Chapter 137. Making appropriations for fortifications and other works of defense, for the armament thereof, for the procurement of heavy ordnance for trial and service, and for other purposes
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CHAP. 137.— An Act Making appropriations for fortifications and other works of defense, for the armament thereof, for the procurement of heavy ordnance for trial and service, and for other purposes.July 8, 1918.[[H R. 12541](/us/bill/65/hr/12541).][[Public, No. 189](/us/pl/65/189).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,That the following sums are Fortifications appropriations.appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be available immediately and to continue available until expended, namely:
FORTIFICATIONS AND OTHER WORKS OF DEFENSE. engineer department.Engineer Depart ment. For maintenance of Coast Artillery war-instruction matérielCoast Artillery war Instruction. at Coast Artillery posts, including necessary material and labor therefor 816 and for extra-duty pay to soldiers necessarily employed for periods not less than ten days, $1,250. Electric plants, etc. Balances consoli dated and reappropri ated.*Post*, p. 1305.The unexpended balances of appropriations heretofore made for “installation and replacement of electric-light and power plants at seacoast fortifications”, for “purchase and installation of searchlights for seacoast defenses, including searchlights for antiaircraft defenses and accessories therefor,” and for “purchase and installation of searchlights for seacoast defenses” in the United States are consolidated Electric plants.and made available for the following purposes:
For the installation and replacement of electric-light and power plants at Searchlights.seacoast fortifications in the United States; the purchase and installation of searchlights for seacoast defenses in the United Sates, including Sound-ranging equipment.searchlights for antiaircraft defenses and accessories therefor; and the procurement and installation of sound-ranging equipment for use in the United States, the insular possessions, and the Panama Canal, and for salaries of electrical experts, engineers, and other employees necessary to procure and install the same.
Preservation, etc.For protection, preservation, and repair of fortifications for which there may be no special appropriation available, and of structures for the torpedo defense of the United States and for maintaining channels for access to torpedo wharves, $250,000. Supplies, etc., electric plants.For maintenance and repair of searchlights and electric light and power equipment for seacoast fortifications, and for tools, electrical and other supplies, and appliances to be used in their operation, including the purchase of reserve lights, $40,000.
Torpedo structures, etc.For construction of mining casemates, cable galleries, torpedo *Post*, p. 1306.storehouses, cable tanks, and other structures necessary for the operation, preservation, and care of submarine mines and their accessories, and for providing channels for access to torpedo wharves, $260,000. Laguna Merced Reservation, Cal.Transfer of right of way, etc.The Secretary of War is authorized to transfer to the owners of the adjacent land, to complete consideration for the transfer to the United States of an easement in other land of said owners, the title of the United States to a right of way now owned by the United States and located between the tract of land known as the Laguna Merced Reservation and an abandoned public highway formerly known as Ocean House Road (also called Ocean Avenue) in the city and county of San Francisco, California.
Motor passenger vehicles.For purchase, maintenance, repair, exchange, and operation of motor-propelled passenger-carrying vehicles, expenditures are authorized to an amount not exceeding $3,250 during the fiscal year nineteen hundred and nineteen, from funds available from appropriations for fortifications in the continental United States. Signal Service.under the chief signal Fire-control station.For operation and maintenance of fire-control installations at seacoast defenses, $180,000.
Aviation stations for seacoast defenses.For the establishment of eight aviation stations for use in connection with the seacoast defenses of the United States, including the acquisition of land, buildings, heating, lighting, plumbing, water, *Proviso*.Sites.sewers, roads, and walks, $8,000,000: *Provided*, That land may be acquired for the said stations only after a determination by the Secretary of War that sites on existing governmental reservations can not be utilized. Armament. armanent of fortifications.
Mountain, field, and siege cannon.For purchase, manufacture, and test of mountain, field, and siege cannon, including their carriages, sights, implements, equipments, 817 and the machinery necessary for their manufacture, $500,000,000:*Proviso>*.Additional contracts authorized.*Post*, pp. 1031, 1171. *Provided*, That the Chief of Ordnance, United States Army, is authorized to enter into contracts or otherwise to incur obligations for the purposes above mentioned not to exceed $729,731,295 in addition to the appropriations herein and heretofore made.
