed July 10, 1919"
Congressman Browne has intro
duced resolution ordering the War
Department to comply with the law
passed and showing that the Judge
Advocate was in error in his ruling
holding that the law had been re-
pealed Among other things, Mr..
Browne showed that there were 49,
900 motor trucks which had already
been assigned to the Highway Depart
ments, but had not been delivered,
which if delivered and divided among
the several states would give each
county in the United States three or
four motor trucks besides other road
+ machinery. He also showed that
there were close to 100000 motor
trucks and other motor equipment,
motor vehicles, ETC., owned by the
War Department and that three
fourths of this was not in use but
was going to decay. That the $4,000
motor vehicles that had already been
assigned to the different States were
worth from thirty to forty-fve mil
lion dollars.
Congressman Browne also stated
that the different Highway Depart
ments of the United States are unable
to buy trucks as the manufacturers
of trucks are from six months to one
year behind in filling their orders.
He said it was unjust for the War
Department to hold these trucks that
by an Act of Congress have been or
dered to be turned over to the High
way Departments, that the Judge Ad-
vocate General bubbles about the in
depreciation of this law, which was
plain and simple, while thousands OF
motor trucks and other road machin-
cry are not being used and are rust
ing and growing old, when the High
way Departments of the several
States are in such great need of them
for a great public use, road building.
He argues it is something that this
Congress ought to take cognizance OF
and that we ought to have legislation
and have it right away, to the effect
that the War Department should turn
over forthwith the trucks and road
machinery which Congress directed 1t
to turn over in Act of Congress.
That he could not conceive of any
reason for the War Department hold
ing these trucks and road machinery
that it has no further use for, unless