SUPPLEMENTAL STATEMENT OF DR. W. A. WHITE SUBPOENAS IN GREEN CASE MARCH 6, 1929. Dr. WILLIAM A. WHITE, Superintendent St. Elizabeths Hospital, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR DOCTOR WHITE: Your attention is called to the following passage from the hearing on February 28, while John A. Savage was testifying and discussing the case of William Green. "Mr. SCHAFER. In order to keep the record straight, I ask unanimous consent that Doctor White incorporate at this point a statement indicating if a subpoena was issued upon him requiring Tisdale to appear before the grand jury, and if it was, what return was made; and if he was not permitted to appear before the grand jury, the reasons why." This unanimous consent request was granted, and a moment later Mr. Schafer stated he would include in it the names of others alleged to have been restrained if Mr. Savage would supply such names. In this connection Mr. Savage has submitted the following names: Frank B. Kuczynski and Robert L. McChesney. At the direction of Mr. Goodwin, chairman of the subcommittee, it is requested that you furnish this information to be incorporated into the record. Also, kindly advise whether you will want to go over the transcript of the hearings before they are transmitted to the Public Printer. Sincerely yours, G. G. BEHRENS, Clerk Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ST. ELIZABETHS HOSPITAL, Washington, D. C., March 8, 1929. Mr. G. G. BEHRENS, Clerk Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments, MY DEAR MR. BEHRENS: In answer to your letter of the 6th instant I am pleased to give you the following information: At the time of the second hearing before the grand jury which was investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of William Green, a colored patient, the following patients were summoned: Frank Kuczynski, George Tisdale, Robert McChesney, John Harris, and William Proctor. Upon receipt of these summons the physician in charge referred the matter to his superior officers, as it seemed rather hazardous to attempt to send such a group through the streets with only such precautions as the hospital was able to use. Frank Kuczynski was a confirmed criminal, very treacherous, and considered about as dangerous a man as we had in the Howard Hall building. George Tisdale was a murderer who was quite bitter against the hospital officials, and very anxious for his freedom. On one occasion he had attempted to escape by assaulting the night supervisor. William Proctor was a negro who had committed rape several times and was extremely abnormal sexually. The It was felt that any one of these three would lose no chance to escape. hospital, therefore, communicated with the marshal's office and asked that that office assume the responsibility of transporting these dangerous criminals through the streets of Washington. This was agreed upon, and the men in question were transported to the courthouse two or three days in succession by the official jail delivery van, commonly known as the "Black Maria." The same arrangement was made when these patients appeared in court later at the actual hearing. Furthermore, members of the grand jury, during their investigation of the Green case, actually visited the Howard Hall building, were taken all through it, and interviewed all the patients in question. The transcript of the grand jury proceedings will show that all these patients did actually appear, and were heard by the grand jury. In response to your offer, I would say that we would very much like to go over the transcript of the hearings before they are transmitted to the Public Printer, as they contain a number of matters critical of the hospital, introduced, mainly at least, by Mr. Savage, which we have not seen nor had an opportunity to read and which were not read at the hearings. We would like the chance of going over these and, if necessary, making comments thereon. Won't you please, in transmitting the record, send me a few copies of the hearing held December 19, 1928, on quarters and allowances at St. Elizabeths Hospital for our use and our records? Sincerely yours, WM. A. WHITE, Superintendent. INVESTIGATION BY PERSONNEL CLASSIFICATION BOARD Mr. PAUL N. PECK, FEBRUARY 28, 1929. Secretary Personnel Classification Board, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: In the course of hearings on quarters and allowances at St. Elizabeths Hospital, before a subcommittee of the Committee on Expenditures in the executive departments, it has been stated by Dr. William A. White, superintendent of the institution under investigation, and his assistant, Mr. Monie Sanger, that because of the hazardous and continuous nature of the work to which those required to live at the institution were subjected, the board found the allowances to resident employees at St. Elizabeths to be without specific monetary value when fixing the ratings under the law which requires deductions for allowances in kind. In order to round out the record of the hearings, Mr. Goodwin, chairman of the subcommittee, has directed me to request from the Personnel Classification Board a copy of the decision referred to by these witnesses. Very truly yours, G. G. BEHRENS, Clerk, Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments. Hon. GODFREY G. GOODWIN, PERSONNEL