Such naval ordnance and ordnance material as the Secretary of War and the Secretary ofTransfers of naval ordnance, etc., authorized. the Navy may determine necessary is authorized to be transferred from the Navy Department to the War Department: *Provided*, That if such ordnance and ordnance material *Proviso*. Conditions for reimbursement to Navy.is obsolete for naval purposes the transfer shall be made without reimbursement and payment to the Navy for other ordnance and ordnance material transferred hereunder shall be made only after estimates shall have been submitted to Congress and a specific appropriation for such payment shall have been made.
For purchase, manufacture, and test of ammunition for mountain, Ammunition for mountain, etc., cannon.field, and siege cannon, including the necessary experiments in connection therewith, the machinery necessary for its manufacture, and necessary storage facilities, $2,000,000,000: *Provided*, That the *Proviso*.Additional contracts authorized.*Post*, pp. 1081, 1032, 1172.Chief of Ordnance, United States Army, is authorized to enter into contracts or otherwise to incur obligations for the purposes above mentioned not to exceed $1,793,734,550 in addition to the appropriations herein and heretofore made.
For purchase, manufacture, and test of ammunition for seacoast Ammunition for seacoast cannon.*Post*, p. 1031.cannon, and for modernizing projectiles on hand, including the necessary experiments in connection therewith, and the machinery necessary for its manufacture, $3,885,000. For purchase, manufacture, and test of ammunition, subcaliber Ammunition, etc., for practice.guns, and other accessories for seacoast artillery practice, including the machinery necessary for their manufacture, $1,700,000.
For alteration and maintenance of the mobile artillery, including Altering, etc., mobile artillery.the purchase and manufacture of machinery, tools, and materials necessary for the work and the expenses of the mechanics engaged thereon, $200,000,000: *Provided*, That the Chief of Ordnance,*Proviso*.Additional contracts authorized.*Post*, p, 1172.United States Army, is authorized to enter into contracts or other-wise to incur obligations for the purposes above mentioned not to exceed $100,000,000 in addition to the appropriations herein and heretofore made.
For purchase, manufacture, and test of ammunition, subcaliber Ammunication for field, etc., cannon practice.*Post*, p. 1031.guns, and other accessories for mountain, field, and siege artillery practice, including the machinery necessary for their manufacture, $84,600,000. The following portions of the unexpended balances of appropriations Unexpended balances covered into the Treasury.Gun and mortar batteries.Vol. 39, p. 909.Sites, etc.Vol. 39, p. 910.Land defenses.*Ante*, 199.heretofore made for fortifications in the continental United States, respectively, shall be carried to the surplus fund and covered into the Treasury, namely, $2,000,000 for construction of gun and mortar batteries; $20,540.19 for procurement or reclamation of land, or rights pertaining thereto, and so forth; $1,960,000 for the construction of land defenses in the United States, and so forth:
Contingent expenses.*Ante*, p. 199.$200,000 for contingent expenses incident to the construction of seacoast fortifications and their accessories; $3,744,000 for purchase, Seacoast cannon.*Ante*, p. 199. manufacture, and test of seacoast cannon for coast defense, and so forth; and $2,000,000 for the alteration and maintenance of seacoast Altering seacoast cannon.*Ante*, p. 200.artillery, and so forth; in all, $9,924,540.19. providing grounds. Proving grounds. For current expenses of the ordnance proving grounds, comprising Current expenses.the maintenance of rail and water transportation, repairs, alterations, accessories, and service of employees incidental to testing and proving ordnance and ordnance matériel, hire of assistants for the Ordnance Board, purchase of instruments and articles required for testing and 818 experimental work, building and repairing butts and targets, clearing and grading ranges, $1,573,522.
Additional facilities. *Ante*, pp. 200,352. *Post*, pp. 1707, 1731.Proving ground: For additional for increasing facilities for the proof and test of ordnance matériel, including the same objects, and under the same authority and conditions, specified in the appropriation for this purpose in the deficiency appropriation Act approved October sixth, nineteen hundred and seventeen, $8,480,000. Submarine mines.sumbarine mines. Accessories for practice.For purchase, manufacture, and test of submarine-mine matériel, and other accessories for submarine-mine practice, including the machinery necessary for their manufacture, $26,000.
