The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-13
NEW ARMY BILL
 ALLOYS $7,O|Q,OO0
 FOR SHOALSDAM
Estimate Of Entire Cost Is $45, 800, 900, A $3,000,-
 GOO Increase

WASHlNGTON, March l2.-An item of $7,O00,O00 for continuing work on dam No. 2 at Muscle Shoals, with an additional contract authori- zation of $3,04O,390. was included in the army appropriation bill reported today in the House. Ten million dol lars for flood control on the Missis- sippi and $500,O00 for similar work on the Sacramento river were two items included.
 Maintenance for another year of the regular army at the present strength of 12,0O0 commissioned officers and 125,000 enlisted men, is recommended in the bill.
 As reported today to the House the measure carries $326, ,224,993 or $16,- 224.26S less than last years appro- priation and $3,632,77S less than the budget estimate.
 Of the total, $37, 100000 would be available for river and harbor im- provements during the next fiscal year. This amount, recommended by the bud get, is $19,446,760 less than last years appropriation. The funds would be allotted by the war department.
 EnliStmentS Changed
 A provision in last years bill pro- hibiting the. enlistment of youths un- der q without parents consent and requiring those over 21 to submit proofs of t-eir ages, was eliminated on the ground that it greatly increased the expense of recruiting and prevented the enlistment of men of the best mili- tary age.
 For aviation the committee recom- mended $12,435,000 and proposed that an additional 1,399,00O be reappro- priated from an unexpended balance. An appropriation of $500,000 for pro- duction of helium was made.
 A mandatory provision is in the bill that not less than $2,646,0 ,000 must be used for the production and pur- chase of new airplanes and equipment.
 For the national guard, appropria- tions aggregating $29, ,507 ,642 are peo- posed.
 For seacoast defenses the bill car ries s, ,523,O ,OS9; for batteries in the Panama canal zone, $272, AGO is recom- mended.
 The bill carries $7OO,OOO for the chemical warfare service, the amount appropriated last year.
 With reference to the da mat Muscle Shoals, the. con1mittee's report said:
 Entire Cost Estimated
 with the appropriation of $7,000, 900 a total of $39, ,25S, 40 in cash will have been madesnvailable for this dam, in- cluding expenditures made during and subsequent to the war from the appro- priations contained in the national de- fense act of June 3, 1916. In addi- tion to this amount of cash appropria- tions there will remain contract authorizations for which appropriations will have to be made later. totaling $6,541 800, making a total of $45,- S00,000, which is the budget estimate of the cost of the dam and eight power units. This is an increase of approxi- mately $3,000,000 over the previous es- timate, which was made in 1921 when the costs of labor and material were much lower than at present.
 ''The chief of engineers estimated that this dam including the power units will be completed by June 30, 1925. The completion of this project is pro- ceeding without reference to any offers before Congress for the sale of Muscle Shoals and is necessary in order that the government: may have a completed proposition which may be disposed of in the way found to be most adyan- tageouS."