At that time, six new construction projects were contemplated or in progress The Rayburn House Office Building, the cafeteria in the courtyard of the Longworth House Office Building, the garage in the courtyard of the Cannon House Office Building, the new Senate subway transportation system, the House subway transportation system, and extension of the east central front of the Captol and other changes and improvements authorized under the extension of the Capitol project. There was also contemplated replacement of the 60-year-nic heating system in the Main Library of Congress Building with a new heating and air-conditioning system. More recently, two underground garages were costructed for the House of Representatives. Most of these improvements have now been completed. In effecting the changes, improvements, and expansion in the Capitol Power Plant and its steam and chilled-water distribution systems, it has been neces sary to gear the same to the timetable under which the new projects have been accomplished. The Capitol Power Plant program has been geared accordingly and 85 percent of the work authorized by Public Law 85-895 has now been completed or placed under contract. Improvements and changes effected, to date, have included the following: Two 1,100-ton refrigeration machines, complete with geared drives and 1,250-horse power electric motors, and two 2,200-ton refrigeration machines, complete with geared drives and 2,500-horsepower electric motors, have been installed at the Capitol Power Plant's refrigeration plant. Installation of these four machines has increased the capacity of the refrigeration plant from a total of 8,800 tons is 15,400 tons. As an adjunct to these installations, a three-cell cooling tower having a capacity equivalent to the condensing requirements of three 2,200-ton refrigeration machines was constructed on the Capitol Power Plant grounds. An additional chilled-water pump of 9,800-gallons-per-minute capacity, having hydraulic characteristics identical with those of three existing chilled-water pumps, was installed at the plant. The four pumps now have a total pumping capacity of 39,200 gallons per minute at an imposed head of 245 feet of water A dual piping system, consisting of one chilled-water supply main and one r turn main, was installed from the southeast corner of the Old Senate Office Building to the Senate terrace of the Capitol Building. This new section of chilled-water piping established a physical connection between previously sepa rate east and west distribution systems, thus providing a complete loop circuit from and to the Capitol Power Plant. This loop circuit has made possible a successful redistribution of the chilled-water supply to all buildings connected to the system-a compelling requirement brought about by the construction of the Rayburn House Office Building. A new railroad siding has been constructed on the Virginia Avenue side of the Capitol Power Plant grounds. The new track system is designed to accommodate storage for eight 70-ton coal cars, while eight additional cars of like capacity can be delivered to or removed from the plant grounds. This new siding has sthstantially expedited the coal-handling process and has eliminated the frequen car derailments and other hazards experienced with the old track system. Four oil-fired steam generators, each having a capacity to produce 50,000 pounds of steam every hour, were installed at the plant. The addition of thes oil-fired steam generators has increased the installed steam generating capacity of the Capitol Power Plant from 330,000 pounds per hour to 530,000 pounds per hour. Oil storage faciilties, installed at the plant, include two 10,000-gallon underground steel tanks connected by a concrete tunnel to an underground concrete storage tank with sufficient capacity to store 200,000 gallons of fuel oil. The antiquated coal-handling system, placed in operation in 1910 and designed to alternately deliver coal from the storage yard or track hopper to the cs. bunkers within the plant, was removed from service in the spring of 1965; was demolished, and replaced by a modern system of hoppers, inclined belt conveyors oil-fired car-thawing devices and a mechanical car shaker. The new system is capable of delivering variable quantities of coal up to approximately 200 tors maximum each hour from either a track hopper where coal is dumped from the cars, or from a coal-yard hopper in the storage yard; so that coal can now conveyed from the track hopper to the bunkers, from the track hopper to storage yard, or from the storage yard to the bunkers through separate syste of inclined conveyor belts. A contract was awarded in the fall of 1966 for accomplishing modifications and extensions to the portion of the west steam distribution system located under South Capitol Street, extending from Canal Street to Independence Avenue. Work