Insular possessions. FORTIFICATIONS IN INSULAR POSSESSIONS. Engineer Department.engineer department. Seacoast batteries, Philippine Islands.For construction of seacoast batteries in the Philippine Islands, $320,000. Preservation, repair, etc.For protection, preservation, and repair of fortifications, including structures for torpedo defense, for which there may be no special appropriation available, and for maintaining channels for access to torpedo wharves, at the following localities:
Hawaiian Islands.Hawaiian Islands, $7,500; Philippine Islands.Philippine Islands, $20,000. Searchlights, Hawaiian Islands.For purchase and installation of searchlights for the defenses of most important harbors in the Hawaiian Islands, $20,000. Electric plants.For maintenance and repair of searchlights and electric light and power equipment for seacoast fortifications and for tools, electrical and other supplies, and appliances to be used in their operation at the following localities:
Hawaiian Islands.Hawaiian Islands, $5,000; Philippine Islands,Philippine Islands, $10,000. Sea watts, etc., Hawaiian Islands.For construction of sea walls and embankments, Hawaiian Islands, $12,,500. Automobile, Hawaiian Islands.For purchase, maintenance, repair, exchange, and operation of one automobile, expenditures are authorized to an amount not exceeding $1,900 during the fiscal year nineteen hundred and nineteen, from funds available from appropriations for fortifications in the Hawaiian Islands.
Wharf, Honolulu, Hawaii.For the construction of an engineer wharf at Honolulu, Hawaii, $30,000. Signal Service. under the chief signal officer. Fire-control Installations.For operation and maintenance of fire-control installations at seacoast defenses, $15,000. Ordnance Department. ordnance department. Ammunition for sea coast cannon.For purchase, manufacture, and test of ammunition for seacoast cannon, including the necessary experiments in connection therewith, and the machinery necessary for its manufacture, $2,775,000.
Unexpended balances covered into the Treasury.Seacoast cannon.*Ante*, p. 200.The following portions of the unexpended balances of appropriations heretofore made for fortifications in the insular possessions, respectively, shall be carried to the surplus fund and covered into the Treasury, namely, $800,000 for purchase, manufacture, and test Altering, etc., seacoast artillery. Vol. 39, p. 912. *Ante*, p. 201. of seacoast cannon for coast defenses, and so forth; and $775,000 for alteration and maintenance of the seacoast artillery, and so forth; in all, $1,575,000. 819 For maintenance of the submarine-mine material in the insular Maintenance of mine supplies.possessions, $10,000. under the chief of coast artillery.Chief of Coast Artillery.
For construction of fire-control stations and accessories, including Fire-control stations.purchase of lands and rights of way, purchase and installations of necessary lines and means of electrical communication, including telephones, dial and other telegraphs, wiring and all special instruments, apparatus and materials, coast signal apparatus, and salaries of electrical experts, engineers, and other necessary employees connected with the use of coast artillery; purchase, manufacture, and test of range finders and other instruments for fire control at the Range finders.fortifications, and the machinery necessary for their manufacture at the arsenals, $51,707.
PANAMA CANAL FORTIFICATIONS.Panama Canal. For fortifications and armament thereof for the Panama Canal:Fortifications. For maintenance of clearings and trails, $30,000;Clearings and trails. For protection, preservation, and repair of fortifications, including Preservation, repairs, etc.structures for torpedo defense, and for maintaining channels for access to torpedo wharves, $25,000; For maintenance and repair of searchlights and electric light and power equipment for fortifications, and for tools, electrical and other supplies, and appliances to be used in their operation, $15,000;
For the construction of seacoast batteries, $210,000;Seacoast batteries. For the construction of sea walls and embankments, $63,000;Sea walls, etc. For the purchase or reclamation of land required for the defense of SLand, etc.the Panama Canal, $155,000; For the purchase and installation of searchlights for the seacoast Searchlights,fortifications on the Canal Zone, $158,400; For the purchase and installation of electric light and power plants Installing electric plants.for the seacoast fortifications on the Canal Zone, $17,000;
For operation and maintenance of fire-control installations at Fire-control installations.seacoast defenses, $15,000;Fire-control stations. For the construction of fire-control stations and the purchase and installation of accessories therefor, $342,888.85; For the purchase, manufacture, and test of ammunition for seacoast Ammunition tor seacoast, etc., cannon.*Post*, p. 1032.and land defense cannon, including the necessary experiments in connection therewith, and the machinery necessary for its manufacture, $470,000;
The following portions of the unexpended balances of appropriations Unexpended balances covered into the Treasury. Seacoast cannon. *Ante*, p. 201.>heretofore made for fortification of the Panama Canal, respectively, shall be carried to the surplus fund and covered into the Treasury, namely: $1,500,000 for the purchase, manufacture, and Altering, etc., seacoast artillery. *Ante*, p.201.test of seacoast cannon for coast defense, and so forth; and $600,000 for the alteration, maintenance, and installation of the seacoast artillery, and so forth; in all, $2,100,000;
Ordnance Depot: For facilities for fire protection, $3,000; telephone Ordnance Depot. system, $2,500; painting buildings to reduce their visibility, $7,000; fence surrounding the depot reservation, $9,000; and additional for an office building, $3,000; in all, $24,500; Cantonments, etc. For cantonment camp construction including necessary buildings, water and sewer systems, roads, walks, and so forth, and for repairing and remodeling existing buildings to render them suitable for sheltering troops, $500,000:*Provided*, That the construction of *Proviso*..
