As shown on the "green sheet," the amount requested includes approximately $4,000 as a reserve for meritorious promotions. As you know, any such promotions can be made only if the Speaker approves.

I hope the subcommittee will appropriate the amount requested for the office.

OFFICE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Jobs done for committees and Members (in the drafting of bills and resolutions and amendments thereto, preparation of legal opinions, etc.) since 19501

1 In this work record, a request for assistance is counted as a single job, whether the work took an hour or 2 or whether it took most of the time of 1 or 2 men for weeks (as often happens in the case of bills worked on for committees). No record is kept of many instances (running into the hundreds during each session) in which Members or their secretaries request assistance on drafting or legal problems, but where no written material is prepared by the Office.

MEMBERS' CLERK HIRE

Mr. ROBERTS. For clerk hire necessary for employees of each Member and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico in the discharge of their official and representative duties, $20,492,500 compared with $18,122,500 appropriated for 1961, or an increase of $2,370,000. House Resolution 219, approved March 15, 1961, effective April 1, 1961, provides for an additional basic clerk-hire allowance of $3,000 for each Member, and increased the number of clerks that can be hired by each Member by one. Our estimate is based largely upon experience, although we have no way of knowing exactly how much may be used. The precise amount requested depends upon the salaries designated by the Members to their staffs within the limitation of the law.

As of February 28, 1961, the Members were employing 2,617 clerks at the gross salary of $1,408,725, while under the law 3,602 clerks could be employed. Of this latter number, 98 Members with a constituency of over 500,000 could employ 9 checks each whereas all other Members are limited to 8 clerks. Under the provisions of House Resolution 219, effective April 1, 1961, the Members were authorized to employ an additional clerk. If each Member exercised his right, under this provision, the total number of clerks would be increased to 4,040.

Mr. STEED. At that point, do you suppose it would be possible to get a later total than the 28th of February for the record?

Mr. HARPER. I have the April figures. During April on the clerkhire roll we had 220 new employees, and in addition to that we had approximately 530 salary changes of existing employees. I just picked up those figures this morning.

Mr. STEED. You do not have the new gross total for the salaries yet? Mr. HARPER. I have a figure for March. The total clerk hire in March was $1,417,744. This morning I got the April figure, and it was $1,494,561. So you see it went up some.

Mr. STEED. That reflects the initial reaction to this additional clerk authority?

Mr. HARPER. Yes, sir.

Mr. STEED. Should that remain as fairly consistent, what percent of the total potential would actually be used under that?

Mr. HARPER. You see, 220 new employees were added, and of course each Member was entitled to an additional employee, so about 50 percent did not put on a new employee the first month, but we had 530 payroll changes of existing employees. So there is more spent for rearranging the salaries of existing employees.

Mr. STEED. But the monthly clerk-hire bill has been increased by about $76,000?

Mr. HARPER. Yes, sir. The first month all the Members did not make up their minds just what they wanted to do. As they go home to open their district offices, I am sure there will be a pickup. All of them did not make changes the first month.

Mr. STEED. But that is the earliest reflection?

Mr. HARPER. Yes. If each Member had put on one additional clerk at $3,000 base, it would amount to $3 million per annum, but we know from actual experience they do not do that, so we asked for less. Going over the record I did not see more than 6 or 8 new employees who went on the roll at this $3,000 base figure, and at least 220 new people came on the roll.

Mr. Bow. Off the record.

(Discussion off the record.)

Mr. Bow. Mr. Chairman, I request that a tabulation be inserted in the record at this point showing the number of Members who are not using their full clerk-hire allowance.

Mr. STEED. Will you insert such a tabulation in the record?

Mr. HARPER. Yes, sir.

(The information requested is as follows:)

As of April 30, 1961, 351 Members of the House were not using the maximum clerk-hire allowance available to them.

Mr. STEED. Proceed.

CONTINGENT EXPENSES OF THE HOUSE

Mr. ROBERTS. We shall now take up the various items in the contingent fund.

FURNITURE

The first item covers the furniture and repair department. For furniture, materials, and repair of same, including labor; tools; material and supplies for the repair shops; purchase of new furniture and equipment; trunks, or so-called packing boxes; rugs or carpets; cleaning and repairing of same; we have submitted an estimate of $242,550 for the fiscal year 1962, the same as appropriated for 1961. Our budget for 1962 is based on $154,050 for gross salaries of employees of the furniture and repair shop; $18,500 for supplies and materials; $23,600 for the purchase of furniture and equipment; $2,500 for cleaning, repair work, and remaking of old rugs; $22,500 for the purchase of new carpet; $13,000 for the purchase of trunks, or so-called packing boxes, for the 2d session of the 87th Congress; $6,400 for the purchase of new drapery material, drapery supplies, and sewing; $2,000 for handling of insect extermination work.

Mr. STEED. Since these figures are at variance with those on page 32 of the committee print, which you supplied earlier, could you make some explanation of that discrepancy?

