Lawn work, seeding, top dressing.-July through August 1962, approximately 250 cubic yards of soil fill was placed in square 723, in vicinity of Union Station. This area was seeded in the fall of 1962. September through November 1962, the following areas were seeded: Around all the vaults; House side of Capitol, south side; west front, pond lawn; around Taft Memorial; areas on top of legislative garage, Senate Office Building courtyard; and small areas under trees all over the grounds. Approximately 400 cubic yards of topsoil was spread in these areas, 3,000 pounds of seed applied, and 4 tons of fertilizer was spread. East front, Senate side was seeded. In the fall of 1962, approximately 12 weeks' time was spent working on squares 732 N and S. This work included removal of debris, rough grading, removal of foundations above the ground, etc. The last 2 weeks in April through the first week of May 1963, was spent in removal of stones, fertilizing, and seeding these areas. Spring 1963, March and April, all areas that were seeded in the fall of 1962, were fertilized and spot seeded. Plumbing, work on sprinkler system.-September 1962, the sprinkler system in the Senate Office Building Courtyard was repaired. This involved excavating a trench to the depth of 12 feet to get to the valves. October 1962, sprinkler system at House side of Capitol, south side, was put back in operation after completion of construction of vault in that area. From the period of July 1962 up to the present, 25 3-inch valves; 8 21⁄2-inch valves; 10 11⁄2-inch valves; 4 8-inch valves and 1 6-inch valve were replaced or added to the present sprinkler system. October through November 1962, sprinkler systems were repaired or reinstalled in the vicinity of the four vaults on the west front of the Capitol. Spring 1963, all the sprinkler systems on the grounds were checked over and sprinkler heads replaced where needed. Snow and ice removal.-Snow and ice were removed from the drives, roads, walks, and steps during December 22, 1962, through January 5, 1963, and again on February 9 through February 18, 1963. This included sanding and placing ice pellets on walks and roads. Repairs to roads and parking lots.-During this period to the present, approximately 47 tons of bituminous plant mix (asphalt) were placed in the parking lots and roads. Removal of leaves.-The fall crop of leaves was removed from the grounds during the months of October through December 1962. Daily routine maintenance on the grounds.-The daily routine maintenance on the grounds includes daily sweeping of the Capitol steps and walks; removal of trash and debris from the grounds; mowing of all lawn areas during the last week in April through September; sweeping the roads and drives with the use of the mechanical streetsweeper every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday mornings; trash pickup by our dump trucks for the various buildings; raking of leaves on the grounds, etc. During the summer months, the sprinkler systems are in operation six nights a week. The Capitol steps are washed down twice a week. PERSONNEL ENGAGED IN TREE WORK Mr. STEED. Of your Capitol Grounds force, how many are actually engaged in that tree work at the present time? Mr. HENLOCK. We have a breakdown of the work they are performing on pages 65 and 66. Mr. STEWART. There are 24 men required throughout the year for the following work: 5 men cleaning walkways, approaches, porticoes, and terraces; 9 men on trucks hauling, removing debris and trash from buildings and grounds; 2 men on grounds of Power Plant and House Office Buildings; 3 men on motor and mechanical maintenance; 5 men on direction, supervision, and clerical work; 39 men are required for the following work varying with the seasons: 8 men for grass cutting with motor and hand equipment; 5 men for trimming, cultivating and weeding; 18 men for planting, transplanting, tree 1963 appropriation in annual act_. Deductions: 432 435 14 446 435 Repairs and replacement, sections of sidewalks and curbing in vicinity of Taft Memorial-Nonrecurring item allowed for 1963, not required for 1964. $20,000 Replacement of dump truck-Nonrecurring item allowed for 1963, not required for 1964 4,500 Base for 1964__ 496 496 Additions: Personnel compensation: Wage-rate increases authorized by Public Law 763, 83d Cong- An increase of $9,707 is requested for 1964 to meet on a full-year An increase of $1,706 is requested for 1964 to meet the cost of Within-grade promotions authorized by Classification Act of 1949, as Overtime and holiday pay increased by $6.000 to meet increased pay 11, 413 365 Regular pay above 52-week base allotment increased by $1,000 to cover 6,000 1,000 1,522 Personnel