Construction under Governor.buildings hereunder shall be performed under the direction of the Governor of the Panama Canal; In all, specifically for fortifications and armament thereof for the Panama Canal, $2,025,788.85. 820 Board of Ordnance and Fortification.BOARD OF ORDNANCE AND FORTIFICATION. Purchases, tests, etc.For all needful and proper purchases, experiments, and tests to ascertain, with a view to their utilization by the Government, the most effective guns, small arms, cartridges, projectiles, fuses, explosives, torpedoes, armor plates, and other implements and engines of war, and to purchase or cause to be manufactured, under authority of the Secretary of War, such guns, carriages, armor Elates, and other war material as may, in the judgment of the board, be necessary in the proper discharge of the duty devolved upon it by Vol. 25, p. 489.the Act approved September twenty-second, eighteen hundred and Civilian member.
Vol. 26, p. 769.eighty-eignt; salary of the civilian member of the board and for his necessary traveling expenses when traveling on duty as provided by the Act of February twenty-fourth, eighteen hundred and ninety-one ; necessary expenses of the board, including rent of offices in the Per diem.District of Columbia, at not exceeding 4900 per annum, and a per Tests, etc.diem allowance of $2.50 to each officer detailed to serve thereon, when employed on duty away from his permanent station; test of experimental guns, carriages, and other devices procured in accordance with the recommendation of the board, $50,000, the expenditure of which shall be made by the several bureaus of the War Department heretofore having jurisdiction of the same, or by the board itself, as *Proviso*.Right to use invention.the Secretary of War may direct: *Provided*, That before any money shall be expended in the construction or test of any gun, gun carriage, ammunition, or implements under the supervision of the said board, the board shall be satisfied, after due inquiry, that the Government of the United States has a lawful right to use the inventions involved in the construction of such gun, gun carriage, ammunition, or implements, or that the construction or test is made at the request of a person either having such lawful right or authorized to convey the same to the Government.
Sec. 2. Material to be of American manufacture.That all material purchased under the provisions of this Act shall be of American manufacture, except in cases when, in the judgment of the Secretary of War, it is to the manifest interest of the United States to make purchases abroad, which material shall be admitted free of duty. Sec. 3.Limit on price for purchases.That except as expressly otherwise authorized herein no part of the sums appropriated by this Act shall be expended in the purchase from private manufacturers of any material at a price in excess of twenty-five per centum more than the cost of manufacturing such material by the Government, or, where such material is not or has not been manufactured by the Government, at a price in excess of twenty-five per centum more than the estimated cost of manufacture *Proviso*..
Waived in emergencies.by the Government: *Provided*, That whenever in the opinion of the President the situation is such as to justify such action he may waive the limitations contained in this section. Sec. 4. Arsenal operations not to be restricted.That expenditures for carrying out the provisions of this Act shall not be made in such manner as to prevent the operation of the Government arsenals at their most economical rate of production, except when a special exigency requires the operation of a portion *Proviso*.No pay to officer, etc., using time-measuring device on work of employees.of an arsenal’s equipment at a different rate: *Provided*, That no part of the appropriations made in this Act shall be available for the salary or pay of any officer, manager, superintendent, foreman, or other person having charge of the work of any employee of the United States Government while making or causing to be made with a stop watch or other tune-measuring device a time study of any job of any such employee between the starting and completion thereof, or of the movements of any such employee while engaged upon such work.
Approved, July 8, 1918.