ADDITIONS Wage-rate increases authorized by Public Law 763, 83d Under the provisions of Public Law 763, 83d Cong. 115 laborers and mechanics on the Capitol buildings roll are compensated on a wage-board, prevailingrate basis. Public Law 763 provides that the compensation of such employees shall be fixed and adjusted from time to time as nearly as is consistent with the public interest in accordance with prevailing rates. An increase of $7,900 is requested for 1967 to meet on a fullyear basis the cost of increased wage rates established for these Wage-Board positions as a result of a general survey of government and industrial employees' wages in the Washington metropolitan area, conducted during the past year. The new rates went into effect December 5, 1965, in accordance with the provisions of Public Law 85-872, 85th Congress. This increase is necessary in order that the Capitol Building Wage-Board employees may be compensated on a full-year basis in the fiscal year 1967 in accordance with present prevailing rates. An increase of $2,100 is requested for 1967 to meet the authorized cost of within-grade promotions falling due in that year, authorized by Public Law 763 under the Wage-Board system, for employees compensated under that act. Contribution to retirement fund-increased from $55,785 to $57,810__ This increase results from increase in basic pay rates and is required to cover the cost of government contribution to retirement fund authorized by Public Law 854, 84th Congress. Payment to employees' compensation fund-increased from $19,420 to $33,295__ This item represents an increase of $13,875 over the amount allowed for 1966 and is requested to cover the cost of the government's payment to employees' compensation fund, required by Section 209 of Public Law 86-767, which provides that each agency shall include in its annual budget estimates a request for an appropriation in an amount equal to the amount paid from the employees' compensation fund for compensation benefits to employees of the agency during the preceding fiscal year on account of service-connected injury or death. Annual painting: Annual allotment increased from $32,000 to $36,000___ The annual painting allotment was fixed at $32,000 in 1959 when the wage rate of painters was $3.425 per hour. There has been no increase provided under this allotment since 1959 and in the meantime the wage rate of painters, including fringe benefits, has risen to $4.495 per hour-an increase of 30 percent. In order to partially offset this increase, it is requested that the annual allotment for 1967 be increased from $32,000 to $36,000. This allotment provides for the painting normally required for the proper preservation and appearance of committee rooms, offices, corridors, restaurants, and other spaces in the Capitol. Supplies and materials-increased from $38,000 to $40,000__. This allotment was fixed at $38,000 in 1963 and the annual allotment has remained unchanged since that time. In order to meet a gradual increase that has occurred in the cost of supplies and materials in the interim, it is requested that this allotment be increased from $38,000 to $40,000 for 1967. The allotment provides carpentry, electrical, plumbing, hardware, cleaning, heating and ventilating, and general miscellaneous supplies for the care of the Capitol. $10,000 2, 025 13, 875 4,000 2,000 Total estimate for 1967_. (+)31, 900 1, 613, 000 REMODELING OF HOUSE PRESS GALLERY Senator MONRONEY. What was the additional $73,000, which was not requested by you, allowed by the House for? Mr. STEWART. During the hearings before the House Appropriations Committee, pursuant to request of the chairman of the Standing Committee on Correspondents, approved by the Speaker of the House, $65,000 was added by the House Appropriations Committee to the "Capitol Buildings" appropriation request, to remodel the House Press Gallery in the Capitol. The area affected is located on the gallery floor of the House wing, south of the Press Gallery, for the total length of the House Chamber and includes rooms H-315 to H-319, inclusive. Under this amount, it is proposed to remove existing worn flooring, do necessary cutting and patching and install new vinyl tile; install new cabinets and shelves; install metal partitions and new accoustical tile and mouldings; renew electrical wiring and install additional wiring and outlets; make necessary repairs to walls, and paint the rooms with two coats. The press has no space in which it might expand. Major remodeling work in the House Press Gallery was last done in 1937. Since then, the membership of the gallery has increased from 515 to 959 members, and the use of the gallery has increased at an even greater proportion. The remodeling work will permit a rearrangement of furniture and equipment, resulting in more efficient use of the present gallery space. BREAKDOWN OF ESTIMATE (The breakdown follows:) Cabinets, shelves, and related work- Removal of old flooring, cutting and patching, and installing new vinyl tile_‒‒‒‒ Repairing walls and painting rooms with 2 coats Installation of metal partitions__ New acoustical tile, mouldings, etc-- Electrical work___. Contingencies‒‒‒‒‒ Total___ Two TOILETS FOR HOUSE RADIO-TELEVISION FACILITY $26. 