Unobligated balances as of Dec. 31, 1945, by bureau and office 1-Continued

FUNDS TRANSFERRED

341

17, 023

2, 770, 967

79, 561

85, 660

19,050

29, 271

19, 634

146, 104

2,841, 586

509, 804

11, 598, 944

258, 143 48, 779 1, 174, 547 2,851.914 625, 392

2, 764, 414 17,482, 766

6, 977

355, 847

763, 999

143, 570, 354

1, 279, 323

584, 053

4, 324, 841 18, 134, 062 16,904, 916 4, 601, 896 4,487, 552

TO THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT DURING THE
FISCAL YEAR 1946

Mr. JONES. Are there any transfers currently this year to the Department from other agencies?

Mr. NORTHROP. Yes, sir.

Mr. JONES. Will you put in the record a statement showing what agencies they are?

Mr. NORTHROP. Yes, sir.

(The matter referred to is as follows:)

Funds transferred to the Department of the Interior during the fiscal year 1946 for work of agencies from which the funds were transferred

Funds transferred to the Department of the Interior during the fiscal year 1946 for work of agencies from which the funds were transferred-Continued

Funds transferred to the Department of the Interior, which supplement appropriations made direct to the Department for the fiscal year 1946 (exclusive of transfers rendered other agencies):

From Department of Agriculture: For white-pine blister-rust control.
From Department of State: For cooperation with American Republics.

Total...

$299, 954

EMPLOYMENT UNDER TRUST FUNDS, FISCAL YEAR 1946

187, 355

487, 309

Mr. JONES. And on the trust fund will you show some detail as to positions from trust funds?

Mr. BEASLEY. Yes, sir.

(The matter referred to is as follows:)

Man-years of employment estimated under trust funds for the fiscal year 1946

Bureau or office and appropriation title

Man-years

Southwestern Power Administration Grand River Dam project "Southwestern Power Administration".

Grazing Service: "Funds contributed for administration, protection, and improvement of grazing districts".

172.3

25.5

Bureau of Indian Affairs:

"Miscellaneous trust funds of Indian tribes".

656.6

"Fox and fur-seal industries, Pribilof Islands".

Government in the Territories: "Funds contributed for improvement of roads, bridges, and trails, Alaska".

21.3

18.0

Grand total.

1, 567.0

CONTINGENT EXPENSES, DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

PAYMENT OF AWARDS FOR MAKING SUGGESTIONS

Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. Referring to this proposed $20,000 at the bottom of page 22 of the bill for the payment of awards for making suggestions you have $12,500 for current year. Is there any special need for to increase this fund next year?

Mr. NORTHROP. The $20,000 is the amount that was authorized by Public Law 357 to be paid in awards to employees for suggestions that they make. The Committee provided $12,500 in the appropriation for 1946. The Department is proposing that the amount authorized by the act be provided for 1947.

Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. So the only reason or excuse for raising the amount is because it is the total amount authorized. That is the item wherein somebody was actually paid for suggesting that they play canned music while people eat. What profound suggestion. It must have taken long hours of deep meditation to have brought forth such a remarkable suggestion. And somebody else was paid good money for suggesting that instead of using an old obsolete frank, that they stamp over this frank in order that the envelope could be used. You only gave that genius $25 for such a marvelous suggestion. Of course that has been done thousands of times before, but obviously it was something new in the Interior Department to save even old envelopes. Except in very few instances it was not shown to this committee that those suggestions saved any money or resulted in improving the efficiency of the Department.

Mr. BEASLEY. In connection with this item, you may wish to examine the annual report which is required by law. The Board of Awards' findings are made public through the annual report..

Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. I see that Michael Straus is Chairman of the Suggestions Committee.

Mr. NORTHROP. Mr. Straus was recently made Commissioner of Reclamation, and Assistant Secretary Chapman has been designated by the Secretary as the new chairman of the Suggestions Committee. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. If I wanted to be facetious, I might ask if the chairmanship of this all-important Suggestions Committee, was of assistance to him in securing his new job?

Mr. ROONEY. What did you say that this report was gotten up for? Mr. BEASLEY. To make available to the public the proceedings of the Board of Awards.

Mr. ROONEY. Space does not permit the inclusion in this report of the complete list of awards.

Mr. BEASLEY. On page 3 you will and a statement of the total awards made.

Mr. ROONEY. I have been in favor of the suggestion and award system, but I do not understand why the book does not contain the name of every recipient.

Mr. NORRELL. I am going to ask that they give a statement to the committee containing the names, the suggestions, and the amount allowed to each one who has been given an award.

Mr. BEASLEY. For 1945, or so far this fiscal year?

Mr. NORRELL. For the fiscal year 1945.

Mr. NORTHROP. That will be supplied.

Mr. NORRELL. On page 5 you have ideas for the peace. Have you given any awards on that yet?

Mr. NORTHROP. I am sorry, but I do not know.

Mr. NORRELL. If so, I ain wondering if the suggestions have been transferred to the United Nations Organization meeting in London. Mr. NORTHROP. That heading refers to reconversion of departmental activities rather than to ideas for international peace.

