was placed in operation March 19, 1947. A small cafeteria, known as the coffee shop, has been installed on the basement floor level adjacent to the kitchen to replace the former coffee shop upstairs. This new coffee shop was placed in operation February 18, 1947. The structural and mechanical work in connection with these changes was done under funds provided for such purpose in the Third Deficiency Appropriation Act, 1946, and the equipment and furnishings supplied from the general operating funds of the restaurant. Mr. JOHNSON. Has the new private dining room and coffee shop arrangement and the small cafeteria been in operation long enough to tell whether they are operating profitably or not? Mr. BROCKWELL. The coffee shop downstairs will probably about break even. We had a small loss there the first few months, which was to be expected with the new crew and entirely new set-up; but it will, over a period of months, break even. The Members' dining room will never break even and will probably lose $6,000 or $8,000 a year, because it is there just for use at lunch time and is not patronized except for a short period, and we still have to have a crew there to operate it and control it. We have an extra cashier and an extra checker and four people in the service pantry, plus the waiters outside for the very small amount of business done. Mr. JOHNSON. Will that make your total loss more on account of having that room in operation? Mr. BROCKWELL. It will, unless we are able to offset it by savings or economies of some sort. Mr. LYNN. Under the controlling statutes, a special deposit account is maintained in the Treasury for the restaurant; and receipts from operation, together with all other funds, are deposited in and disbursed from that account by checks drawn on the Treasurer of the United States. The restaurant accounts are audited by the General Accounting Office. OPERATING LOSSES The net loss from operation for the fiscal year 1946 amounted to $551. In addition to this amount, the restaurant spent $1,862 for the initial work on a deep-freezer unit, thereby increasing the 1946 deficit to $2,413. The net loss from operation for the fiscal year 1947 is expected to amount to approximately $41,000. In addition to this amount, the restaurant will have spent $37,100 for the following capital improvements: $20,000 to equip and furnish the Members' private dining room and pantry; $13,850 to equip and furnish the new coffee shop; $3,250 to complete the installation of the deep-freezer unit, thereby increasing the 1947 deficit to $78,100. INCREASE OF PERSONNEL COSTS In this connection, it is to be noted, however, that Public Law 390, Seventy-ninth Congress, Federal Employees Pay Act of 1946, has increased pay-roll costs for the fiscal year 1947 by approximately $20,000; also that the operating expenses for the fiscal year 1947 were increased by $15,273 because of the comparatively long adjournment period of 5 months at the close of the Seventy-ninth Congress, during which period the House restaurant in the Capitol was completely shut down and it was necessary to pay most of the employees either a full salary or a substantial part thereof. Furthermore, food costs during the current fiscal year are approximately 40 percent higher than in the preceding fiscal year. Mr. JOHNSON. Do I understand, Mr. Lynn, that the restaurant employees are paid straight time whether the restaurant is open or not? Mr. LYNN. During the war period when we had short recesses, we did pay the employees to hold them, because we could not tell when Congress would reconvene. Then, during this past summer's recess of 5 months, we kept most of them on the pay roll. They are all House employees, just the same as the doorkeepers and other employees of the House, who are kept on the pay roll during the recess or adjournment of Congress. Mr. BROCKWELL. Excuse me. There was not a complete payment to everybody on the pay roll, Mr. Johnson. The payment was based on the length of service and the full payment was made only to people in key jobs. Mr. JOHNSON. Do these employees have civil-service status? Mr. BROCKWELL. No, sir; they do not have civil-service status or retirement. And under the then existing conditions it was a matter of either paying them a substantial percent of their salary to protect ourselves and having an operating force when we came back into session or just grabbing what we could and being in a terrible mess when we did try to reopen. Mr. JOHNSON. What is the present plan, say, if we adjourn August 1? Mr. BROCKWELL. Well, the situation is easier, but we will have to pay some of those people at least a part of their salary to get them to come back. You cannot expect people in jobs like that to be available when you want them again if you do not give them some inducements. Mr. JOHNSON. I see you have quite a problem. Mr. BROCKWELL. Yes. Mr. LYNN. Based on this year's experience, it is estimated that the annual appropriation of $27,500 requested for 1948 will again be required to meet operating losses and other expenses in connection with the restaurants for the fiscal year 1948. (After discussion off the record:) Mr. JOHNSON. I believe that concludes your items. Thank you a lot, gentlemen. THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1947. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STATEMENTS OF HON. JOHN ANDREWS, CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; J. C. SHANKS, DISBURSING CLERK; AND JOHN C. PAGE, PROPERTY CUSTODIAN Mr. JOHNSON. We will now proceed to consideration of the items for the House of Representatives. Mr. Andrews, you have a general statement, I presume. Mr. ANDREWS. Yes; I have, Mr. Chairman. Mr. JOHNSON. You may proceed. GENERAL STATEMENT Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, the revised estimates of appropriations required by the legislative branch, House of Representatives, for the fiscal year 1948, as submitted through the Bureau of the Budget, revolutionizes the style and plan of submitting these estimates as was the policy heretofore. Mr. JOHNSON. May I interrupt to inquire whose idea that was, if you know? Mr. ANDREWS. We talked about it here. It is more or less along the lines, I believe, of the other supply bills. The legislative bill, as I understand, was the only bill that carried the positions by name, and all of the other supply bills just carried a lump sum for the various offices. Is that correct, Mr. Shanks? Mr. SHANKS. You are right. The fact of the matter is Mr. Harvey, the head clerk of your main committee, Mr. Andrews, and I, about 2 months ago, had a conference and it was suggested that we revise the 1948 estimates along these lines. Mr. Harvey, I think, discussed it with Mr. Cannon and Mr. Taber, and I also understood he talked to you about it, Mr. Chairman, and that it was O. K.'d with your approval. Mr. JOHNSON. There was a discussion with me, and I think I talked to two or three different people. Mr. SHANKS. As Mr. Andrews, Clerk of the House, has stated, the legislative branch, that is, the House and the Senate, are the only two bodies that have itemized every particular position with the name, title, and the exact salary which the individual receives. In the Government departments they all come in with a lump sum. But this break-down we have placed in front of you, is an itemized statement of how the total lump sum was arrived at. On this statement we have listed every position created by the Congress based upon the 1947 bill, and subject to wuch changes as authorized by law since then. Mr. JOHNSON. Pardon the interruption. Proceed, Mr. Andrews. Mr. ANDREWS. With your permission, we will start presenting these revised estimates paragraph by paragraph, and each member of your committee has before him a photostatic copy of these estimates broken down and itemized as to each position or title thereof so that they can follow in detail the figures worked out on which the total amount was based in submitting such estimates through the Bureau of the Budget. ITEMIZED BREAK-DOWN OF REVISED ESTIMATES FOR 1948 I might suggest that this itemized break-down of the revised estimates for 1948 be printed in the hearings as a matter of permanent record for future reference. Mr. JOHNSON. I believe that will be all right. Mr. SHANKS. If I may interrupt, this itemized statement not only lists the department and each individual position, but first reflects the unit base of each salary provided by the 1947 act, as amended, and then gives the total base, the total increased compensation, independently, under the two pay acts, as well as the gross amount of each individual salary and the total amount recommended to be included in the 1948 bill. (The matter above referred to is as follows:) House of Representatives, fiscal year 1948, itemized estimates of appropriations 1 Lump sum. To continue available under the limitations of House Resolution No. 95 adopted Jan. 18, 1945, i. e. ➡ be vacated whenever a vacancy occurs in the position of a reading clerk. 3 The $900 additional is provided as an assistant to the Clerk of the House so long as the position of sest -ant enrolling clerk is held by the present incumbent. |