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Show 194 major portion of the funds arising from the sale of such lands in each state be expended therein, and prohibited the com- mencement of new projects except where "recommended by the Secretary of the Interior and approved by the direct order of the President of the United States."25i In 1914, Congress prohibited expenditures from the Recla- mation Fund after July 1, 1915 "except out of appropriations made annually by Congress," a requirement also being in- cluded for annual submission of estimates by the Secretary.255 A further change in 1924 required that "no new project or new division of a project shall be approved for construction or estimates submitted therefor by the Secretary" until he shall secure specified information and make prescribed findings.256 Elaborate modification of project-authorization procedure was effected by the Reclamation Project Act of 1939. A proj- ect now becomes authorized upon submission of a report and prescribed findings by the Secretary to the President and to Congress, in accordance with the following provisions of Sec- tion 9 (a) of the Act:257 No expenditures for the construction of any new proj- ect, new division of a project, or new supplemental works on a project shall be made, nor shall estimates be sub- mitted therefor, by the Secretary until after he has made an investigation thereof and has submitted to the Presi- dent and to the Congress his report and findings on- (1) the engineering feasibility of the proposed con- struction; (2) the estimated cost of the proposed construction; 2MAct of June 25, 1910, § 4, 36 Stat. 835, 836, 43 U. S. C. 400, 413. See also H. Rep. No. 1635, 61st Cong., 2d sess. (1910) ; H. Rep. No. 1729, 61st Cong., 2d sess. (1910) ; 45 Cong. Reg. 8673, 8752, 8865, 8901, 9028, 9087, App. 386, 388, 396, 397. MB Act of August 13, 1914, § 16, 38 Stat. 690, 43 TL S. C. 414. 268 Act of December 5,1924, § 4, subsection B, 43 Stat. 672, 702, 43 U. S. C. 412. For the information and findings required, see supra, p. 193. MT § 9(a), 53 Stat. 1193, 43 U. S. C. 485h(a). When a point of order was raised on the floor of the House of Representatives with respect to an item for an initial appropriation for a project, it was ruled that a project is authorized when a report under § 9(a) has been transmitted as therein provided, and the point of order was overruled. 87 Cong. Rec. 4047 (1941). |