Old House Wing.

CAPITOL GROUNDS

Senator MONRONEY. Turning to your justifications, page 55, the $17,000 requested for resurfacing East Capitol Street and the two adjacent drives will complete the improvement of all of the vehicular approaches to the Capitol Plaza on the east side. Is that correct? Mr. STEWART. Yes.

Senator MONRONEY. Does East Capitol Street run between the Old House Office Building and what was called the New House Office Building?

Mr. STEWART. East Capitol Street is right in front of the Capitol, to the east.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA JURISDICTION

Senator MONRONEY. There are some streets that are badly in need of repair between the Old and the New House Office Buildings. Is that our jurisdiction or the jurisdiction of the District of Columbia? Mr. HENLOCK. Our jurisdiction extends to the face of the curbs surrounding all our buildings.

Senator MONRONEY. You are not figuring anything, then, for those streets? They are awfully beaten out.

Mr. STEWART. Are you referring to First Street or Constitution Avenue?

Senator MONRONEY. The extension that runs in front of the Capitol but it lies between the Old and the New House Office Buildings. Mr. STEWART. That would be New Jersey Avenue.

Mr. ROOF. That is under the jurisdiction of the District of Columbia. Senator MONRONEY. You might get in touch with them and tell them them to look at the condition of that area and then the one on the far side, too.

Mr. ROOF. The latter area was mentioned the other day before this committee and it will be taken care of. I am referring to C street. Senator MONRONEY. And then the street that runs east and west down to the throughway.

Mr. STEWART. Č Street will be completely paved all the way the Congressional Hotel down to Canal Street.

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Senator MONRONEY. But that is done by the District of Columbia? Mr. STEWART. Yes, sir; the Canal Street section may be delayed until such time as action is taken on the freeway innerloop to be constructed there.

Senator MONRONEY. Is there any more restorative work of any kind in prospect on the east side, or will this complete the work? Mr. STEWART. This would complete the work in its entirety.

SENATE OFFICE BUILDINGS

Senator MONRONEY. For the maintenance and operation of the Senate Office Buildings, you are requesting $2,468,700 from which I understand you have subsequently withdrawn $10,000 for the maintenance of air conditioning and refrigeration systems, since it was possible to repair the deficient compressors in lieu of replacements.

Mr. HENLOCK. That is correct.

REPLACEMENT OF FIREHOSES AND FOG NOZZLES

Senator MONRONEY. Outside of the mandatory wage adjustments, there seems to be only one additional item of increase, that is, $10,000 for replacement of firehoses and fog nozzles in the buildings.

Would you state for the record the necessity for these replacements? Mr. STEWART. This is a nonrecurring request. The existing firehoses in the Senate Office Buildings are, at present, single-jacket, unlined hoses which are subject to mildew and are nonresistant to acid and abrasion.

Senator MONRONEY. How old are they?

Mr. STEWART. Many of them are 25 to 30 years old.

Senator MONRONEY. They are very old and dangerous if they had to be used in a fire.

Mr. STEWART. That is right. We are requesting the purchase of 9,100 lineal feet of single-jacket, latex-lined, synthetic-fiber hose, with fittings in replacement of the existing hose. This modern hose is resistant to mildew, acid, and abrasion and suffers no loss of flexibility when dried after use, in contrast to the existing hose.

In addition, it is proposed to purchase 91 fog nozzles in replacement of existing straight-stream nozzles, which can be used with better control and will extinguish a fire in a shorter period of time than the straight-stream nozzles. Both these items are recommended by our safety engineer.

Senator MONRONEY. Of course, the firehoses you buy will be approved by the fire underwriter, I am sure, will they not? Mr. STEWART. Yes, sir; it will all be standard equipment.

THE 1965 INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CLOCK AND CALL SYSTEM

Senator MONRONEY. Last year, the committee allowed funds for the installation of an electric clock and call system in the old building. Has this work been completed?

Mr. RUBEL. Yes, sir; 500 electronic clocks were installed in the Old Senate Office Building. This work was completed last December. Senator MONRONEY. How about the bells?

Mr. RUBEL. The new buzzers are in the new clock cases. All of the old wiring and buzzers have been eliminated. The new system has been operating satisfactorily since last December.

Senator MONRONEY. You had sufficient funds to take care of this? Mr. RUBEL. Yes, sir.

THE 1965 MODERNIZATION OF SENATE OFFICE BUILDING ELEVATOR No. 10

Senator MONRONEY. Also, has the modernization of elevator No. 10 in the old building been effected-also authorized last year?

Mr. RUBEL. Yes, sir; that work was completed 2 weeks ago. Senator MONRONEY. We have a good deal of complaint about that elevator, the fact that it wasn't running, and I presume that that was because it was still under repair; is that correct?

Mr. RUBEL. Yes, sir.

Senator MONRONEY. It will be modernized to a high-speed elevator, will it not?

Mr. RUBEL. All the old equipment has been replaced with new parts, except the car itself and the car doors.

Senator MONRONEY. Is the speed the same as the other elevator? Mr. RUBEL. Yes, sir; the new speed is 500 feet per minute.

Senator MONRONEY. They are much faster in the old building than they are in the new building.

Mr. RUBEL. The primary difference between the old and the new buildings is that the ceiling heights in the old building are greater than in the new building. The ceiling heights in the old building are 14 and 16 feet, whereas in this building they are about 10 feet high.

Senator MONRONEY. Do you use faster elevators in higher ceilinged buildings?

Mr. RUBEL. Not necessarily. With more distance to travel between the floors, the elevators can attain a higher speed. It takes a definite amount of time to accelerate the elevator and get it up to top speed.