Summary of emergency-construction programs as of Mar. 6, 1936

Totals..

PROGRESS SCHEDULE OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS APPROPRIATION OF $60,000,000 MADE IN SECOND DEFICIENCY ACT OF 1935

The CHAIRMAN. How much do you have for this year?
Admiral PEOPLES. We have $60,000,000.

The CHAIRMAN. How much of that has been contracted out, with the buildings put up or partially put up?

Admiral PEOPLES. Under the program, we will put on the market about 90 percent of those projects in number, by the middle of this month.

The CHAIRMAN. Suppose in your statement of that, you set out definite periods-say quarters, 6 months, and 8 months-indicating how many buildings you have on hand in 6 months, how many in 8 months, and so forth, how many have been contracted out.

Admiral PEOPLES. Yes, sir; we can do that. The progress schedule of the 60-million program by quarters is as follows:

Progress schedule, 355 projects under 60 million program, period Aug. 12, 1935 (date of act), to Aug. 12, 1936

1 The foregoing tabulation indicates that 331 of the 355 projects involved will have been placed under contract by August 12, next, or within 1 year after passage of the act. Nearly all of the 24 projects remaining on hand will require amendatory legislation increasing the limits of cost before sites can be selected. A few of the very large projects are also placed in this category by reason of the time required to complete the drawings and specifications. However, actual contracts for a few additional projects may be delayed in the event there are any complications in connection with the acquisition of title to the sites involved.

The CHAIRMAN. In other words, I want to see the program you are carrying out.

Admiral PEOPLES. Would this explain it? Under the last program, nine are now under contract, involving a total of $1,480,000; there are six projects upon which the bids have been received, and are under consideration right now, amounting to $1,339,800; there are 22 that are now actually in course of construction, under bids amounting to $2,798,000; there are 164, plus 63, or 227 projects that are in the specifications stage, amounting to $11,630,000.

The CHAIRMAN. What do you mean by the specifications stage? Admiral PEOPLES. The specifications stage is where the drawings have been made, approved, and agreed to, and the specifications are being drawn. That is where the specifications are being drawn and are ready to be put on the market. We are running into a good deal of delay in connection with our program because of the last act of Congress which requires the filing of the schedule of wages of the community.

The CHAIRMAN. That was not an act of Congress. That was a sentimental action, and not an act of Congress.

Admiral PEOPLES. You are exactly right. It has had this effect, that we are unable to put a project actually on the market until we

get a schedule of the wages. That is because the schedule of wages is a schedule upon which the construction company operates. It is something they must include in their bids. We tried to anticipate it. We tried to put the projects on the market, thinking that by the time the bids were opened, we would have a schedule of wages from the Department of Labor. However, they have been unable to give it to us on time.

The CHAIRMAN. You are getting on another subject now. Suppose you finish up your statement as to the progress of the program.

Admiral PEOPLES. There are 11 left in the topographic survey stage, amounting to $1,610,000, and there are 20 that are still in the site stage, out of a total of 369 projects that were allocated under the $60,000,000. In other words, Mr. Chairman, the Procurement Division is actually getting this work done, and that has been through very hearty and sincere cooperation on the part of the Post Office Department. If it had been otherwise, it would have been impossible. Therefore, whatever credit should be given or whatever criticism should be made must lie jointly between the two departments. The CHAIRMAN. You are about up with your program. With the exception of a few buildings with which you have difficulties, you are about up with the building program that was authorized under: the $60,000,000.

Admiral PEOPLES. So much so that we are right now starting to furlough architectural forces and some of the mechanical and engineering forces.

The CHAIRMAN. Will the $60,000,000 do what the fund was intended to do that is, to give one building, or practically one building, to every Congressional district in the United States, where it was qualified?

Admiral PEOPLES. We did that 100 percent.

The CHAIRMAN. With the one exception where you had a large building costing several million dollars and serving two or three Congressional districts in a large city.

Admiral PEOPLES. That is where a large project was considered to be representative of more than one district.

The CHAIRMAN. And where the construction served other districts. Admiral PEOPLES. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. They do serve other districts.

Admiral PEOPLES. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Then, we have in the last 2 or 3 years provided sufficient appropriations to put a building in every district.

Admiral PEOPLES. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. That was in order that the building industry throughout the United States might be benefited to some extent during the unemployment period. I do not know what the other members of the committee think about it, but I want to carry out the same policy this year. We have an estimate here for $50,000,000, and I understand from you that it will take $60,000,000 to carry out the same policy.

Admiral PEOPLES. That is perfectly true. We have made an analysis of what could be done on the basis of $50,000,000, and we find that by taking into consideration certain major projects in large cities, and all priorities, there will be a total of about 118 districts. omitted on the basis of $50,000,000. It requires at least $60,000,000.

Mr. TAYLOR. Do you mean to make those omissions in the District of Columbia?

Admiral PEOPLES. There are none in here for the District.

The CHAIRMAN. These are outside of the District of Columbia. Mr. THURSTON. The large cities are always given the preference, are they not?

Admiral PEOPLES. No, sir. In some cases, they have been, but in other cases they have not been. There is no general rule. It depends entirely upon the urgency of the project. There are a great many major projects which have been deferred from year to year, and will have to be deferred even with $60,000,000 or $65,000,000. For instance, if you take the hospital building in Boston, where the building is 70 years old

Mr. MARTIN. It is a residence building erected in 1859, and converted into a hospital.

The CHAIRMAN. It ought to be a pretty good building if it were built during that time.

Admiral PEOPLES. It was a good building for the purpose for which it was needed. It was up until recent years, but now they are literally crowded out into the corridors. That is the marine hospital, and the building is a fire-trap. It is a thoroughly meritorious project. COAST GUARD CONSTRUCTION FROM $60,000,000 APPROPRIATION MADE IN SECOND DEFICIENCY ACT OF 1935

The CHAIRMAN. While on that subject, to what extent are you encroaching upon the $60,000,000 for Coast Guard construction?

Admiral PEOPLES. I do not think there is a single Coast Guard project in it.

Mr. MARTIN. Yes; we have three or four projects at places that were included in the general authorization for Coast Guard stations. The CHAIRMAN. Ordinarily; we have not been appropriating for Coast Guard buildings in a public buildings bill. In fact, I do not remember any instance of that.

Mr. MARTIN. No, sir; but there was an act of Congress containing a general authorization for about 10 stations throughout the country, and the P. W. A. provided the funds for some of the stations. Several were authorized under this program.

The CHAIRMAN. They may have been authorized, but they were not listed on our list.

Mr. MARTIN. No, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. It was not the intention of Congress that the money should be diverted to Coast Guard construction.

Mr. MARTIN. But Coast Guard projects were authorized.

The CHAIRMAN. They were not authorized in the appropriation. Mr. MARTIN. They were not in the document.

The CHAIRMAN. They were neither in the document nor included in the list published in our hearings.

Mr. MARTIN. No, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. The money was supposed to be spent on the building projects published in the hearings.

Mr. MARTIN. With one exception: You gave the two Cabinet officers authority to use their discretion

The CHAIRMAN. That was to cover an emergency, or the event that some place might grow so rapidly that it would be more important