APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1942

HEARINGS

BEFORE

5. Congress

SUBCOMMITTEES OF THE

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEVENTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

ON THE

SIXTH SUPPLEMENTAL NATIONAL DEFENSE
APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1942,

PART I

NAVY DEPARTMENT (TITLE II) AND GENERAL
APPROPRIATIONS (TITLE III)

Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations

70270

UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON: 1942

M

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
CLARENCE CANNON, Missouri, Chairman

MARCELLUS C. SHEILD, Clerk

JOINT SESSIONS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEES ON DEFICIENCY AND NAVY DEPARTMENT
APPROPRIATIONS ON TITLE II (NAVAL APPROPRIATIONS) AND SESSIONS OF THE
DEFICIENCY SUBCOMMITTEE ON OTHER MATTERS (TITLE III)

HEARINGS ON NAVAL APPROPRIATIONS (TITLE II) CONDUCTED AT
A JOINT SESSION OF THE SUBCOMITTEES OF THE COMMITTEE
ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IN CHARGE
OF DEFICIENCY AND NAVAL APPROPRIATIONS AND HEARINGS
ON GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS (TITLE III) CONDUCTED BY THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEFICIENCY APPROPRIATIONS, ON THE DAYS
FOLLOWING, NAMELY:

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1942.

ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL

(See p. 448)

STATEMENTS OF DAVID LYNN, ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL, AND
ROBERT L. HARRISON, CHIEF ENGINEER, CAPITOL POWER
PLANT

CAPITOL POWER PLANT

DEFICIENCY ESTIMATE FOR COAL, 1942

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Lynn, as a rule you operate economically, but I notice that you are asking for a little more money for the Capitol power plant. We have before us in House Document No. 673 a deficiency estimate of $45,650 for coal to be used at the Capitol Power Plant. Will you explain the necessity for this additional amount?

Mr. LYNN. Yes, sir. For the Capitol power plant we have a deficiency estimate of $45,650 for 1942, that deficiency being on account of coal. For 1942, the amount allowed for coal is $375,960, or 78,000 tons at $4.82 per ton.

For 1942, the amount actually needed for coal, on the basis of present usage, is $421,610, representing 81,550 tons at $5.17 per ton, which is the price that has obtained since July 1, 1941.

There is, therefore, a deficiency in the item of coal for 1942 amounting to $45,650, resulting from the increased tonnage necessary to be used, and the increase in the rate per ton.

Bids for fuel are received in April or May each year by the Procurement Division of the Treasury Department, and the fuel is contracted for with a provision in the contract allowing for changes in wage and freight rates. The coal now being used at the plant comes from the Louisville mine, and is shipped from Goodwill, W. Va.— Smokeless Fuel Co.

The amount expended and obligated for coal to March 12, 1942, amounts to approximately $294,050 or 56,846 tons at $5.17 per ton.

1

It is estimated that it will be necessary to purchase approximately 24,704 tons during the remainder of the fiscal year 1942, from March 12, to June 30, 1942, or approximately the same amount as was used during those three and a half months in the fiscal year 1941; which, at $5.17 per ton, amounts to $127,559, making the grand total required for the full fiscal year 1942, $421,610 for 81,550 tons at $5.17 per ton, as compared to the $375,960 allowed for 78,000 tons at $4.82 per ton, a deficiency of $45,650.

This is practically the same as the tonnage used in the fiscal year 1941, which was 81,962 tons at an average price of $4.799 per ton, costing for that year $393,324. The estimate of 78,000 tons for the fiscal year 1942 was based upon 78,025 tons purchased for the fiscal year 1940.

In order that sufficient funds may be available to meet the required expenditures for coal for the fiscal year 1942, the deficiency appropriation of $45,650 is requested.

The CHAIRMAN. This deficiency request is based, first, on the increased tonnage necessary to carry the increased load, and, second, on the increased cost of coal per ton.