170 6.040 5, 020 4,550 5, 000 11,500 6.720 65,000 Under funds allowed for the fiscal year 1965, three rooms in the House wing of the Capitol, gallery floor, vacated in 1965 by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, were converted into quarters for the House radio-television facility. For the fiscal year 1967, the House Committee on Appropriations has added $8,000 to the "Capitol Buildings" appropriation request, for the installation of two toilets in the newly converted quarters, for use of radio-television personnel. CAPITOL GROUNDS Senator MONRONEY. We will now proceed to the item Capitol Grounds. I ask that pages 37 to 42 be placed in the record at this point. (The justification follows:) 1966 appropriation in annual act_. $638,000 Wage board pay supplemental in H. Doc. 405---- 10.000 17.000 Total appropriations-1966____ 665,000 DEDUCTIONS Resurfacing East Capitol St. and 2 adjacent drives, extending from 1st St. east to the Capitol Plaza ; Non-recurring item allowed for 1966, not required for 1967___ Purchase of a new 2-ton truck, with an all-metal dump body, in replacement of a 1954 dump truck: Nonrecurring item allowed for 1966, not required for 1967. Purchase of a new air compressor in replacement of a 1941 air compressor: Nonrecurring item allowed for 1966, not required for 1967--- Snow removal: Annual allotment reduced from $22,000 to normal annual amount of $5,000, due to elimination of nonrecurring supplemental of $17,000 allowed for 1966__ Base for 1967___ $17,000 4,000 5,000 17,000 -$43, 000 622, 000 ADDITIONS Wage-rate increases authorized by Public Law 763, 83d An increase of $5,553 is requested for 1967 to meet on a full-year basis the cost of increased wage rates established for these wage board positions as a result of a general survey of government and industrial employees' wages in the Washington metropolitan area, conducted during the past year. The new rates went into effect Dec. 5, 1965, in accordance with the provisions of Public Law 85-872, 85th Cong. This increase is necessary in order that the Capitol Grounds Wage Board employees may be compensated on a fullyear basis in the fiscal year 1967 in accordance with present prevailing rates. An increase of $4,744 is requested for 1967 to meet the cost of within-grade promotions and other changes falling due in that year, authorized by Public Law 763 under the wage board system, for employees compensated under that act. Overtime and holiday pay allotment increased from $61,000 to $71,000__ This increase is requested to cover actual current payroll overtime and holiday pay costs and to provide overtime and holiday pay for 8 additional employees requested for 1967. 8 additional positions: 7 gardener positions, wage board grade 6 at 5,429 per annum each. 1 tree culture worker helper, wage board grade 5 at $5,200 per annum.. The need for these additional employees is explained as follows: 3 gardeners are required for care and maintenance of the landscaped areas above the underground garages being constructed in squares 637 and 691 located immediately south of the House Office Buildings. The landscaping is expected to be completed during the first quarter of the fiscal year 1967. The landscaping will include, in each square, a large display fountain, 10, 297 10, 000 43, 203 ADDITIONS-continued walkways, terraces, retaining walls, grass plots, trees The work necessary to be done is such as to require 2 gardeners are required for proper care and maintenance of the landscaped areas surrounding the Cannon and Longworth House Office Buildings; also, for work required in the courts of the Rayburn Building over and beyond work taken into consideration when the Capitol Grounds force was augmented in 1965. Since then, additional flowerbeds have been planted in the courts of the Rayburn Building; and whereas it was thought it would only be necessary to empty and clean the display fountains in these courts once a month, experience has proven that it is necessary to clean these fountains twice a month, requiring additional work. With respect to the Cannon and Longworth Buildings, the landscaped areas about these two buildings have been planted with flowering trees and shrubs during the past season, resulting in additional maintenance work to be done. 1 gardener is required for proper care and maintenance of the landscaped areas surrounding the Old and New Senate Office Buildings and the court of the Old Building. During the past year, the landscaped areas surrounding the Old Senate Office Building have been extensively planted with flowering trees and shrubs, resulting in additional work. 1 gardener is required to augment the force maintaining the Capitol Grounds to assist in the care of additional areas planted with flowerbeds and other plant material during the past year in an effort to further beautify the Capitol Grounds. Large flowerbeds have been planted on the west front lawn area; and, if funds requested for 1967 are allowed for beautifying two additional areas in the Capitol Grounds, these areas will also require additional maintenance. 