USE OF FUND IN FISCAL 1961 Mr. STEWART. Yes. During the fiscal year 1961, allocations, totaling $40,669, have been made against this fund, as follows: $7,000 for installation of auxiliary air-conditioning equipment in the Ways and Means Committee room in the New House Office Building, approved by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; $10,900 for alterations and improvements to rooms T-2, T-4, and T-6, Senate Terrace which are being prepared for the use of the Vice President of the United States-approved by the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations; $22,769 for snow removal to meet emergency expenses which were necessary over and above the annual allotment of $5,000 provided under the Capitol Grounds appropriation for such purpose, due to unusually heavy snowfalls last winter. Mr. STEED. We will now take up the Capitol Buildings, and we shall insert pages 25 through 31 of the justifications in the record. (The pages referred to follow:) 1961 appropriation in annual act............ Total appropriations, 1961-- DEDUCTIONS General annual repairs and alterations: Nonrecurring Replacement of wooden revolving door, west front, first Painted exterior of west-central section of Capitol and exterior trim of Senate and House wings: Nonrecurring item dropped for 1962___. Base for 1962__. 48, 600 1,400 $1, 140, 000 12, 000 1, 152, 000 9,000 31,000 -103, 200 1,048, 800 ADDITIONS Personnel compensation: Under the provisions of Public Law 763, 83d An increase of $21,010 is requested for 1962 An increase of $3,015 is requested for 1962 annum. An increase of $10,710 is requested for 1962 for 2 additional positions of male nurse, GS-7, under the Classification Act. Dr. Calver, the physician of the Congress, after consultation with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and securing his approval, requested that there be included in the estimates of the Architect of the Capitol for the fiscal year 1962 the necessary funds to carry on the Capitol Buildings payroll under the Architect of the Capitol 2 attendants in his office who have previously been carried on payrolls of the Navy Department and are retiring from that Department after 20 years of service. One has been assigned by the Navy Department to Dr. Calver's office for 8 years, and the other for 10 years. One is 38 years of age and the other is 41 years. They are highly skilled and efficient medical assistants and are thoroughly conversant with the requirements of Dr. Calver's office after years of intensive and extended training. An amount of $10,710 is accordingly requested for 1962 to carry on the Capitol Buildings payroll 2 positions of male nurse at $5.355 per annum each, in order that the services of these 2 men may be retained on a permanent basis in the Office of the Physician of the Congress. $24,025 1,386 11,000 10, 710 Personnel compensation-Continued 2 additional positions, elevator mechanics_. An increase of $10,379 is requested for 1962 for 2 additional positions of elevator mechanic-1 W-10 at $5,304 per annum, and the other W-9 at $5,075 per annum-to be compensated under the wage board system. At present, a force of 2 elevator foremen and 5 elevator mechanics is carried on the Capitol Buildings payroll. In addition to the daily routine care of the 19 elevator units in the Capitol Building-which includes 13 elevators, 1 dumbwaiter, 2 lifts, and 3 conveyors-the present force performs the work of special testing, inspecting, and recabling of all elevator units in all buildings under the Architect. In addition, they care for the 1 elevator at the Capitol powerplant and the 2 elevators at the Court of Claims Building. Under the present setup, 1 mechanic is available for full-time duty at the Capitol. The other 6 men work as a group and their time is consumed in making periodic tests, general inspections, major adjustments, biannual cable inspections, and heavy repair work on 122 elevator units distributed in 10 buildings-the Capitol, 2 Senate Office Buildings, 2 House Office Buildings, 2 Library of Congress Buildings, Capitol powerplant, U.S. Supreme Court Building, and the Court of Claims Building. 1 additional mechanic is requested to assist the mechanic presently engaged in the daily care of the Capitol Building elevators. With the extension of the Capitol and the addition of the new Senate subway terminal, the number of units to be maintained in 1962 will increase from 19 to 27. 1 man cannot take care of this heavy workload alone. 1 additional mechanic is requested to assist the special maintenance crew in the special maintenance work performed by them in the care of the 122 elevator units in all 10 buildings. This phase of work has been greatly increased by the acquisition of 11 new units in the New Senate Office Building and will be further increased in the fiscal year 1962 by the addition of 8 new units in the east front extension of the Capitol and the new Senate subway terminal. An adequate force should be provided for this work in the interest of safety to Senators, Members, employees, and the public who use these elevator units daily. Contribution to retirement fund-increased from $38,100 to $39,600___ This item is required to cover the cost of government contribution to retirement fund required by Public Law 854, 84th Cong., "Title IV-Civil Service Retirement Act Amendments of 1956." The additional cost results from increase in basic pay rates. Penalty mail-increased from $1,000 to $2,000___. This item is required to cover the cost of reimbursing the Post Office Department for all penalty mail costs incurred by the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, under Public Law 286, 83d Cong. The additional amount for 1962 is requested to meet current costs of penalty mail. The increase results largely from additional mail due to construction programs now in progress under the Architect of the Capitol. $10, 379 1,500 1,000 Elevator repairs and improvements-increased from $5,000 This increase is necessary to meet increased Substation equipment and from This increase is necessary to meet increased maintenance costs. No increase has been provided under this allotment for the past 2 years. With the conversion of buildings from 25-cycle alternating current and direct current to 60-cycle alternating current during the past several years, there are now to be maintained under this allotment 7 electrical substations located in the Capitol group of buildings. All but the Capitol, which is yet to be converted, are 13,200-volt transformer substations. The old substations were 6,600 volt. General annual repairs and alterations_-- Nonrecurring increases under this allotment asked to provide: $12,700 for the installation of a new modern fireproof cashiers' counter and a new rubber tile floor in the office of the Sergeant at Arms of the House. This equipment is very much needed, and the item is submitted at the request of the Sergeant at Arms. The Architect of the Capitol concurs fully in the need for the new equipment. The present outmoded equipment is of wood construction with metal cages and was installed in 1919. The new installation would be similar to the present modern installation in the Senate Disbursing Office. The estimated cost of the new counter is $11,500 and of the new rubber tile floor, $1,200. $2,000 for the installation of a bronze handrail on the west stairway, Senate wing, between the first and principal floors of the Capitol Building. There is no handrail on this stairway at present, and several persons have fallen on this stairway due to the lack of a rail. The installation is recommended in the interest of the public safety, particularly in view of the large number of persons using this stairway annually; also, to avoid the possibility of Federal tort claims. Maintenance, air-conditioning system____. Nonrecurring increase under this allotment for the following: At the present time there is in use for cutting metal for ducts and other requirements of the air-conditioning system a hand shear that has been in operation for the past 25 years and has now reached the point of wear and tear where it is in need of replacement. Under the amount of $5,200, it is proposed to replace this worn, obsolete equipment with a new 8-foot power shear. $1,000 1,500 14,700 5, 200 |