compensation-Continued 8 additional positions: Laborer-gardeners, wage board grade 6 at For many years, the Capitol Grounds comprised only the area When the maintenance force was fixed at 54 employees in 1937, in addition to maintaining the Capitol Grounds, this force also maintained the grounds surrounding the Old and New House Office Buildings, the Senate Office Building, and the Capitol powerplant, comprising 8 acres-or a grand total area maintained of 128 acres. With the acquisition in recent years of the New Senate Office Building site and additions to that site and of the 7 squares acquired for the additional House Office Building project, the Capitol Grounds force now has to maintain a total of 155 acres. This includes not only areas developed as park areas, but also areas used as parking lots. The parking lots have to be swept and kept clean of debris; holes and defects in the parking areas have to be repaired, and repairs have to be made to bumper guards. The Taft Memorial has also been a recent addition to the Capitol Grounds. There is an extensive amount of sidewalks to be maintained in the additional squares acquired. During the coming fiscal year, the grounds and courts of the It is impossible for the present force to satisfactorily maintain This item is required to cover the cost of Government contribu- An increase of $500 is requested under this allotment to provide An increase of $1,000 is requested for the purchase of additional Two nonrecurring items of increase are requested for 1964 under An increase of $4,300 is requested for the purchase of a 500gallon wood tank power sprayer, with an 800-pound pressure pump, adaptable for mounting on a truck chassis, equipped with a 45horsepower engine, three 50-foot lengths of high-pressure hose with couplings, and with high-pressure spray guns, for use in spraying the trees and shrubs in the Capitol and other grounds under the Architect with insecticides to safeguard against disease. This new sprayer equipment is urgently needed to replace a 1938 model power sprayer, which is now obsolete, badly worn, repair parts are no longer readily available, and further repair is no longer economically feasible. An increase of $15,400 is requested for the purchase of two gang mowers, 5 units each, mounted on tractor to replace two old 1949 gang mowers now in use. The existing mowers are obsolete, worn out, and repair parts are not longer available. The gang mowers proposed to be purchased would be hydraulically controlled from the driver's seat, with a cutting width of approximately 11 feet, and would be equipped with 10 extra cutting units for a complete change on each mower. An increase of $800 is requested to increase the regular annual recurring allotment from $5,800 to $6,600 to meet current increased maintenance costs. No increase has been provided under the annual recurring allotment for the past 7 years. Total estimate for 1964. 39, 600 3, 600 1,500 20, 500 +85, 500 496, 000 Mr. STEED. We will turn to page 76 of the bill and page 60 of the justifications, Capitol Grounds. This is an item for a total request of $496,000 as against $135,000 last year. ADDITIONAL LABORER-GARDENERS I notice the requested increase includes mandatory items and eight additional laborer-gardeners. Specifically where would those eight men be placed? Mr. STEWART. For many years, the Capitol Grounds comprised only the area lying between Independence Avenue and Constitution Avenue and First Street East and First Street West and totaled 58.8 acres. In 1929-35, the Capitol Grounds were enlarged by the acquisition and development of the area north of Constitution Avenue, lying between that avenue and the Union Station. This addition of 61.4 acres increased the total area of the Capitol Grounds to 120.2 acres. In 1937, the Capitol Grounds maintenance force was fixed at a total of 54 employees. Only one position, that of a tree surgeon, has been added to this force in the ensuing 26 years. When the maintenance force was fixed at 54 employees in 1937, in addition to maintaining the Capitol Grounds, this force also maintained the grounds surrounding the Old and New House Office Buildings, the Senate Office Building, and the Capitol Power Plant, comprising 8 acres--or a grand total area maintained of 128 acres. With the acquisition in recent years of the New Senate Office Building site and additions to that site and of the seven squares acquired for the additional House Office Building project, the Capitol Grounds force now has to maintain a total of 155 acres. This includes not only areas developed as park areas, but also areas used as parking lots. The parking lots have to be swept and kept clean of debris; holes