Mr. CEDERBERG. There is no duplication of effort involved because of this arrangement with the Navy, rather than the Corps of Engineers? Mr. McCLOUD. No, sir. Colonel LEONHARD. The work is being performed out of the Ninth Naval District office in Chicago. If it were done by the Corps of Engineers it would be done out of the Chicago district office. Mr. CEDERBERG. That is the only difference? Colonel LEONHARD. Yes. BLYTHEVILLE AIR FORCE BASE, ARK. Mr.. DAVIS. At Blytheville we have items before us totaling $2,480,000. What do you have on this base at the present time? Mr. McCLOUD. Blytheville is a former World War II base. It is planned to be used by the Tactical Air Command for one light bomber wing. When we appeared before you in November Blytheville was not in our current program at the time, and was not presented to you for clearance, even though we did have an authorized program in 209. It has since been reinserted in the program, and the 1953 program is currently underway, and these are the items which we feel are still good items for the present mission at the base and for which we request clearance. Mr. DAVIS. There has been no current construction program at Blytheville, then? Mr. MCCLOUD. It was in at one time, but nothing more than design was accomplished. The current program covers what good items we could salvage from our 1953 authorization. Mr. DAVIS. You have a warmup pad, hydrant fueling, communication aids, and that is about it, insofar as the operational facilities are concerned. Are there sufficient World War II facilities so that this is going to substantially bring it up to date for operational purposes? Mr. McCLOUD. There were a number of World War II facilities which we could use. In addition, we have a program of approximately $7 million also in 1953, which is currently under construction. did not require your clearance. It Mr. DAVIS. Then you do have a current construction program underway? Mr. McCLOUD. At the present time; yes, sir. We did not last November, but there is a program under way at the present time. Mr. DAVIS. What do your records show will be required for future funding in addition to the $7 million you mentioned and the $25. million you now have before us? How much in your overall current program at Blytheville is going to be required? Mr. McCLOUD. I do not know the size of the 1955 program at Blytheville, but I am sure there is a program in the 1955 program, also. Mr. DAVIS. Will you give us a statement on that, so we will have an overall picture of it? Mr. McCLOUD. Yes, sir. (The information is as follows:) BLYTHEVILLE AIR FORCE BASE 1. The current program for Blytheville Air Force Base is divided into three separate programs, as follows: Mr. DAVIS. Will you also give us a summary of your estimated contract award dates on the items that are before us? Mr. McCLOUD. Yes, sir. (The information is as follows:) The 1954 program is currently under design. Awards are scheduled to begin on these items in the late fall of 1954. Some few items, particularly the dormitories and BOQ's and messing can be awarded in September 1954 with other awards to follow in December 1954. Two items, infirmary and heating plant, will not be advertised until after January 1, 1955, with award in late January or February 1955. Clearance of the program at this time is extremely important in order that funding action may be completed and funds available to the field prior to advertising for bids. This delay in completion of the design and advertising of the 1954 program for Blytheville is attributed to the fact that this base was removed from the Air Force program for several months during which time design work was stopped. Mr. DAVIS. Your hospital facilities here will be furnished at some other nearby facility. Where is that? Mr. McCLOUD. There is a new county hospital just completed in the county in which this base is located. When this program went up before OSD it included a 50-bed hospital. After review by OSD and the Medical Office of that Office it was reduced to a 25-bed infirmary, in view of this new hospital that has just been completed in the county, that could take care of dependents. This was done with the concurrence of the surgeon. We originally requested a 50-bed hospital at this base. PORTSMOUTH AIR FORCE BASE, N. H. Mr. DAVIS. At Portsmouth Air Force Base we have items totaling $816,000. These are items which were deleted in November on the basis of the subcommittee study of the contract award schedule you presented to us at that time. Mr. McCLOUD. Yes, sir. Mr. DAVIS. Can you tell us now what you have in mind with respect to those four items? Mr. McCLOUD. Yes, sir. They were four items which had award dates too far in the future. The time that has elapsed between November and now makes the award dates on the four items in the very near future now. The airfield lighting will be in July of 1954. The communications facility