CLASSIFICATION BOARD, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. GOODWIN: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of March 16, 1929, referring to a letter transmitted to this board under date of February 28, 1929, with respect to the question of quarters and allowances at St. Elizabeths Hospital. When the classification act of 1923 became effective on July 1, 1924, the Personnel Classification Board undertook to allocate the various positions at St. Elizabeths Hospital on the basis of the duties and responsibilities of the positions, taking into consideration the conditions of employment there. One of the board's investigators had made a detailed study and anaylsis of each of the different classes of positions and had discussed with the superintendent of the hospital the desirability of limiting positions carrying maintenance to those positions wherein attendance at the hospital, subject to call at any time within the 24-hour period, was an essential, and it was suggested that in the case of all positions not coming within this category the furnishing of maintenance should be discontinued and the employees be instructed that they would be required to subsist themselves. It is understood by this board that this arrangement was put into effect by the superintendent, and while I do not find in the board's records a formal action in these cases it is my understanding that the board was conversant with the situation and took into consideration when the allocations of the various positions were approved the conditions under which the employees whose positions carried maintenance were required to serve, and accordingly made no schedule of deductions for such maintenance as they received. In view of the language contained in the appropriation bills for next year, the board has undertaken to secure complete and adequate data concerning all positions now under its jurisdiction which carry maintenance and has prepared and is circulating to the various departments and independent establishments a questionnaire by means of which these data will be accumulated. For your information I am sending you, herewith, copies of the board's circular letter No. 27, together with copies of P. C. B. Form No. 17, the maintenance questionnaire. (See below). When these have been completed by the various departments affected and have been returned to the board, the board plans to give careful consideration to all 43607-29-13 of the facts disclosed, and to determine what deductions, if any, should be made in all cases, including those at St. Elizabeths Hospital. It is understood, I presume, that in the institutions under the jurisdiction of the government of the District of Columbia definite deductions are made with the approval of the board in all cases in which maintenance is involved. By direction of the board: Sincerely yours, C. C. VAN LEER, Chairman. (CIRCULAR No. 27) PERSONNEL CLASSIFICATION BOARD, To heads of departments and independent establishments: By the authority vested in the Personnel Classification Board under section 3 of the classification act of 1923 the board is undertaking to accumulate adequate data for all positions within its jurisdiction which at this time carry maintenance of any kind. The board is transmitting herewith a supply of maintenance data sheets, P. C. B. Form No. 17, with the request that full and complete information be furnished as soon as possible concerning each of the positions in your department carrying allowances for maintenance. A separate sheet should be prepared in each individual case in accordance with the instructions contained thereon. It will be observed that a space is provided on the form for the recommendations of the department with respect to the proper amount of deduction for each type of allowance. If additional copies of the form are desired they will be furnished, upon rqeuest, by the secretary to the board. By direction of the board: Very truly yours, C. C. VAN LEER, Chairman. PERSONNEL CLASSIFICATION BOARD FORM NO. 17-MAINTENANCE DATA SHEET Prepare separate form for each employee, showing all items of allowances or maintenance received by the employee in addition to salary or wages. Name of employee Title of position Grade and service Present salary without deductions Indicate in first blank column below by an X what items of allowances are received by the employee, and furnish desired information in succeeding columns concerning each of such items. ; furnished 1 Description of quarters (indicate by an X kind of quarters furnished): 2 Give number of persons Check number of meals per day for each 1 2 3 3 Give number of persons for whom service is rendered, if more than one Basis and need for furnishing quarters, etc. Deduction approved by board (do not fill this space) CLASSIFICATION OF FIREMEN AT ST. ELIZABETHS PERSONNEL CLASSIFICATION BOARD, Washington, District of Columbia. MARCH 6, 1929. GENTLEMEN: In the course of investigation of expenditures at St. Elizabeths Hospital by a subcommittee of the committee, under the chairmanship of Mr. Goodwin, it was stated by Mr. Monie Sanger, assistant to the superintendent at the institution under examination, that a request for reclassification and reallocation of firemen had not been granted. Following is an extract from the record of the hearing on February 28: "Mr. SCHAFER. I think, Mr. Chairman, in view of the fact that the question of experience, capabilities, and the ability of the firemen constitute one of the greatest facilities in the saving of coal, that we should ask the Classification Board why they did not raise the classification so that this institution can keep men of the highest class and experience on the pay roll in those positions. "Mr. GOODWIN. We will do that." Will you kindly give this matter your consideration? G. G. BEHRENS, Clerk Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments. Mr. G. G. BEHRENS, PERSONNEL CLASSIFICATION BOARD, Washington, March 20. 