Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 49 Part 1.djvu/1114

 74TH CONGRESS. SESS. I. CH. 833 . AUGUST 30, 1935. nance, repair, and operation of the bridge and its approaches under econo mical management. An accurate record of the. cost of the bridge and its approaches, the expenditures for maintaining, repairing, and operating the same, and of the daily tolls collected shall be kept and shall be av ailable for t he information of all perso ns interested. MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI SEC. 19. (a) That in order to promote interstate commerce, improve the postal service, and provide for military and other purposes, the city of Natchez, State of Mississippi, and the county of Adams, State of Mississippi, singly or jointly, be, and are hereby, authorized to construct, maintain, and operate a bridge and approaches thereto across the Mississippi River, at a point suitable to the interests of navigation, at or near Natchez, State of Mississippi, in accordance wi th the provisions of the Act entitled "An Act to regulate the construction of bridges over navigable waters ", approved March 23, 1906, and subject to the conditions and limitations contained in this Act. (b) There is hereby conferred upon said city and county, acting singly or jointly, all such rights and powers to enter upon lands and to acquir e, conde mn, occu py, poss ess and use real estate and oth er property needed for the location, construction, maintenance, and operation of such bridge and its approaches, as are possessed by rail- road corporations for railroad purposes or by bridge corporations for bridge purposes in the State in which such real estate or other prop- erty is situated, upon making just compensation therefor, to be ascertained and paid according to the laws of such State, and the proceedings therefor shall be the same as in the condemnation or expropriation of property for public purposes in such State. (c) The said city and county, acting singly or jointly, are hereby authorized to fix and charge tolls for transit over such bridge, and the rates of t oll so fixed shall be the legal rates un til changed b y the Secretary of War under th e author ity cont ained in the Ac t of Mar ch 23, 1906. (d) In fixing the rates of toll to be charged for the use of such bridge the same shall be so adjusted as to provide a fund sufficient to pay for the reasonable cost of maintaining, repairing, and oper- ating the bridge and its approaches under economical management, and to provide a sinking fund sufficient to amortize the cost of such bridge and its approaches, including reasonable interest and financing cost, as soon as possible, under reasonable charges, but within a period of not to exceed twenty years from the completion thereof. After a sinking fund sufficient for such amortization shall have been so provided, such bridge shall thereafter be maintained and operated free of tolls, or the rates of toll shall thereafter be so adjusted as to provide a fund of not to exceed the amount necessary for the proper maintenance, repair, and operation of the bridge and its approaches under economical management. An accurate record of the cost of the bridge and its approaches, the expenditures for maintaining, repairing, and operating the same, and of the daily tolls collected shall be kept and sha ll b e av aila ble for the info rma tion of all pers ons interested. OUACHITA RIVER AT MONROE, LOUISIANA SEC. 20. That the Act approved January 26, 1925, heret ofore extended by Acts of Congress approved February 6, 1928, and Jan- uary 15, 1931, granting the consent of Congress to the Louisiana Highway Commission to construct, maintain, and operate a bridge and approaches thereto across the Ouachita River, at or near Monroe, Construction. Vol.34,p.84. Tolls. Vol.34,p.85. 1069 Rec ord of ex pen di- tures and receipts. Mississippi River at Natchez, Miss. Post, p. 1255. Acquisition of ap. proaches, etc. Tolls to be applied to operation, sinking fund, etc. Record of expendi- tures and receipts. Ou achita R iver at Monroe, La. Ti me exten ded for bridging. Vol. 43, p. 791; Vol. 45, p. 57; Vol.46, p. 1038, amended.