There are 75 officers now at the college. The table does not show the actual number now. Mr. PLUMLEY. Are these correspondence courses compulsory? Captain WILKINSON. No, sir. They are entirely voluntary. There are some courses on strategy and tactics, some courses in international law, and some courses for Reserve officers, likewise. Deduct nonrecurring items or other items not required in 1939: Decreased requirements for material__ Base for 1939_ Increases requested for 1939 (a) Recurring items: 1. Repairs to buildings (project No. 5, p. 10) __ (b) Nonrecurring items: 2. Renovating painting (project No. 5, p. 10). 3. Survey roof, Pringle Hall (project No. 5, p. 10). Total nonrecurring items__. Total increases Total estimate for 1939. REPAIRS TO BUILDINGS 200 123,000 1.000 500 500 1,000 2,000 125,000 There are three items of increase from the base for last year, totaling $2,000. The first item is repairs to buildings, an increase of $1,000, which is necessitated by the increasing age of the main building at the War College. It was built in 1894. The estimate also covers minor repairs in connection with two additions that were built in 1904 and 1934. Mr. UMSTEAD. Have you made any effort to obtain W. P. A. funds for the repair of buildings? Captain WILKINSON. We have W. P. A. funds in that neighborhood, sir, and we have used them extensively; but I think that those repairs will be more in the nature of materials than in the actual labor involved. Mr. UMSTEAD. I believe that for the present fiscal year the sum of $3,502 was appropriated for repairs to the buildings at the War College. Captain WILKINSON. Yes, sir. Mr. UMSTEAD. The point I am making, Captain, is that if the appropriation had been used for the purchase of materials, and if W. P. A. labor was available to the Naval Establishment at that point, it would have gone and should have gone much farther than to expend it for material and labor, and I am wondering if you utilized such W. P. A. labor as was available in the handling of that project. Captain WILKINSON. There has been a limited amount of W. P. A. labor available up there for the entire Newport area. The torpedo station had some. I can give those figures in a moment. I do not believe any was specifically available for the War College, and I am not aware whether a specific effort was made to utilize the labor in this case. I feel that they would have used it if they had had an opportunity. I do not think they neglected a chance there. Mr. UMSTEAD. I suppose that the work has not yet been done. Mr. UMSTEAD. But will be done during this fiscal year. Captain WILKINSON. It is underway now, because half of the year is over. Mr. UMSTEAD. I suggest to you that you look into the matter, and to whatever extent it is possible to do so, you use the W. P. A. labor, which will make more of that appropriation available for the purchase of material. Captain WILKINSON. I will do so, sir. I have an item from our Bureau of Yards and Docks which gets central reports with respect to the utilization of W. P. A. labor. They have an item that they expect to carry out this year at the. training station and the War College, with respect to the library extension and the steam-heating extension, of $8,600. So very evídently they are using W. P. A. labor wherever they can. Telegraphic advices received from the War College on this point state: "Estimates of 1938 and 1939 for repairs to buildings do not embrace Works Progress Administration labor due to scarcity of dependable skilled Works Progress Administration labor in this locality. Repairs are made by local public works forces with cost averaging three-fourths for labor and one-fourth for material. No reductions possible without resultant deterioration of buildings. Unskilled Works Progress Administration labor is utilized at all opportunities." RENOVATING PAINTINGS The second item is renovating paintings, $500. It is a new item, not an increase of any other. There are six paintings there of considerable historical value, and by reason of the climate and their age and general wear and tear they need extensive renovation to preserve them. It was estimated some time ago that the cost would be $500 each, but I think that estimate is somewhat high, and we are asking for $500 now to start in on the renovation and go as far as we can with it. Mr. UMSTEAD. I believe you stated that the estimate is for the beginning of the renovation of the paintings. Captain WILKINSON. Yes, sir. It may be sufficient to complete them; it may be only a small part of it. We cannot tell at the moment just how far it will go. REPAIRS TO ROOF OF PRINGLE HALL Mr. UMSTEAD. Captain, the next item, for which $500 is requested, is, as you say in your justification, for exploring and locating the cause of leaks, and the justification refers to the plastering in room 161. Captain WILKINSON. Yes, sir. Mr. UMSTEAD. Does the Department feel that it will require $500 just to find out where the leaks are and what is causing them? Captain WILKINSON. It looks as though we would have to go in there and practically tear the building apart. They have been unable by an ordinary superficial examination to find the leaks, and it will take considerable money to tear the construction out and replace it. It is an unfortunate circumstance. The building is fairly new, but I think it has gone beyond the contractor-guaranty stage. Mr. UMSTEAD. I suggest that you look into that and be quite certain that it has before you go ahead. Captain WILKINSON. I will inquire into that. The War College advises that the contract did not include any warranties or guaranties. The work was completed April 21, 1934. DECREASE IN ESTIMATE FOR HEAT, LIGHT, POWER, AND WATER Mr. UMSTEAD. Captain, I notice that there is a decrease in the item for heat, light, power, and water, of $1,786. I am interested to know how that saving will be effected. Admiral ANDREWS. In general I may answer