WAR DEPARTMENT CIVIL FUNCTIONS APPROPRIATION BILL, FISCAL YEAR 1938 JUNE 11, 1937.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. SNYDER, of Pennsylvania from the Committee on Appropriations, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 7493] The Committee on Appropriations submits the following report in explanation of the accompanying bill making appropriations for civil functions of the War Department for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1938, falling under the following heads: Cemeterial expenses. Alaska Communication System. Rivers and harbors. Flood control. United States Soldiers' Home, Wash- Commencing with the fiscal year 1923, in consequence of the Budget and Accounting Act, approved June 10, 1921, appropriations for such of the foregoing items as were then an object of appropriation or have since so become have been included in War Department appropriation acts under a nonmilitary title. Prior to that time, the Alaska Communication System, then denominated the Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System, was the only item of those listed which was appropriated for in the War Department Appropriation Act. Rivers and harbors were appropriated for in a separate act and all other items were carried in what was called the Sundry Civil Appropriation Act. Effective with the commencement of the fiscal year 1938, the committee concluded, instead of having a War Department appropriation bill made up of a military title and a nonmilitary title, to employ a separate bill for the items comprising each title for the reason that despite the two titles and the lack of relationship of the two classifications, it had become quite generally the practice to cite as the cost of the Military Establishment the total of the two groupings, which, of course, was misleading, and carried a false impression to the country and to the world. Complete divorcement seemed to offer the most effective remedy. ESTIMATES The Budget estimates of appropriations for the objects embraced by the bill for the fiscal year 1938 will be found in detail on pages 132 to 134, and 681 to 709, of the Budget, and in House Document No. 175 of the present session. There follows a comparison of the total of the Budget estimates and the total of the appropriations recommended by the committee for 1938 with the total of the current appropriations: Appropriations, 1937. Budget, 1938. Bill, 1938.. Increase, bill compared with 1937 appropriation. Decrease, bill compared with 1938 Budget estimates. $190, 591, 985 194, 375, 544 194, 328, 363 3, 736, 378 47, 181 As above indicated, the committee is proposing the appropriation of a lesser amount by $47,181 than the estimates. A tabulation appears on pages 14 and 15 hereof, comparing the amounts currently available with the Budget estimates and the committee's recommendations. Such tabulation is followed immediately by another table embracing the automatically occurring permanent annual and indefinite appropriations. These are $131,000 below the amount estimated for the current fiscal year. The following is submitted in explanation of changes recommended in the Budget and by the committee: CEMETERIAL EXPENSES For the care, maintenance, and improvement of 76 national cemeteries, 5 Confederate cemeteries, and 15 soldiers' lots, the estimate is $1,167,890, which is $900 in excess of the sum of the original and supplemental appropriations made for the current fiscal year. The net increase, however, really is $356,900, because there are a number of nonrecurring items in the current year not of a usual character. An analysis of the estimate appears on page 7 of the hearings. The major increases and general classifications under which they fall are as follows: Personal services.-This amount is intended to permit of the establishment of 33 additional positions-24 at 5 new cemeteries, 8 at 2 old cemeteries, and 1 at headquarters, Fifth Corps Area. Of the total number, 23 would be laborers and 3 would be watchmen. The committee proposes a reduction of $7,800, upon the following bases: Allow four instead of six laborers at the new national cemetery on Long Island; allow two instead of four laborers at the new national cemetery at Fort Rosecrans; allow two instead of four laborers at the new national cemetery at San Francisco. Repairs and alterations.-Of the increase, $18,523 is needed for general repairs. There are 312 buildings of all classes at all of the national cemeteries. The remainder is for work and projects of a special character touching the cemeteries at Arlington, Va.; Memphis, Tenn.; Balls Bluff, Va.; San Antonio, Tex.; Fort Sam Houston, Tex.; Elmira, N. Y.; and Fort Gibson, Okla. As to Fort Gibson, $3,521 is included in the estimates for a porch addition to the superintendent's lodge-$587 for material and $2,934 for labor. The committee proposes the allowance of $2,500. Otherwise, the estimate under repairs and alterations has not been disturbed. Burial expenses.-The increase of $7,750 is considered necessary by reason of the expansion that has occurred in the strength of the Army. Equipment. Of the increase, $4,753 is needed for initial equipment at new cemeteries, $3,150 for a new hearse at Arlington, and $3,226 for replacement of general maintenance equipment at the several cemeterial establishments. Nonstructural improvements. Of the increase, $17,500 and $29,600 are for the completion of the new national cemeteries at Fort Rosecrans and Fort Sam Houston, respectively, and $33,000 is for the development of the new national cemetery at Baltimore. There is an additional amount of $33,660 for general maintenance at all of the cemeteries, which, for the past 4 years have been considerably aided by emergency funds, allotments to date totaling $1,578,903.84. Whether or not there will be additional assistance after this year from that quarter is