Mr. O'NEAL. You divide your pay roll on a monthly basis, do you? Mr. ROBERTS. That is right.

Mr. O'NEAL. I was going to ask you how much you have used up to the present time of the appropriation for 1943; but Mr. Shanks has already furnished that information.

This is entirely a salary item, as I understand.
Mr. ROBERTS. That is right.

INCREASE IN NUMBER OF PAGES

I wish to recommend for the consideration of the committee that the number of pages be increased. Owing to the large turn-over, caused by the boys entering the armed services and the increased amount of business of the House, the present number of pages is inadequate to take care of the work efficiently.

ASSISTANTS IN HOUSE PRESS GALLERY

Mr. JOHNSON of Indiana. Mr. Roberts, how many assistants do you have, as superintendents of the House Press Gallery? Mr. ROBERTS. One superintendent and two assistants. Mr. JOHNSON of Indiana. What do they have to do? their duties?

What are

Mr. ROBERTS. They take all messages and phone calls and communicate those to the different newspapermen and give information over the phone as to what is going on on the floor of the House to the offices of different newspapermen.

Mr. JOHNSON of Indiana. That is a service that is set up for the convenience and benefit of the press?

Mr. ROBERTS. Yes, sir. It is an organization controlled by a committee set up by the reporters themselves.

Mr. JOHNSON of Indiana. Does the press contribute anything to the expense of operating the press gallery?

Mr. ROBERTS. Nothing that I know of.

Mr. JOHNSON of Indiana. I notice an item here for the House radio press gallery. Where is that located?

Mr. ROBERTS. That is on the gallery floor, on the east side of the Capitol, between the two elevators.

Mr. JOHNSON of Indiana. What is the activity there?

Mr. ROBERTS. That is a service for the radiomen, similar to the newspaper service.

Mr. JOHNSON of Indiana. They do not actually do any radio work there, do they?

Mr. ROBERTS. No; but they go in the gallery and watch the proceedings and take notes and communicate with the radiomen and deliver bulletins and messages for the radiomen when they appear in the radio room.

Mr. O'NEAL. The decrease here of $360 is due to the fact that two chief pages were changed, and the pages who held those positions drew $2,160 as long as the positions were held by the present incumbents, and when those two pages left, the salary reverted to $1,980, and $180 was saved on each salary?

Mr. ROBERTS. That is right.

Mr. O'NEAL. That accounts for the difference?
Mr. ROBERTS. That is right.

LABORERS TO RELIEVE BARBERS FROM JANITOR SERVICE There is a situation that exists about the barbers that I would like to bring to the attention of the committee. The barbers are carried on the rolls as cloakroom men, and are required to perform certain janitor service. The three barbers in the old H. O. B. are required to clean the gallery floor of the Capitol. The barbers in the Capitol are required to take care of 15 rooms in the Capitol. As a matter of fact they hire outside help to do all the work with the result that very little cleaning is done. My suggestion is that the barbers be relieved of their janitor duties, and that a few extra laborers be given to the Chief Janitor of the Capitol, so that this service may be taken care of properly.

Mr. O'NEAL. Thank you very much, Mr. Roberts.

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 1943.

POST OFFICE, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

STATEMENT OF FINIS E. SCOTT, POSTMASTER

SALARIES

Mr. O'NEAL. We now take up the salaries for the post office of the House of Representatives. The appropriation for 1943, Mr. Scott, is $84,680, and you are asking for the same amount for 1944.

Mr. SCOTT. Yes, sir.

NO DEFERMENTS

Mr. O'NEAL. You are not asking for any deferments from military service in your department, are you?

Mr. SCOTT. No, sir.

TURN-OVER IN PERSONNEL

Mr. O'NEAL. Have you had much of a turn-over?

Mr. SCOTT. Yes, sir.

Mr. O'NEAL. Does that mean that considerable money will be saved through lapses from your pay roll?

Mr. SCOTT. There will be some, but we are filling up. So the money saved from lapses will not be considerable.

Mr. O'NEAL. When your men leave you are able to get others very quickly?

Mr. SCOTT. Reasonably so. We are filling up with reasonable success.

INCREASE IN WORK OF OFFICE

Mr. O'NEAL. Have you any statement that you would like to make, Mr. Scott? If so, we shall be very glad to hear it.

Mr. SCOTT. Not particularly. The estimate for 1944, as you have stated, is the same as the appropriation for the current fiscal year. In fact, there has been no substantial change in the total amount appropriated for running the post office during the last 10 years. Nearly

all the amount is for salaries of employees, and their number is fixed by statute, together with their respective salaries.

The motor-vehicle equipment is the same, respecting number and types of vehicles, as when I took charge of the post office in December 1931.

There has been a fairly steady trend toward an increase in mail handled by the office. I am not referring, of course, to spasmodic waves of mail.

Our stamp sales were almost $93,000 for the calendar year 1942, as compared with about $69,000 in 1941, and approximately $42,000 5 years ago. There has been almost a proportionate increase in the number of money orders sold and cashed.