Mr. LYNN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. How do you account for the increased load?

Mr. LYNN. Mr. Harrison, our chief engineer, is here, and I would like to have him answer your question.

Mr. HARRISON. The fact that Congress has been in continuous session is the only reason that I can offer for the increase.

The CHAIRMAN. We have had a comparatively mild winter, have we not? The demands for heat have not been as great as we have ordinarily.

Mr. HARRISON. That is true; but last fall we were hit pretty hard by transportation difficulties, which reduced the amount of coal we had in storage. Some of this must be put back in storage so as to have something for a stand-by.

Mr. SNYDER. Is that amount you gave the price per ton at the mine or delivered at the plant?

Mr. LYNN. It is the price delivered at the plant.

Mr. SNYDER. Is the freight rate from Goodwill, W. Va., the same as the freight from the Pittsburgh district?

Mr. HARRISON. I cannot answer that.

Mr. LUDLOW. When you prepared your estimate for 1942, did you have a contract for coal, or were you dependent on fluctuations in the market price?

Mr. LYNN. We have a contract for coal.

Mr. LUDLOW. Then how did you have that increased price per ton? Mr. LYNN. Last year the contract price for coal was $4.82 per ton, but beginning with this fiscal year, under the new contract, the price is $5.17 per ton.

Mr. LUDLOW. I am trying to clear the question of why that was not taken into consideration when you submitted your estimates.

Mr. LYNN. The estimates for 1942 were prepared and submitted to the Bureau of the Budget in the fall of 1940, at which time the price for coal, under the contract for the fiscal year 1941, was only $4.82 per ton. When contracts for coal for the fiscal year 1942 were awarded, following the opening of bids in April or May 1941, the

price per ton under the new contracts was increased to $5.17 per tonwhich was, of course, after the 1942 Capitol Power Plant estimates had been considered.

Mr. HARRISON. We only had that price of $4.82 per ton before the strike. When we came to make up the estimate, the new price was not in effect.

Mr. LUDLOW. The coal strike resulted in an increase of the price. Mr. HARRISON. Yes, sir.

Mr. SNYDER. Do you take bids?

Mr. LYNN. Under the provisions of existing law, coal for the Capitol Power Plant is contracted for each year by the Procurement Division of the Treasury Department (Government Fuel Yards). As previously stated, bids are received by that Department in April or May each year, and the fuel is contracted for with a provision in the contract allowing for changes in wage and freight rates.

Mr. JOHNSON of West Virginia. I think you could save a whole lot of fuel if you would continue to do what you are now doing in the way of turning out the lights in the halls. There is no necessity for those lights at this time. Do you take that into consideration in estimating your fuel needs? It may be a question of whether you need this money, or not.

Mr. LYNN. I cannot tell just how much would be saved in dollars and cents by turning out the lights, but there would be some saving. Mr. JOHNSON of West Virginia. We have a policy of economy now, and we are especially criticized up here on the Hill for getting some of the necessities of life even. It occurs to me if you had the system of going over the buildings every 30 days to see where lights could be turned off you could have a lot in coal and power.

Mr. LYNN. Beginning last fall we did turn out a great many of them.

Mr. JOHNSON of West Virginia. Look at the lights right here in this committee room. We could get along with half of them. I think you had better look around and see if you cannot get some economy in the matter of lighting up here on the Hill.

Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. You say that you used approximately $294,000 for 912 months: Did that include both heating and lighting expense? Mr. LYNN. Yes, sir.

Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. Why should you need 24,000 tors for 32 months, including April, May, and June, or some of the hot months of the year?

Mr. HARRISON. Our refrigerating plant will start operation within

the next 3 or 4 weeks.

Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. How does that compare with the heat load? Mr. HARRISON. The refrigeration load is heavier during certain months than the winter heat load.

Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. The summer demand is heavier than the winter demand?

Mr. HARRISON. It is heavier during certain months of the summer than in the wintertime.