under this contract was completed in December 1967. A contract was awarded in March 1967 for the manufacture and delivery of a new water treatment plant, to be installed in the east side of the north boiler room under a contract yet to be awarded. Completion of this installation is scheduled for December 1968. In addition to the contract for installation of the new water treatment plant, the principal improvements yet to be contracted are the modifications and extensions to the existing steam distribution systems authorized by Public Law 85895, including new steam service facilities and connections to the Capitol Building, via the west front grounds, and modifications to the piping systems serving the Government Printing Office and the City Post Office: also rehabilitation of the deteriorated cork insulation on the 24-inch pipes in the chilled water tunnel under South Capitol Street, and rehabilitation of the structural steel frames supporting the pipes in this tunnel. The rehabilitation of the cork insulation and rehabilitation of the structural frames in the South Capitol Street tunnel will be completed in March 1969. Mr. ANDREWS. The next appropriation item appears on page 100 of the committee print and on page 135 of the justifications, "Library Buildings and Grounds, Structural and Mechanical Care." You are asking for $985,000, which seems to represent a small net reduction below the current year's appropriation. We will insert pages 135 through 142 in the record. (The pages follow:) 1968 appropriation in annual act.. Wage-board pay supplemental____ Total appropriations—1968_ DEDUCTIONS $996, 900 22,000 1,018. 900 Maintenance and repair, air-conditioning and refrigeration systemsdecreased from $31,100 to $15,600-- This allotment is decreased due to dropping two nonrecurring items allowed for 1968, not required for 1969: $9,500 for cleaning of air-handling systems, rare book stacks, main building, and $6,000 for installation of new preheat coils, annex building. The regular annual amount of $15,600 asked for 1969 is the same amount as allowed for the fiscal years 1967 and 1968. Improved lighting, office areas, both buildings: 4th year allotment to improve the lighting in various offices and work spaces, both buildings Clean and restore ceiling decorations, main building: 5th year allotment of improvement program_. DEDUCTIONS-continued Modernization of 4 bookstack elevators, annex: Nonrecurring item Installation of bronze handrailings, stairs, west front, main building: Pointing exterior stonework, main building: Nonrecurring item al- Equipment for bookstacks, main building: Nonrecurring item allowed for 1968, not required for 1969. Materials handling and cleaning equipment: Several items of equip ment allowed as replacements for obsolete equipment and to supplement existing equipment, allowed for 1968, not required for 1969--Replacement of tractor: Nonrecurring item allowed for 1968, not required for 1969--- Total deduction_.. Base for 1969_. $80,000 2,000 5, 000 30,000 17, 500 6, 100 5,500 -221, 600 797, 300 ADDITIONS Wage-board increases authorized by Public Law 763, 83d Congress--Under the provisions of Public Law 763, 83d Cong., 62 laborers and mechanics on the library buildings and grounds roll are compensated on a wage-board, prevailing rate basis. Public Law 763 provides that the compensation of such employees shall be fixed and adjusted from time to time as nearly as is consistent with the public interest in accordance with prevailing rates. An increase of $6,600 is requested for 1969 to meet on a full-year basis the cost of increased wage rates established as a result of a general survey of government and industrial employees in the Washington metropolitan area, conducted during the past year. The new rates went into effect Oct. 22, 1967, in accordance with the provisions of Public Law 85-872, 85th Cong. This increase is necessary in order that the library buildings and grounds wage-board employees may be compensated on a full-year basis in the fiscal year 1969 in accordance with present prevailing rates. An increase of $1,600 is requested for 1969 to meet the cost of within-grade promotions and other changes falling due in that year, authorized by Public Law 763 under the wage-board system, for employees compensated under that act. Overtime and holiday pay allotment-increased from $120,700 to $122,820 The additional amount of $2,120 for 1969 is to cover on a fullyear basis the increased cost incurred under this allotment as a result of wage-rate changes which went into effect on Oct. 22, 1967 and only had to be met on an 8-months basis in the fiscal year 1968. Nightwork and Sunday differential pay-increased from $12,800 to $13,800 This increase is necessary to meet the cost on a current expenditure basis of work performed under this allotment. Costs under this allotment have been gradually increasing over the