1 tree culture worker helper should be added to the Grounds maintenance force, which now consists of 1 foreman, 3 tree culture workers, and 2 helpers. The care of the trees in the Capitol Grounds is an important and time-demanding operation and an adequate force should be provided. The duties of the helper requested for 1967 would include such tasks as digging and removing tree stumps; cutting felled trees with axes and crosscut saw to size for disposal; watering and fertilizing trees, and cleaning up worksites upon completion of tree maintenance work by the tree culture workers. Contribution to retirement fund increased from $27,600 to $32.600. This item is required to cover the cost of Government contribution to retirement fund required by Public Law 854, 84th Cong. The additional cost results from increase in basic pay rates and from the proposed addition of 8 more employees. $5,000 ADDITIONS-continued Additions to water supply system to Capitol: Nonrecuring item__. This item is urgently recommended, as it is in the interest of fire safety. As a result of findings disclosed in the surveys and studies made in renewing the plumbing system in the Main Library of Congress Building, careful study and measurement of the water pressures in the Capitol Building were made during the past year. These studies disclose that, as a result of frequent fluctuations in the water pressure in the pipes of the District water system, there are subnormal and unequal water pressures in the House Wing of the Capitol, resulting in an urgent need for additional connections to the street mains of the District's water supply system in order to insure adequate water supply in the Capitol in the event of fire in the upper parts of the building. The prevailing deficiency results primarily from the differences in the hydraulic characteristics of the existing sources of supply. To correct present unsatisfactory conditions, it is proposed to increase and balance the water supply pressure throughout the Capitol by installing an exterior bypass between the 12-inch service main in East Capitol Street and the 12-inch service main in Independence Avenue, extending the same through the Capitol Grounds. The work involves the installation of 700 linear feet of 12-inch water main, with necessary fittings and control stations; excavating, backfilling and repaving of sidewalks and street surfaces; installation of an additional tie line between the southside sprinkler service and the firepump in the east front extension; replacement of two 12-inch valves in a manhole near the east entrance to the Capitol. The work can be accomplished within 12 months after availability of funds, at a cost of $35,000. Landscape improvements, Northeast and Southeast Triangles at Capitol Plaza : Nonrecurring item___ At present, there are two triangular areas in the Capitol Grounds, abutting the East Plaza, which it is proposed under this estimte to develop into parklike resting areas, planted with flowerbeds, flowering trees and shrubs, which will add much to the beautification of the Capitol Grounds. These two triangles, located at the northeast and southeast ends of the Plaza, are each similar in size, measuring approximately 11,300 square feet, or onequarter of an acre. At present, they are planted with grass and several large old shrubs. A drinking fountain was installed in each triangle, in March 1965; and a wrought-iron settee is located in the northeast triangle. There are wide sidewalks along the west sides of each of the triangles, which are in poor condition and should be replaced. There are very few areas in the Capitol Grounds where the many visitors to the Capitol can rest and relax for a time, wait for their friends or members of their families, or assemble comfortably in small groups. The proposed development of these two triangles would provide such accommodation. Under the amount of $64,500, it is proposed to develop these two triangles into parklike resting areas, planted with flowerbeds, flowering trees and shrubs. Nine granite benches would be placed around each area, and each triangle would contain a small $35, 000 64, 500 |