Mr. DOCKWEILER. This work would be done in the same way that municipalities do it, by contracting it, would it not? In other words you would advertise for bids, and the lowest, best, and most responsible bidder would get the job.

Mr. LYNN. We have an arrangement with the District government by which they advertise for bids, award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder, and the work is done under the supervision of the engineer in charge of District highways.

Mr. DOCKWEILER. And you would pay them for the work.
Mr. LYNN. We would reimburse them by transfer vouchers.

Mr. DOCKWEILER. In other words, doubtless we could hope that the work would be of the same character that is being obtained at the present time in the District.

Mr. LYNN. Yes, sir; they have a very fine organization, with Captain Whitehurst at the head of it.

Mr. RABAUT. Are the Capitol sewers, water-supply pipes, and gas pipes under these roadways?

Mr. LYNN. Sewers and water-supply pipes are under the roadways, but we do not have any gas pipes.

Mr. RABAUT. Is the electric wiring, and water and sewer pipes under the roadways?

Mr. LYNN. Yes, sir; and a part also under the lawns.

Mr. RABAUT. The lawns and parkways.

Mr. LYNN. Yes, sir. In other words, we run the electrical conduits. under the lawns around the retaining walls.

Mr. RABAUT. And cheaper too.

Mr. LYNN. Yes, sir.

EXTENSION OF EAST FRONT OF CAPITOL

Mr. SNYDER. There has been some discussion of adding 30 or 40 feet out here on the east front of the Capitol; is that contemplated this year?

Mr. LYNN. Hearings have recently been held before the Senate Public Buildings and Grounds Committee; that is, hearings on the extension and completion of the United States Capitol, and I understand that the committee expects to report that bill out favorably in a few days.

Mr. SNYDER. That answers the question.

Mr. LYNN. Senate bill 1170 about to be reported by the Senate committee provides for the adoption, with such modifications as may be determined by a joint congressional commission to be created for the project, of either of two schemes, the one known as scheme A and providing for an extension of the building eastward for a distance of 12 feet 10 inches and scheme B for a distance of 32 feet 6 inches. The Senate and House wings and the present dome were designed by Thomas U. Walter and constructed between 1851 and 1864 and it was his intention at that time that the central portion of the building should be extended eastward, but due to the advent of the Civil War the project was not carried forward and the central portion has remained unchanged until the present day. In his report to Congress, dated November 1, 1864, Mr. Walter states:

Now that the new dome and the wings of the Capitol are approaching completion, it must be apparent to everyone that the extension of the center building, on the east, to the line of the new wings, becomes an architectural necessity. I

have therefore prepared plans for thus completing the work in harmony with what has already been done and will place them in the Capitol for future reference. I do not suppose, nor would I recommend, that any action be taken by Congress in reference to such an improvement until the war is ended and the financial condition of the country becomes settled and prosperous; but inasmuch as it is my purpose to retire from these works as soon as the dome is finished I deem it incumbent upon me to leave upon record my views as to their final completion.

Mr. DOCKWEILER. But even then his complete plan was not carried out. The Corinthian pillars you have in the building and the facade effect are all permanent work. They are placed permanently, whereas, if the plan had been carried out, they would have gone 40 or 50 feet from the base of the dome.

Mr. LYNN. When Mr. Walter designed the north and south wings of the Capitol and the dome he placed that dome on the old building in a position to conform with the two wings. The skirt or base on which the dome appears to rest overhangs the portico in such a manner and to so great an extent as to give an unstable appearance or an apparent lack of support to the dome. As I said a few moments ago, Mr. Walter at that time strongly urged Congress to appropriate money to carry the east front out far enough to correct that architectural defect, and to give the dome the appearance of having proper support and afford additional accommodations.

Mr. DOCKWEILER. To give it an appearance of symmetry in conjunction with the whole building.

Mr. LYNN. Yes, sir. Of course, the west front is already carried out. There is ample distance between the west facade of the building and the dome. That has been gone into very carefully by the Public Buildings and Grounds Committee of the Senate this year. In 1935 the Senate passed a similar bill. Then the House Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds held hearings on it and tabled the bill at that time. There was considerable opposition to touching the old Capitol Building purely on sentimental grounds, so far as I can see.