Mr. MEGILL. Well, these items that are reflected are allocations that the Clerk sets up for the purpose of indicating this is the manner in which he expects to expend the funds. Necessarily there are changes in the items during the year. For instance, there was a good supply of carpet on hand that had been purchased by a previous Clerk, and this Clerk has not had to use the fund too much for carpet material; but now the carpet that was installed is showing considerable wear and he is receiving requests for new carpeting. So that item has been stepped up, but the overall amount has not been increased. You will find readjustments in the items, and that accounts for the changes. Mr. STEED. You have a $5,000 increase in the committee print on the packing boxes and trunks.

Mr. MEGILL. The reason is there has been a considerable advance in price of the packing boxes.

Mr. STEED. How much?

Mr. MEGILL. The last packing box cost over $20, whereas we have been previously getting it for $16, $14, and $12. It has gradually been going up because of the increase in cost of labor and materials. Mr. STEED. Have you had any surplus or turnback from this fund in recent years?

Mr. MEGILL. Yes, sir; we always turn back a surplus.

Mr. STEED. What did you turn back last year, do you remember? Mr. MEGILL. We can get it, Mr. Chairman, and put it in the record, if you like.

Mr. HARPER. Of course, it is still open.

Mr. STEED. I would like for you to show us how much you turned back.

Mr. HARPER. Let me put that figure in the record.

Mr. STEED. All right.

(The figure requested is as follows:)

For fiscal 1960 there was appropriated $231,800. From this, $133,339.15 was expended for salaries; $73,978.42 was spent for furniture, materials, and supplies, leaving a balance as of March 31, 1961, of $24,482.43.

For fiscal 1961 there was appropriated $242,550. Through March 31, 1961, $111,577.73 had been spent for labor and $48,708.58 for furniture, materials, and supplies, leaving a balance of $82,263.69.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Mr. ROBERTS. It was necessary for the Clerk's Office to set up 29 various allocations, for miscellaneous items covering the appropriation of $2,550,000.

We submit for the record a statement listing these 29 allocations showing the amount of each allocation; the amount expended to March 31, 1961, and the balance remaining as of April 1, 1961. Although, in reality, the expenditures only cover obligations up to the end of January and February 1961, or even earlier in some cases, as a great many of these monthly bills have not yet been submitted for payment and, accordingly, such payments are not reflected on this statement. These figures-that is, the amounts allocated-are more or less arbitrary and, if necessary, must be changed from time to time during the fiscal year as conditions may require. It is impossible to forecast at the beginning or, for that matter, during the fiscal year, the exact amount which may be necessary for each allocation.

Mr. STEED. The tabulation will be inserted in the record at this point.

(The statement referred to is as follows:)

Miscellaneous items, 1961-July 1, 1960, to Mar. 31, 1961

These allocations will be taken up in their order and explained briefly as follows:

(1) Miscellaneous equipment, supplies, and materials, such as hand towels, paper towels, paper cups, toilet paper, soap, cleaning powder, cleaning equipment, and any other miscellaneous articles that may be required.

(1A) Photostatic and duplication work, including Members' identi

fication cards.

(1B) Official blank checks for the use of the Clerk's Office and the Office of the Sergeant at Arms.

(1C) Special office equipment, maintenance, and repairs.

(1D) News service, judicial books, tax pamphlets, etc.

(2) Newspapers for the Speaker's and Members' lobby. (3) Standard or manual typewriter machines.

(3A) Typewriter repairs (manual).

(4) Ice.

(5) Laundry service, including hand towels, for the House side of the Capitol, and both House Office Buildings.

(6) Covers gratuities, as authorized by the legislative Appropriation Act of 1955.

(7) Miscellaneous payrolls by House resolutions, payable out of the contingent fund of the House, until otherwise provided by law. (8) Material for folding, in handling speeches, pamphlets, and other necessary work required of the House folding room.

(9) Payment of premiums on official bonds required for the protection of the offices and personnel of the Sergeant at Arms, the Clerk of the House, and Postmaster.

(10) The House Restaurant, for which $60,000 is specifically provided in the appropriation paragraph for payment to the Architect of the Capitol, as authorized by law, towards the upkeep and operation of the House restaurants.

(11) Exchange, operation, and repair of the Clerk's motor vehicles. (12) Exchange, operation, and repairs of the post office motor vehicles.

(13) Exchange, operation, and repairs of the folding room motortruck.

(14) Hire of automobile for the Sergeant at Arms.

(15) Stationery for standing committees, officers, and departments of the House.

(16) Electrical and mechanical office equipment for the Members, including committees, officers, and departments of the House.

(17) Services and repairs to electrical and mechanical office equipment furnished under allocation No. 16.

(18) Rental of office space for Members of Congress in their home districts, as provided in the appropriation paragraph.

(19) Official expenses of Members not to exceed $150 quarterly for office expenses incurred outside the District of Columbia.