1929. Clerk Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: Your letter of the 6th instant, in reference to the allocation of positions as "firemen" at St. Elizabeths Hospital, and quoting an extract from the record of hearings before the above committee, held on February 28, 1929, has been received and noted. The attention of your committee is respectfully invited to the provisions of the classification act of 1923, as amended by the Welch Act, relating to the work of fireman. * 66* Among the classes of positions included within the description of grade 3 of the custodial service is that class of positions, the duties of which are * * firing and keeping up steam in boilers used for heating purposes in office buildings, cleaning boilers, and oiling machinery and related apparatus * * "" Among the classes of positions described as falling within grade 4 of the custodial service is that class, the duties of which are * * firing or keeping up steam in heating apparatus and operating the boilers and other equipment used for heating purposes Grade 5 of the custodial service includes that class of positions, the duties of which are 66* * * to supervise the operation and maintenance of a small heating plant and its auxiliary equipment * * Under this language the board has placed firemen who are engaged in firing low-pressure boilers with little or no mechanical equipment in grade 3; firemen who are engaged in firing high-pressure boilers with various mechanical devices such as stokers, pumps, etc., in connection with their apparatus, in grade 4; and enginemen who have charge of firemen in the operation of a small heating plant in grade 5. It will be seen that the provisions of the law itself require that firemen be allocated either to grade 3 or grade 4 of the custodial service, and that only supervision of a heating plant justifies allocation higher than grade 4. The board has allocated the firemen at St. Elizabeths Hospital in grade 4, the higher of the two grades specified in the law because the plants in which they work are of the more difficult type. This board does not have authority to determine what is the proper salary range for a particular kind of position, but it has the duty of applying the scale fixed by Congress, and in cases such as this, where the grade definitions are clear and specific, there is no justification for the board ignoring the expressed intent of the Congress when it enacted the law. The board is now engaged in making a wage survey, the final result of which will be reported to Congress at the next session, together with such recommendations as to the existing pay scale as the facts may seem to warrant. It is not possible to state at this time whether the board's recommendations will include any change in the rates fixed for firemen of this class. Respectfully, C. C. VAN LEER, Chairman. COAL AND ELECTRICAL ENERGY CONSUMED AT WALTER REED HOSPITAL Brig. Gen. JAMES M. KENNEDY, Commanding Officer Walter Reed General Hospital, Washington, D. C. MARCH 2, 1929. MY DEAR GENERAL KENNEDY: At the direction of Mr. Goodwin, chairman of the subcommittee investigating quarters and allowances at St. Elizabeths Hospital, it is requested that the commanding officer of Walter Reed Hospital submit for the information of the committee a report showing the amount of coal consumed at that institution annually and the ratio of cost per inmate. Sincerely yours, G. G. BEHRENS, Clerk Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments. G. G. BEHRENS, ARMY MEDICAL CENTER, Washington, D. C., March 8, 1929. Clerk Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. BEHRENS: In compliance with your request of March 2, 1929, inquiring as to the cost of coal consumed at this hospital, the following for calendar year 1928 is submitted: Heating plant: 7,801 tons bituminous coal, at $5.72 per ton, and Total (coal consumed, 13,310.75 tons)- Total number of patient-days... Cost per patient-day of coal consumed, exclusive of officers quarters_ Sincerely yours, $71, 627. 76 $2, 157. 88 $73, 785. 64 318, 498 $0.22489 .00677 .23166 Brig. Gen. JAMES M. KENNEDY, Commanding Officer, Walter Reed General Hospital, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR GENERAL KENNEDY: Re yours March 8, 1929, JMK-WHK-RSA. To supplement the above-named communication, will you kindly furnish for the information of this committee the amount of electrical energy used at Walter Reed Hospital during 1928, and whether any of it was manufactured from coal consumed at the institution as shown in your previous report. Sincerely yours, G. G. BEHRENS, Clerk Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments. |