would like to have for the record just what our expenditures have been. Mr. LYNN. We can tell you what it has cost in appropriationsthe construction part. These costs are itemized as follows: Cost of improvements for joint recording facility made by the Architect of the Capitol Facilities on fifth floor, Old House Office Building, paid for from House Office Buildings appropriations: Fiscal year 1941: 3-room suite remodeled for use as a radio studio for convenience of Members in making radio recordings and broadcasts: Cost of supplies and materials and day labor charged $1,995 Estimated cost of work performed by Architect's 1,000 Total, fiscal year 1941 (3 rooms). Fiscal year 1949: Remodeled 2 additional rooms for radio recording Cost of supplies, materials, and equipment--- $2,995 2, 000 1, 891 Total, fiscal year 1950 (1 room). 1, 423 500 1, 923 8, 809 Total cost, facilities on fifth floor, Old House Office Build- Facilities on 1st floor and in basement, Old House Office Bldg.— Structural work.... Air-conditioning units, ductwork, and miscellaneous me- Electrical work.. Total, fiscal year 1953. Total costs paid from House Office Bldgs. appropria- $16, 750 12,000 20, 000 48, 750 57, 559 Cost of improvements for joint recording facility made by the Architect of the Capitol-Continued Facilities in room 9-B, Senate Office Bldg.-Paid for from Cost of supplies, materials, and equipment.. Work $2,605 750 $3, 355 60, 914 Total cost, Senate Office Bldg., fiscal years 1946-47. Grand total costs, House Office Bldg., and Senate Office Bldg., CAPITOL POWER PLANT Mr. HENLOCK, The next item appears on page 69 of the committee print, page 97 of the justifications. Page 97 is for insertion in the record. (The matter referred to is as follows:) Personal services: decreased from $415,600 to $369,000. $46, 600 per ton) to $369,730 (38,000 tons at $9.73 per ton). 28, 800 Base for 1954__ Additions: Purchase of electrical energy (both 25 cycle and 60 cycle alternating current). Increased from $488,000 to $535,000 to cover cost of expected increase in consumption of power due to probability of longer session of Congress and increases in the electrical load due to installation of additional facilities requiring the use of electric current, such as the television studio in the House Office Building and new electric office machines. The entire electrical load is now being purchased from the local public utility, generation of all electrical energy at the Capitol power plant having been discontinued Sept. 5, 1951. Total estimate for 1954. $1, 359, 000 -75, 400 1, 283, 600 +47, 000 1, 330, 600 Mr. HORAN. This is an automatic obligation, is it not? Mr. HENLOCK. Yes, sir. I think the committee would get a better picture if we go to "Changes and improvements Capitol Power Plant" and discuss that item first. Mr. Bow. When will the project be completed? Mr. HENLOCK. The new boiler plant is due to go into operation sometime next fall, as well as the new tunnel. The electrical conversion program is staggered and will run over several more years. Mr. LYNN. We have just about completed the conversion in the Old House Office Building, and are well along with the work in the New House Office Building. Mr. Bow. What is your estimate as to when we will have alternating current in the New House Office Building? Mr. LYNN. About October or November. Mr. Bow. This year? Mr. LYNN. Yes, sir. Mr. HORAN. I notice in your justifications you are predicting a longer session of Congress. Mr. HENLOCK. We are providing for that contingency under the allotment for purchase of electrical energy. If sufficient funds are not allowed and Congress remains here through all or part of the summer, we will not have enough to pay the bill. Mr. LYNN. When we have completed the powerplant project, we will be in a position to save a substantial amount of money. Mr. HORAN. I understand that; as much as half a million dollars a year. Mr. LYNN. Yes, sir. REDUCTION IN PERSONAL SERVICES Mr. HENLOCK. On page 100 we show that in the fiscal year 1951 the Capitol Power Plant was operating with a force of 105 regular employees and 4 temporary employees. We discontinued the generation of electrical energy at the Capitol Power Plant in September 1951, and in December of that year there were eliminated 12 of the 105 regular positions and all of the temporary positions, reducing the force to 93 employees. The estimate for the fiscal year 1954 is based on an average employment of 79 man-years, a further average reduction of 14 employees. We state in the justifications that we have run into so many delays in the past that Mr. Lynn does not feel it would be safe at this time to make a final determination of the exact number of employees ultimately to be dropped, but feels that such decision should be made only the basis of experience with the new plant actually in operation, particularly since the plant must be kept in operation 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Mr. HORAN. The plant we are improving has been there since December 1, 1910? Mr. HENLOCK. Yes, sir. Mr. HORAN. Any additional questions on the power plant item? If not, we will move on. CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS, CAPITOL POWER PLANT Mr. HENLOCK. This item begins on page 71 of the committee print and page 107 of the justifications; page 107 is for the record. (The matter referred to follows:) Changes and improvements, Capitol Power Plant Contract authorization, Public Law 413, 81st Cong- $950,000 4, 000, 000 3, 000, 000 3, 000, 000 Balance of contract authorization yet to be appropriated $16, 446, 000 -10, 950, 000 5, 496, 000 2, 500, 000 1, 000, 000 Mr. HENLOCK. As we show on page 107, "Changes and improvements, Capitol Power Plant," is the appropriation for the construction project, as distinguished from the maintenance appropriation. Under Public Law 413, 81st Congress, a total contract authorization of $16,446,000 for this project was provided. To date you have appropriated $10,950,000 toward carrying out this project, leaving $5,496,000 yet to be appropriated. As indicated earlier in the hearings, we asked in the budget, for the fiscal year 1954, for $2,500,000 for the Capitol Power Plant improvements, but due to delays resulting from the national emergency, we feel the 1954 appropriation request can now be reduced to $1 million, without delaying contract payments. However, any reduction below the revised amount would adversely affect contract payments estimated to fall due in the fiscal year 1954. JUSTIFICATION OF THE ESTIMATE Mr. HORAN. Without objection we will put in the record at this point pages 108, 109, 110, and 111 of the justifications. (The material referred to follows:) DETAILED JUSTIFICATION Under the contract authorization of $16,446,000 provided by Public Law 413, 81st Congress, for changes and improvements relating to the Capitol Power Plant, its distribution systems, and the buildings and grounds served by the plant, obligations totaling $9,623,291 have been incurred to date, and appropriations totaling $10,950,000 have been provided to date toward liquidation of these obligations. During the remainder of the fiscal year 1953 and during the fiscal year 1954 additional obligations totaling $5,494,876 are expected to be incurred, which when added to the $9,623,291 obligated to date, will make a grand total obligation of $15,118,167 through June 30, 1954. As already indicated, $10,950,000 has been appropriated to date toward carrying out this project, and an additional $2,500,000 is included for this project in the 1954 budget. Although work under the project has continued to progress, delays resulting from the national emergency have retarded progress under individual contracts to a point where contracts expected to be completed and liquidated in the fiscal year 1953 will not actually be completed and liquidated until the fiscal year 1954. Based on experience with 1953 expenditures and the general retarding effect of past delays on the overall program, it is now estimated that contract payments due in the fiscal year 1954 can be met if the appropriation for the fiscal year 1954 is provided in the amount of $1 million. Accordingly, the 1954 budget estimate of $2,500,000 can be reduced to $1 million, based on the following table of actual and estimated expenditures: |