that, sir. This heat, light, water, and power is received from the training station at Newport. As you know, the War College is situated on the training station. I think this is simply a difference in bookkeeping, where we found that we used less heat, light, and so on, in the War College buildings. That is about the way that was arrived at. You see, they charge us at the War College for so much heat, light, and so on, from the central plant, and that central plant furnishes heat, light, power, water, and so on, to the whole station, which is very extensive. Captain WILKINSON. The returns have come in for 1937 and 1936, and as the result of those two returns, the initial allocation, which was $7,900, was changed to be $6,114, a saving of $1,786. Mr. THOм. Was there any reduction in the cost of production? Captain WILKINSON. No; it was a clear overestimate last year, sir. The expenditures for 1936 and 1937 were $5,000 apiece, and they are now allowing $6,000, which will be a sufficient margin. NAVAL TRAINING STATION, SAN DIEGO, CALIF. Mr. UMSTEAD. The next item is the "Naval training station at San Diego." Captain WILKINSON. The purpose of this appropriation is to provide funds for the maintenance and repair of buildings and grounds of the Naval Training Station, San Diego, Calif., and for the opera tion of the station as a training activity for 5,539 recruits and 1,425 service-school students during the fiscal year 1939. The estimate for 1939 and the allocation of the appropriation for 1938 are based upon actual expenditures for the fiscal years 1937 and 1936 and take into consideration the following factors: (a) The assignment of 5,539 recruits for training during 1939, in comparison with 5,000 recruits assigned for the fiscal year 1938 and (b) The assignment of 1,425 service-school students during the fiscal year 1939, in comparison with 1,425 to be assigned during 1938 and 1,353 students actually graduated during the fiscal year 1937. (3 fewer working days). 1 Universal grinder--- Regular appropriation, 1938 act.. Deduct nonrecurring items or other items not required in 1939: 1 planer, single surface, 30-inch-- $160, 359 $646 1,400 1,850 3, 896 1939 base 156, 463 Increases requested for 1939-Nonrecurring items (project No. 2, p. 6): 1. Renewal of street-lighting cable-- 2. Removal and reinstallation of electric transformers_. 3. Replacement of 3 worn-out typewriters at $70 each. 4. Replacement of 1 worn-out mimeograph machine----. 5. Replacement of 1 worn-out dishwashing machine---- Total increases__. Total estimate for 1939. RENEWAL OF STREET-LIGHTING CABLE 500 1,000 210 450 1,736 3,896 160, 359 Captain WILKINSON. Referring to the first item of $500 for renewal of street-lighting cable, the present cable is 14 years old and already shows deterioration. In the new installation it is proposed to include means of cutting out section lights when not in use, an economy feature not possible with the present installation. The estimate provides for renewal of 1,000 feet of the existing 3,000; one-third of the total. REMOVAL AND REINSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC TRANSFORMERS The second item is for removal and reinstallation of electric transformers, $1,000. The 14 electric transformers are at present installed below ground, as a result of which deterioration is apparent and disruption of service is experienced, occasioned by conduits flooding during periods of heavy rains. Platforms for proposed locations have been erected out of current funds as they became available— W. P. A. funds. Mr. UMSTEAD. If the location underground is such as described by you, was it an error to have arranged it in that way to begin with, or was it faulty construction, permitting damage by water and dampness? Captain WILKINSON. I do not think it was faulty construction. I think that when the section was built, during the war, it was probably simpler to lay them under ground than it might have been to erect concrete foundations. I do not know what the common practice was at that time, but at present they think it is much better practice to have them above ground. REPLACEMENT OF TYPEWRITERS The third item is replacement of three typewriters at $70 each, $210. The estimate provides for replacement of three of the 25 typewriters which require replacement. The others will be replaced in succeeding fiscal years. Mr. UMSTEAD. How long is the average useful life of a typewriter in service such as these are engaged in? Mr. HENKEL. Seven years is a good life for them. Captain WILKINS. Most of these have been in use for about 10 years, and repairs and upkeep occasion excessive expenditure of funds. REPLACEMENT OF MIMEOGRAPH MACHINE The next item covers the replacement of one worn-out mimeograph machine, $450. This is to cover the purchase of one mimeograph machine, electrically operated, automatic feed, to replace a machine that is used extensively, principally in the preparation of school papers and tests, and on which repairs have assumed excessive proportions. REPLACEMENT OF DISHWASHING MACHINE The last item is the replacement of a worn-out dishwashing machine, $1,736. Mr. UMSTEAD. How many do you have of these machines? Captain WILKINSON. There are six dishwashing machines now installed. They are antiquated, inadequate, and unsatisfactory, their operation being such that there is no certainty of sterilization of tableware and mess gear. From a health standpoint an allowance to procure at least one machine in partial replacement of the six on hand is most earnestly stressed. NAVAL TRAINING STATION, NEWPORT, R. I. Mr. UMSTEAD. The next item is the naval training station at Newport. Captain WILKINSON. The purpose of this appropriation is to provide funds for the maintenance and repair of buildings and grounds of the naval training station, Newport, R. I., and for the operation of the station for the purpose of training 3,692 recruits during the fiscal year 1939. |