Mr. NORRELL. Is that going to make a contribution to the troubled situation existing at this time?

Mr. NORTHROP. There are many ideas that could be put forth on internal reconversion in the Department that might be very worth while to effect savings and contribute to the transition from war to peace.

Mr. ROONEY. The value of these suggestions and inventions is shown on the first inside page to be $1,118,433 to the taxpayers of this country?

Mr. NORTHROP. Yes. That is a figure that has been developed in connection with the suggestions that are awarded. They attempt to make an appraisal of the savings in time or effort that would result from the use of that suggestion in the program. That amount is the sum of those appraisals for all suggestions which have been awarded. Mr. ROONEY. And these suggestions and inventions saved approximately 470,744 man-hours; is that correct?

Mr. NORTHROP. That is correct. They have both the man-hours and the evaluated dollar figure that produces that total.

Mr. NORRELL. On that basis, then, your estimate here is $342,190,260, and if those savings had not been made I assume it would be $1,118,433 more, plus 470,744 man-hours; is that right?

Mr. NORTHROP. I do not believe you can translate that figure directly into an appropriation request. It means a given operation can be performed with fewer man-hours of time. I do not think there is any way directly to translate those figures into a relationship to the appropriation request.

Mr. NORRELL. If you saved 470,000 man-hours, could you not reduce your personnel somewhat?

Mr. NORTHROP. Assuming the operation remained stationary, yes; but the difficulty with estimates is that they normally involve additional phases of a task that may add man-years and dollars due to the increased functions.

Mr. NORRELL. I must admit that I cannot see a savings unless I can get it down in dollars and cents, as it is represented in the budget.

PURCHASE OF TWO PASSENGER AUTOMOBILES

Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. Inasmuch as you are asking for two new cars, will you tell us how old the four cars you now have are?

Mr. NORTHROP. In the office of the Secretary there are four cars; a Buick limousine, 1941 model, mileage 32,320 miles; a Chrysler sedan, 1939 model, mileage 77,496 miles; and there is a Buick limousine, 1942 model, mileage 71,360 miles. A new car is proposed to replace the Chrysler that is included within this estimate. The fourth car is a Plymouth car in the office of the field representatives. It is a 1940-model coach that has been driven 75,360 miles.

Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. Then, neither of the Buicks is involved?

Mr. NORTHROP. No, sir.

MISCELLANEOUS CONTINGENT EXPENSE INCREASES

Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. In general, what are the other proposed increases?

Mr. NORTHROP. There is a proposed increase of $3,400 in the office. of the Secretary consisting of $400 for postage, $500 for the replacement of eight worn-out typewriters, and this item of $2,500 for the replacement of the car that we have just been discussing.

In the Office of the Solicitor there is proposed an increase of $5,000, of which $3,600 is required for the continued purchases of codes, dictionaries, encyclopedias, digests, law reviews, and other reference works; $400 is required for the library needs of the counsel at large in Alaska, and the remaining $1,000 is required for the binding of back numbers of law reviews and volumes of congressional documents and reports.

There is an item of $500 increase for the Division of Personnel Supervision and Management, $375 of which would be required for the replacement of five typewriters, and $125 for duplicating material. An increase of $2,550 is proposed for the Division of Budget and Administrative Management, $2,200 of which is for travel expenses; $200 for communication services, $150 for supplies and materials. All of that item is based on the proposed increase in personnel of the division under the estimate, "Salaries, office of the Secretary." Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. If you do not get all that increase, you will not need the full amount requested?

Mr. NORTHROP. That is right.

Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. What is next?

Mr. NORTHROP. The Office of the Field Representatives requires an increase of $700 for the replacement of the Plymouth automobile that we have mentioned. The Suggestions Committee requires an increase of $8,440, to raise the amount available for cash awards to $20,000, and to provide $940 for expenses involved in the operation of the suggestions system.

The other increases are for the contingent expenses of the bureaus and offices; $3,000 for the Division of Territories to cover transportation expenses; $1,200 for the General Land Office, $1,000 of which is required to cover photostatic and other duplicating work, and $200 for office equipment.

There is an item of $1,700 for the Office of Indian Affairs of which $300 is for stationery, $400 for duplicating and photostatic supplies, $500 for furniture and fixtures, and $500 for office machines.

There is an increase of $850 for the Geological Survey, to take care of the increase in contingent expense due to the enlarged program proposed by that Bureau.

There is an increase of $1,000 for the Bureau of Mines to cover the cost of replacing worn-out office machines and equipment.

There is an increase of $1,500 for the National Park Service, to purchase office equipment, including typewriters, dictaphones, filing equipment, and other items.

There is $500 for the Fish and Wildlife Service, to cover the excess charges on parcel-post shipments weighing in excess of 4 pounds. Those are the total increases in the contingent items.

Mr. DWORSHAK. I observe that your estimate of all obligations for 1947 totals $496,900. Then you have transfers totaling $205,000 for

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