and defects in the parking areas have to be repaired, and repairs have to be made to bumper guards. The Taft Memorial has also been a recent addition to the Capitol Grounds. There is an extensive amount of sidewalks to be maintained in the additional squares acquired. During the coming fiscal year, the grounds and courts of the Rayburn House Office Building will be landscaped and will have also to be maintained. It is impossible for the present force to satisfactorily maintain the expanded areas. With a 20-percent land expansion, there should be at least a 15-percent expansion of the maintenance force, and that is what is being requested for the fiscal year 1964. In the interest of the orderly and efficient maintenance of the Capitol Grounds and other grounds under the Architect, it is urged that eight additional positions of laborer-gardeners be allowed for 1964. TREE SURGERY WORK Mr. STEED. In regard to your tree trouble with some of your old trees. spot? surgeon, you are still having Mr. Roof. We filled the position last November, Mr. Chairman. We now have two tree surgeons and one helper doing the work. Mr. Stewart has two statements that will give a good account of what has been done by the tree surgeons and the Capitol Grounds forces as a whole. Mr. STEED. I think it would be well to put those in the record at this point. Mr. STEWART. They are quite enlightening, I am sure. (The statements referred to follow :) REPORT ON THE STATUS OF THE "TREE SURGEON" WORK AND THE TREES ON THE CAPITOL GROUNDS At present, there are approximately 2,000 trees and 5,000 shrubs being grown and maintained on the Capitol Grounds. These trees and shrubs represent a good cross section of plant material which is grown throughout the country, and include approximately 120 species and varieties of trees and approximately 100 species and varieties of shrubs and vines. This plant material is comprised of the most common trees and shrubs, such as forsythia and sugar maple, to the lesser known and rarer trees and shrubs, such as the California redwood and Cedar of Lebanon. All of these trees and a percentage of the larger shrubs and vines are maintained and cared for by the tree surgeons assigned to the Capitol Grounds forces. This crew is composed of two tree surgeons, W-11 and W-08, and one helper, W-05. The duties of the tree surgeons include the responsibility for the performance of tree surgery and other general tree work involved in the maintenance, care, and preservation of ornamental and shade trees on the Capitol Grounds. A brief résumé of the work accomplished from the fall of 1962 up to the present includes the following: November 1, 1962, through the second week in February 1963.-Trees trimmed and topped in both parks between Delaware Avenue and First Street, along D Street NE., and around parking lot (square 723) at D Street NE. and First Street NE. Last 2 weeks in February.-Trimmed and topped elms along First Street SW. and between Independence Avenue and Canal Street SW. First 2 weeks in March.-Trimmed and removed trees in park area between North Capitol Street and Louisiana Avenue NE. Last 2 weeks in March through first week in April.-Sprayed all the trees in the Capitol Grounds with lime sulfur and dormant oil spray. This work was done during the nights. From the second week in April to the present.-Work on trees in squares 732N and 732S; areas between C Street and Independence Avenue SE.; northwest lawn of Capitol in vicinity of air shaft; west lawn of Capitol. The following trees have been removed from areas within the Capitol Grounds: Pennsylvania Avenue NW. between First and Third Streets.-Twenty-six-inch sycamore, December 4, 1962; 20-inch sycamore, December 4, 1962; 22-inch sycamore, December 5, 1962; 20-inch sycamore, December 5, 1962; 22-inch sycamore, December 5, 1962. Third Street NW. between Pennsylvania Avenue and Constitution Avenue.Eighteen-inch elm, December 6, 1962; 20-inch elm, December 6, 1962. Constitution Avenue NW. at Third Street.-Twenty-two-inch elm, December 7, 1962. Delaware Avenue NE at C Street.-Thirty-six-inch sycamore, December 18, 1963. First Street NE. at Massachusetts Avenue.-Seventeen-inch oak, February 4, 1963; 18-inch oak, February 4, 1963; 20-inch oak, February 5, 1963; 15-inch oak, March 13, 1963. First Street SW. at Independence Avenue.-Twenty-six-inch elm, February 11, 1963; 20-inch elm, February 11, 1963; 22-inch elm, February 12, 1963; 24-inch elm, February 13, 1963; 33-inch elm, February 14, 1963. New Jersey Avenue SE. and C Street and D Street SE.-Fourteen-inch elm, February 19, 1963: 18-inch elm, February 20, 1963; 18-inch sycamore, February 19, 1963; 16-inch oak, February 25, 1963. 98620-63--12 |