I am giving these figures because the committee has on occasion asked for this information.

I am not asking for any increase in the appropriation for the current year.

Mr. O'NEAL. Has the volume of your business increased in the past year?

Mr. SCOTT. Yes, sir; it has.

MOTOR VEHICLES

Mr. O'NEAL. Referring to the item for "Motor vehicles," when will it be necessary for you to make a purchase? The item for 1944 for motor vehicles is $2,200, the same as for 1943. Is that for repair chiefly or for the purchase of a new car?

Mr. SCOTT. This year I am going to try to get a new truck, and I hope I shall succeed in doing so.

Mr. O'NEAL. You think you can do it within this amount of money? Mr. SCOTT. Yes, sir.

Mr. O'NEAL. All right; thank you very much, Mr. Scott.

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 1943.

OFFICE OF THE ATTENDING PHYSICIAN

STATEMENT OF DR. GEORGE W. CALVER, ATTENDING PHYSICIAN, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Mr. O'NEAL. We are glad to have with us this afternoon Dr. Calver, the attending physician of the House.

Doctor, for your office you had an appropriation for 1943 of $8,245, and the estimate for 1944 is $6,985, or a reduction of $1,260.

We will be glad to have you make such statement as you may desire in reference to your estimate.

Dr. CALVER. Mr. Chairman, there is no general change in the conditions at the Capitol this year over last year. The effect of the continuous work in the offices and committees is quite noticeable on the health of the Members and the type of case that is coming to my office. While the total patient visits in my office this year were practically the same as for last year, the total visists to all of the first-aid rooms and my own office approximates 3,000 more patient visits than last year.

LATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATION BILL, 1944

is ove, can be repeat this year as most of the material ondition, and will not deterirate. It here was an additional item carriel of $2,385, zide for certain first-aid equipment for use in

a

the advanced firstal first-aid team spent an hour ney would maintain their efficiency in the

ipment. This cooperative spirit has enabled us to

first-aid organization which has been highly commended by the members of the American Red Cross, who have to concern themselves with this work.

There has also been organized a transportation team within the
buildings so that those who might be injured and treated can be
brought to the central first-aid station as quickly as possible and
with the minimum chance for further injury.

Each building has been equipped with a compact first-aid chest,
which contains the necessary supplies for an emergency six-bed hos-
pital and can be operated independently of the equipment in the first-
aid rooms should they be destroyed.

The excellent
Last, but not least, the Members of Congress who are physicians
have given their time and advice from their own experience in the
equipping and operation of our first-aid stations. At each drill, they
have reported to the basic first-aid stations and have been ready to
give such assistance as might have been necessary.
spirit of cooperation which has been exhibited among the entire per-
sonnel on the hill is certainly to be commended. Everyone has tried
to help as they have been best fitted.

Incidentally, the most interesting teams I have had to deal with
have been the teams in the powerhouse, where we had a team on each
watch. They have learned how to do first aid, and learned how to
do anything else necessary. We were hoping to have competitiv
first-aid drills and to bring them up to the Capitol for exhibitio
ecause I think it would have been a very good thing for the res

ams.

NURSE FOR REST ROOM

other matter I would like to bring to the att

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATION BILL, 1944

It has always been the policy of my office to ask for permanent

The was opened last year a first-aid restroom for the lady Mem

As of January 5, 1938, in Senate Comice fee onane

o meet an emergency then existing around the my office and used

bert Congress as well as such women visitors who might be taken

I
have
spoken to
Shed
by
the
Speaker

JAL. Where is she located?

ir. Orse has been placed in charge.

Dr. CALVER. She is in the room assigned by the Speaker

on our corridor

Mr. JOHNSON. What salary
Dr. CALVER. She is getting $1
Mr. JOHNSON. How much would

Dr. CALVER. $1,800.

Mr. JOHNSON. What classification

Dr. CALVER. She would be under the classin

is the lowest professional classification. She

nurse, and all other nurses have been started at this

$1,500 salary?

Mr. O'NEAL. How long ago did she graduate?

was

and in the

Dr. CALVER. She has been at the Capitol off and on, sub

6 or 7 years. She is a graduate nurse of at least 10 years' s

ng.

roll?
Mr. O'NEAL. Has she been here less time than those now on the pay

connection with the work in the rest room?
Mr. ANDERSEN. Doctor, do you have enough to keep her busy in

others are receiving, but is the same rate at which they started.
Dr. CALVER. Yes; and this will give her materially less pay than the

Mr. ANDERSEN. You have to have a woman there anyway.
Dr. CALVER. Yes; I need a woman attendant over there all the time.

NEAL. Thank you for your statement, Doctor.

r. CALVER. Yes, sir. Suppose a woman faints and she is brought office. If we have nobody but men in the office it is a bit embar

f that kind, and we should have a woman available all We have to go out and call in a Member's secretary to hel