SNOW REMOVAL

Mr. DOCKWEILER. I will ask you about an item appearing on page 24 for snow removal: This year you are asking $7,500 for that purpose, and for 1937 $5,000 is the allotment. Of course, you have had a pretty light winter.

Mr. LYNN. In 1936 we had an allotment of $5,000, and we spent $7,370. For 1937 we had an allotment of $5,000, and up to date we have spent about $800.

Mr. DOCKWEILER. Can you give us a comparative statement showing what has been spent for snow removal for the last 10 years?

Mr. LYNN. I have a statement of that from 1932 down to the present year.

Mr. DOCKWEILER. Let us have that.

Mr. LYNN. For 1932 the allotment was $5,000, and we used $1,160.50; for 1933, the allotment was $3,000, and we spent $3,289.50; for 1934 the allotment was $5,000, and we spent $7,887; for 1935 the allotment was $5,000, and we spent $6,351; for 1936 the allotment was $5,000, and we spent $7,370. We have a much larger area now with the 60-odd acres that have been added to the Capitol Grounds. Five thousand dollars was allotted for this purpose for 1937, so the increase amounts to $2,500 to provide this necessary service. Each year since

1934, there has occurred a deficit in this item, making it necessary to forego other work and the securing of needed supplies and equipment. In 1936 the deficit was covered by an appropriation, but as the deficiency bill was passed late in the session, the funds were not available in time to provide other items of upkeep and maintenance. The increased area to be serviced makes the necessity for this larger fund more apparent.

Mr. DOCKWEILER. I think the comparative statement you have given will be sufficient for the record.

PERSONAL SERVICES-SALARY STEP-UPS

Mr. LYNN. Turning back to page 24, under the head of "Personal Services", the estimate for 1938 is $81,058. For 1937 $75,658 was appropriated; so this is an increase of $5,400, which is asked to provide the following: Salary step-ups, $2,900. This figure represents increases of one step within the grade for each of 47 employees who have not reached the average of the grade, 38 being at the minimum rate of their grades. Due to the fact that this roll is so small, there is very little opportunity for advancements from turn-over savings, so this request is made.

Mr. DOCKWEILER. What is the next item of increase?

INCREASE IN ITEM OF TEMPORARY LABOR

Mr. LYNN. The increase in the item of temporary labor amounts to $2,500. That is due to the completion of the development of the new area of the Capitol Grounds, approximating 61.40 acres. Because of that it becomes necessary to provide for the seasonal care and upkeep of this area. The amount allotted for this item has been $2,038, so the increase requested is $2,500. This represents the employment of five additional laborer-gardeners during the growing season from May 1 to September 30.

Mr. DOCKWEILER. My memory may not serve me accurately on this, but did we give you some extra men or laborers last year?

Mr. LYNN. Yes, sir; four additional laborers on the regular force for the care of the new areas. The $2,500 increase requested will

provide for temporary employment of labor during the growing

season.

Mr. DOCKWEILER. What is the next item?

SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS

Mr. LYNN. The next item is supplies and materials, $6,310. For 1937, $5,310 was allotted for this purpose, so that there is an increase of $1,000 requested to provide for rising costs of materials, and also for additional supplies and materials necessary for the care and upkeep of the grounds. Included are the following items: Plant material, seeds, shrubs, fertilizers, soil, sod, and so forth.

Mr. DOCKWEILER. These shrubs that you secure will supplant ones that you might otherwise buy and will provide fresh ones to plant in other areas. As I understand it, these shrubs are obtained from the Botanic Garden.

Mr. LYNN. We are now growing plants and shrubs of many kinds at Poplar Point Nursery, to an extent that will soon eliminate the necessity of purchasing plants.

Mr. DOCKWEILER. How long will it be before you have plants in sufficient quantity to supply all your needs?

Mr. FREDERICK. Possibly within 2 years.

Mr. DOCKWEILER. This item should be decreased materially when your plants and shrubs are developed to that point.

Mr. FREDERICK. This item should not be materially decreased, as the additional area to be cared for necessitates the procurement of additional supplies other than plants and shrubs.