past several years, due to annual wage-rate increases provided by law, and the point has now been reached where a realistic adjustment under this allotment is necessary. Pay above the stated annual rate allotment-increase.. Normally, it is necessary to provide, annually, for one additional day's pay above the regular 260-basic workdays per year, since usually the extra day falls on a basic workday (Monday to Friday). This allotment is determined by deducting 52 Saturdays and 52 Sundays from the total of 365 calendar days in a normal year. Last year (leap year), one additional day fell on a Saturday and the other on a Sunday, resulting in the elimination of the need for this allotment for 1968. For 1969, the additional day falls on a basic workday, necessitating the need for restoration of this allotment for 1969. 8, 200 2, 120 1,000 2,000 ADDITIONS-continued Increased pay costs due to Public Law 90-206 "Federal Salary Act of 1967", approved Dec. 16, 1967--- Increases authorized by this act went into effect Oct. 8, 1967. In order to cover the full-year cost in the fiscal year 1969, an additional amount of $740 is requested. Payment to employees' life insurance fund-increased from $1,000 to $1,600-- This item is required to cover the cost of the government's payment to employees' life insurance fund required by Public Law 598, 83d Cong. The increase of $600 is due to additional costs resulting from enactment of Public Law 90-206, which provides for additional amounts of insurance for all Federal employees and establishes a new minimum insurance coverage of $10,000 for those employees whose annual basic salary is $8,000 or less. Contribution to retirement fund-increased from $31,500 to $33,040__ This item is required to cover the cost of Government contribution to retirement fund required by Public Law 854, 84th Cong. The additional cost results from increase in basic pay rates. Supplies and materials-increased from $35,000 to $42,500– The increase of $7,500 which we are now requesting is needed to assure an adequate stock of a variety of engineering, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, and other essential materials and supplies used for the maintenance of the 2 library buildings. Constant space adjustments require considerable construction work which consumes numerous items of supplies and materials, costs of building materials continue to climb, and accelerated deterioration in the buildings as they get older increases the demand for more supplies and materials for maintenance purposes. The use of fluorescent tubes has increased as a result of the improved lighting program, and these are more expensive than incandescent lamps. Expenditures for necessary supplies and materials over the last few fiscal years have been as follows: 1965, $35,000; 1966, $36,000; 1967, $40,500. Equip part of bookstacks with map cases, annex-increased from $11,000 to $23,000 This increase is requested to provide an allotment of $23,000. instead of the usual amount of $11,000, for the purchase of 230 5-drawer map case sections to relieve crowding, provide growth space, replace obsolete equipment, and offset to some extent recent increases in map case costs. Previous annual allotments of $11,000 have permitted the purchase of 125 map case sections in sufficient quantity to house approximately 62,500 maps, somewhere near the annual map acquisition rate a few years ago. In recent years. however, annual acquisitions have exceeded that figure considerably, as follows: 1965, 88,000; 1966, about 116,000; 1967-over 109,000, and future acquisitions are expected to maintain this pace. As a result, present cases are overcrowded and there is no room for growth space. Installation of floor tile, both buildings.. Floor tile for 2 locations, both in the annex, are requested under this heading: (1) Installation of resilient tile on the bare concrete floor of the east-west corridor between the elevator lobbies, fourth floor, annex ($1,000); (2) Replacement of industrial asphalt tile floor in the annex receiving room with a mineral composition floor, and the replacement of the wooden subfloor with a concrete slab to prolong wear ($3,000). The existing floor, which was installed over 10 years ago, is now badly deteriorated, due to heavy use, including the use of fork lift trucks and other materials handling equipment. Clean and restore ceiling and wall decorations, main building.... This item is requested to permit the continuation of a program started in 1963, which has resulted in the effective cleaning and restoration of various decorated ceiling and wall areas, primarily in the west front of the main building, ground, 1st and 2nd floors. Funds provided in 1968 will complete this work in the west-south and west-north corridors, ground floor, and those requested for 1969 would be used for other parts of the same floor. $740 1.54 7.50 12.00 10.** |