problematical. The estimate discounts financial aid from other sources. The committee has added $5,000 to this project for beautifying the grounds of the several national cemeteries. HEADSTONES The Budget estimate was intended to make provision for taking care of the entire number of applications for headstones it is estimated will be received during the fiscal year 1938. The estimate was based upon an average unit cost of $6.65. Bids, subsequently received, warrant an advance of $1.80 in the estimated average unit cost. Consequently, the committee has added $62,940 to the estimate in order that stones may be supplied promptly after interments. The accompanying bill, including additions and subtractions proposed by the committee, carries an increase of $59,119 over the Budget estimate for cemeterial expenses. ALASKA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM The estimate of $166,338, which the committee approves, exceeds the current appropriation by $3,000. The increase is to be employed in carrying forward a gradual equipment modernization program. This system consists of a headquarters and control station at Seattle, and 21 stations at various points in Alaska. Only about 2 percent of the traffic handled pertains to the War Department. Approximately two-thirds of the business is commercial and one-third Government. The latter consists very largely of Weather Bureau business. Government business is handled without charge and Territorial business is charged one-half of the tariff rate on commercial traffic. The system earned in the fiscal year 1936, $308,931.41, which was deposited in the Treasury to the credit of "Miscellaneous receipts." Excluding the cost of military personnel engaged with the activity, the system is considerably more than self-sustaining. Including such expense, costs exceed revenues by approximately $180,000. This, of course, discounts the worth of the service to other Federal agencies. UNITED STATES HIGH COMMISSIONER TO THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS The estimate for the maintenance of this office is $152,600, which is $9,000 less than the current appropriation. There is a reduction of $10,000 for rent and an increase of $1,000 for equipment. The estimate divides generally: The committee proposes a further reduction of $12,100, as follows: Personal services.-Reduce rates of pay attaching to the positions of legal adviser and financial expert from $12,000 and $10,000, respectively, to $8,000 and $7,500, respectively, and reduce the rates of pay of the positions of assistant legal adviser and assistant financial expert from $7,500 each to $6,500 each. The law provides that the High Commissioner "shall have such staff and assistants as the President may deem advisable and as may be appropriated for by Congress, including a financial expert.' While the present rates of compensation attaching to the positions mentioned have been appropriated for heretofore, they were not originally established by law. The initial appropriation for this office, carried in the Second Deficiency Appropriation Act, fiscal year 1935, did carry, and the current War Department Appropriation Act continues to carry, a provision establishing the maximum rate of pay for the legal adviser and financial expert at $12,000 and $10,000 each, respectively. Considering the rates of compensation attaching to positions in the Federal service in Washington and elsewhere in the United States of equal responsibility and importance, the Committee feels that the modified rates proposed are entirely adequate. Rent. A reduction of $1,400 is proposed to bring the appropriation in line with prospective obligations. There is being paid now rental at the rate of $1,000 per month for offices and $550 per month for the High Commissioner's residence. These expenses will disappear upon the completion of the residence and office quarters now in course of construction. Miscellaneous expenses.-Included in the item of miscellaneous expenses is $10,000 for expenditure in the discretion of the High Commissioner for maintenance of his household and such other purposes as he may deem proper. The committee proposes that this amount be reduced to $7,800, which is the maximum paid to Foreign Service officers for household maintenance and representation allowances. Flood control: General (Copeland Act).. Mississippi River (Overton Act). Sacramento River_.. Lowell Creek, Alaska... Salmon River, Alaska... Total__. $30, 000, 000 22, 500, 000 100, 000 814, 500 1,000 800 181, 416, 300 The foregoing amounts agree without exception with Budget proposals. An item of $94,200 for the protection, preservation, and repair of historical fortifications at San Juan, P. R., is not recommended for approval. RIVERS AND HARBORS Maintenance. There follows a recapitulation of the amounts proposed to be allocated for the preservation and maintenance of existing river and harbor works: Maintenance of river and harbor projects: Harbors and channels: Atlantic coast.. Gulf coast Pacific coast. Intracoastal waterways. Inland waterways.. Great Lakes system: Connecting channels. Operating and care.. Examinations, surveys, and contingencies. Miscellaneous.... Total---- $6, 786, 650 4, 251, 500 3, 486, 300 2, 009, 500 6, 142, 229 278, 400 2, 591, 400 7, 443, 075 1, 560, 000 2,628, 845 37, 177, 899 The details are supplied in the table commencing on page 37 of the hearings. The appropriation proposed for 1938 compares, in total, with $38,677,899 for the current fiscal year. There is a reduction of $1,500,000. The amount recommended, however, conforms with prospective needs, in the judgment of the Chief of Engineers, and with that official's recommendation to the Bureau of the Budget. New work. The appropriation proposed for new work is detailed in the table commencing on page 44 of the hearings. A recapitulation of such table follows: |