Mr. LYNN. Mr. Frederick, will you tell the committee something about the number of plants that we have bought for the nursery, and then state what they will be worth within the next few years, or what their increased value will be?

Mr. FREDERICK. I have some exact figures on that.

Mr. SNYDER. The improvement that has been brought about at Poplar Point Nursery during the last 3 years is worthy of much favorable comment. With the shrubbery that is being grown and cared, for out there, the place looks like a great lawn on some rich estate whereas before it looked like a back yard or field of some estate. I was thinking that if you could have had this nursery in the shape that it will be in 3 years from now, you could have supplied from it the shrubbery that was set around the Supreme Court Building, thereby saving, probably, many thousands of dollars.

Mr. LYNN. That is true.

Mr. SNYDER. The shrubbery on the Supreme Court grounds cost approximately how much?

Mr. FREDERICK. Approximately $25,000.

Mr. SNYDER. If it had been completed at the time you were called upon to provide shrubbery in keeping with the architecture of the Supreme Court Building, you could have furnished at least one-half or three-fourths of that material from this nursery, thereby saving from one-half to three-fourths of that expenditure of $25,000.

Mr. FREDERICK. Yes, sir. Practically everything in the nursery at the present time is material that has been grown there from infancy. Material has been acquired by purchase to the value of about $3,000. We have itemized everything down there from the first, taking it at

wholesale prices, less 10 percent, and that value today is $18,200. That is the present estimated value at wholesale prices. if we had to go out and buy the same material today. That has occurred in the course of 3 years. With the exception of the material that we had when we took the nursery over, which was a small amount, this is material which we acquired by purchase.

Mr. SNYDER. With the same rate of improvement and enrichment that you have had during the last 3 years, if you continue 3 more years, by 1940 you will have shrubbery and other plants that will have a value of, perhaps, $35,000 or $40,000.

Mr. FREDERICK. Yes, sir; it will run up to about $60,000. It will practically double in value each year. Each year it will increase in value, perhaps, more than 50 percent.

Mr. SNYDER. Then, by 1940 we may say that the value of the Poplar Point Nursery will be $60,000, starting at scratch 3 years ago. Mr. FREDERICK. It is a fair evaluation. Of course, the value of plant material actually on the nursery site will fluctuate according to the amount of material removed from there from time to time and transplanted in other areas for landscape-development purposes.

Mr. SNYDER. About how much in value are you called upon to supply for replacements and enrichment of shrubbery planting around the Capitol Grounds each year?

Mr. FREDERICK. In dollars and cents?

Mr. SNYDER. Yes; if you plesae.

Mr. FREDERICK. It would amount to $2,000 or $2,500, for all grounds under the jurisdiction of our office. In some years it will be more than in others. It does not run evenly. There will be a greater amount required because of winter-killing. It requires more on account of winter-killing than in normal seasons.

Mr. SNYDER. In growing grass on the different lawns around the Plaza and other places, does it freeze out, or is the weather a factor in damaging the lawns around here at different places?

Mr. FREDERICK. The worst trouble we have is due to the drip from trees in winter. We have more killing of grass from that source than from any other.

Mr. SNYDER. I notice that under the big trees on the Capitol Grounds you do not have much grass growing, and under some of them you do not have much growing in July even.

Mr. FREDERICK. That is due, perhaps, to the surface feeding roots of soft wood trees, and, also, to the intense shade. The intense shade in June and July destroys grass. Of course, later in the season we usually seed those areas with grass seed or Italian rye, which comes up readily.

Mr. SNYDER. I presume that heavy shading during the tree foliage season does damage the grass.

Mr. FREDERICK. If you have oak trees or trees with deep roots, you will probably find that the dying out of grass is less than you would have under trees with surface feeding roots. They pump water and take the substance out of the ground, causing damage to the lawns.

Mr. DOCKWEILER. Are any elm trees in the District affected by the Dutch elm disease?

Mr. FREDERICK. The District area is fairly free from it. In fact, none has been reported to my knowledge.

Mr. DOCKWEILER. Mr. Lynn, you may proceed with your statement.