will also be in July of 1954. The NAV aids will be in July of 1954. The Ordnance igloos will be in August of 1954. All of the NAV aids may not be placed under contract in July. They may spill over into August. There are quite a number of NAV aids in that item. They have nothing there at the base at the present time. Awards on those can begin in July. STEWART AIR FORCE BASE, N. Y. Mr. DAVIS. At Stewart Air Force Base we have an item of $987,000. In November the committee had some serious questions with respect to the land acquisition program which is involved here. Will you tell us what corrective actions have been taken since our previous discussion? Colonel PRICE. Mr. Chairman, at the time of the November hearings the land authorized in prior years' bills had not been approved by the two Armed Services Committees. That approval has since been obtained and we are in the process of acquiring the land authorized by Public Law 534. The remaining requirement for land is for avigation easements at the end of the proposed runway extension. The clearance requested now is for the expenditure of $19,500 for the purchase of avigation easements over 136 acres of land. (Discussion off the record.) Mr. McCLOUD. The program we have for Stewart for 1954 shows awards in October for all of them. Mr. DAVIS. This 136 acres is all avigation easement, as I understand it, and it is going to cost you about $180 an acre? Colonel PRICE. That is about right; yes, sir. That includes some improvements. Mr. RABAUT. Is that $180 an acre for an easement? Colonel PRICE. Mr. Chairman, I would like to correct the record on that point. The area which we are now considering involves the taking of avigation easements over an area which is suitable for development. As a result of that 58.7 acres of the total amount is estimated to cost net to the owners $15,000, for acquiring these avigation easements. This is a dairy farming area. In addition, there is a certain amount of summer resort activity in a small way. Hence the price is as it is. There are no improvements as such at the present time which will require removal. I would be glad to show the committee a map, if that would clarify the situation. Mr. DAVIS. Yes. Colonel PRICE. The New York State aqueduct is here. The runway comes out here. This entire taking is the approach zone. The area which has been approved by the Armed Services Committees and is under acquisition is this area here and this area here. The reason for taking fee on this parcel here is that there is a knob there, as you can see, by the countours. The easement is so close to the ground-in fact, it is below the ground that it requires knocking off the top of the hill and depriving the owner of any use whatsoever of his property. The area we are considering today is the balance of this area, where an easement will serve the purpose of the Air Force without depriving the owner of the entire use of his land. This area in here is generally the expensive area, because of the location of this private lake and the possibility of developing that for residences. Mr. DAVIS. Fifty-eight acres account for about $15,000 of it, did you say? Colonel PRICE. That is right, sir. Mr. RABAUT. There is one piece of property taken in this in fee simple, and the rest is all by easement; is that right? Colonel PRICE. The project before you this morning is all for easement. The fee simple areas which I indicated on the map are being acquired at the present time under Public Law 534. Mr. RABAUT. That is going to be used in this same project? Mr. RABAUT. So there is one piece being taken in fee? Colonel PRICE. That is right, sir. That is being taken under prior authorization. WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO Mr. DAVIS. We have a final item in the Zone of Interior of $2,720,000 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. These are items which were deferred in November because of the scheduled award dates as of that time late in the calendar year 1954 and the committee desired further study on your part prior to the appropriation of funds. Mr. McCLOUD. That covered four items, Mr. Davis. In view of the time that has elapsed between November and the present the award dates are scheduled in the near future. The electrical distribution under ground can be awarded in July. The remainder of the two utilities and the rehabilitation of the laboratory can be awarded in October. An AE contract is now under way and these are the latest working estimates we have for them. You will note one of the items shows a very large reduction in the estimated cost. (Discussion off the record.) LIST OF WITNESSES Page Breehl, Lt. Col. J. W. 31 Burky, Comdr. J. D. Carter, Brig. Gen. W. A.. Kricker, Col. W. M. Lamb, Capt. R. S Leonhard, Col. William_ Matullo, S. E. McCloud, L. B. Noble, Comdr. L. F. Patterson, D. M.. Perry, Rear Adm. J. R. Peterson, Lt. Col. C. F. Roper, Lt. Col. Willard. |