717697 COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS CLARENCE CANNON, Missouri, Chairman CLIFTON A. WOODRUM, Virginia J. BUELL SNYDER, Pennsylvania JOE HENDRICKS, Florida JOHN TABER, New York J. WILLIAM DITTER, Pennsylvania SECOND SUPPLEMENTAL NATIONAL DEFENSE APPROPRIATION, 1943 HEARINGS CONDUCTED BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IN CHARGE OF DEFICIENCY APPROPRIATIONS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1942. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OFFICE OF THE CLERK STATEMENT OF J. C. SHANKS, DISBURSING CLERK CONTINGENT EXPENSES, TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE SERVICE, 1942 The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Shanks, we have a deficiency estimate before us in House Document No. 844 of $50,000 for telephone and telegraph, in the contingent expenses of the House. You have already had $130,000 for this item; has this all been expended? Mr. SHANKS. If I may, Mr. Chairman, I have a very brief statement here which I will read, with your permission. The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Mr. SHANKS. Mr. Chairman, in support of our deficiency estimate of $50,000 for telegraph and telephone service, fiscal year 1942, as contained in House Document No. 844, would state that out of the $130,000 appropriated in the 1942 legislative act, we expended $127,498.29, leaving a balance of $2,501.71. However, there are pending both in the disbursing office and the Committee on Accounts, vouchers for telegraph service not yet paid totaling $41,339.24, and taking into consideration the balance of $2,501.71 which we are still carrying on our books, leaves us a net deficiency amounting to $38,837.53. This figure, however, does not take into consideration the amount which we may still owe covering the so-called pick-up bills which come in for payment anywhere from 4 to 6 months late. In other words, we are unable to state definitely the exact amount which these pick-up bills will total. They may run to $5,000 or $7,500 or possibly higher and in order to have sufficient margin to take care of these bills, as well as those now pending, we are requesting a deficiency appropriation of $50,000 which will give us about $11,000 leeway to take care of those vouchers which will be presented for payment some time in the near future. For the information of the committee we submit for the record the following itemized statement covering the appropriations, expenditures, as well as the balances left on hand, for the fiscal years 1937 to 1942, inclusive, covering telegraph and telephone service. Contingent expenses, House of Representatives, telegraph and telephone service, fiscal years, 1937 to 1942, inclusive 1 Expended for telegraph, $41,109.27, or 512 percent; expended for telephone, $38,812.21, or 481⁄2 percent. ? Expended for telegraph, $60,327.64, or 58 percent; expended for telephone, $44,023.07, or 42 percent. Expended for telegraph, $60,349.91, or 59 percent; expended for telephone, $42,179.27, or 41 percent. 4 Expended for telegraph, $78,339.81, or 62 percent; expended for telephone. $47,699.18, or 38 percent. Expended for telegraph, $97,896.70, or 66 percent; expended for telephone, $50,983.77, or 34 percent.. Expended for telegraph, $71,510.837, or 56 percent; expended for telephone, $55,987.46, or 44 percent. "This figure subject to change depending upon the exact amount we expend out of the $50,000 deficiency appropriation for telegraph service, fiscal year 1942. The CHAIRMAN. How does this compare with the amount expended for the previous year? Mr. SHANKS. The statement I have submitted, Mr. Chairman, gives you the total appropriation for the 5 years previous, and also the total amount of the expenditures. You will notice that for the fiscal year 1941, we spent $148,880 out of an appropriation of $155,000. The CHAIRMAN. That is the largest amount you ever expended? Mr. SHANKS. That was the largest so far. You must go back to 1940, when the telegraph service rate was increased by 50 percent. The Communication Commission increased the rate from 40 percent to 60 percent of the commercial rate. Another thing we must bear in mind is that Congress has been more or less in continuous session for the last 3 years. That is one of the main reasons why the telegraph bills have jumped so high. Mr. LUDLOW. What telephone expenses are chargeable to this appropriation? Mr. SHANKS. Just the telephones; all the rental equipment, the switchboard, and all outside calls. Mr. LUDLOW. The Members, of course, have no telephone privilege? Mr. SHANKS. Except each Member has a telephone in his own office and, for instance, take equipment: We pay 50 cents rental a month for each instrument in Members' offices. Mr. LUDLOW. What about long distance? Mr. SHANKS. No long-distance calls whatsoever. Mr. SHANKS. If you make a local call from the Capitol, we have to pay 3 cents for it; or if you call through the Government switchboard, it costs 1 cent for every call made. Mr. LUDLOW. How does it run between telephone and telegraph? Mr. SHANKS. It runs, roughly, about 66 percent telegraph and 34 percent telephone. If you will notice, our statement is broken down on that basis, which shows how much was spent for telegraph and how much for telephone. Mr. TABER. You are going to run this year probably Mr. SHANKS. $180,000 altogether. The telephone in the last item, Mr. Taber, is the total telephone bill; as all bills have been paid for telephone service up to and including the June bill. Our telegraph alone will run about $125,000. This $50,000, additional if we spend it all, will run our total appropriation up to about $180,000. Mr. LUDLOW. What percentage of deduction do you get from the regular telegraph rate, or does the Government get any reduction on its business? Mr. SHANKS. The rate fixed by the Federal Communications Commission is 60 percent of the commercial rate. It used to be 40 percent. In other words, if you pay, personally, $1, we pay 60 cents of that, regardless of what type of message it might be. The CHAIRMAN. If there are no further questions, thank you, Mr. Shanks. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1942. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS STATEMENT OF ARCHIBALD MacLEISH, THE LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS DISTRIBUTION OF CARD INDEXES- SALARIES AND EXPENSES, 1943 The CHAIRMAN. Mr. MacLeish, we have two items before us in House Document No. 852 for the Library of Congress. The first is a deficiency estimate for $24,180, for salaries and expenses in connection with the distribution of card indexes. What is the need for that appropriation? Mr. MACLEISH. Mr. Chairman, this has reference to an item for revised allocations. A couple of years ago the Appropriations Committee suggested that we ask the Civil Service Commission to reclassify the employees in the Library as a whole. They have now finished the Card Division and have reallocated the positions in that division, which makes it necessary for us to ask for an increase of $24,180. The CHAIRMAN. Will this be a continuing expense? Mr. MACLEISH. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. A continuing annual expense? Mr. MACLEISH. Yes, sir. Mr. TABER. You also have an item providing for an additional amount for travel. How is that split up? What is the travel? Mr. MACLEISH. Travel is a separate item. I was speaking of the amount of $24,180. Mr. LUDLOW. That entire amount is covered by reallocations? INCREASE OF THE LIBRARY INCREASE IN LIMITATION ON TRAVEL EXPENSE The CHAIRMAN. You have another item, which does not provide for additional expense, but for language which will increase the limitation on the allocation for traveling expenses of $5,000, under which you are now operating, to a limitation of $25,000. What is the need for the increase in your travel allowance? Mr. MACLEISH. The situation is this, Mr. Chairman. At the same time that the ordinary commercial means for securing materials, |