Repairs, works of art__ $5, 300 Nonrecurring increases under this allotment asked to provide: $3,000 for replacement of a large section of highly decorated ceiling at the main entrance to the Senate dining room. ceiling is decorated with water colors and the plaster is flaking off. If this condition is allowed to continue, the pattern of the decorations will be lost. Under the amount of $3,000, it is proposed to trace the decorations for pattern and color, remove all loose plaster, replaster the ceiling, and redecorate the ceiling as it originally was, but in oil colors. This $2,300 is requested for minor restoration work on the large painting, "The Landing of Columbus," located in the rotunda of the Capitol. This is 1 of the 8 large paintings in the rotunda. It was painted by the artist John Vanderlyn and was acquired by the Government, through purchase, in 1847. It is proposed to apply a protective masking to the frame where necessary; remove all old discolored varnish from the painting and repaint where necessary; retouch and apply glazes where necessary; refinish the surface with a semigloss synthetic varnish. Supplies and materials-increased from $31,000 to $33,000This increase is requested to meet increased maintenance costs. Cost of supplies and materials continues to rise from year to year and an allotment of $33,000 is needed to meet current requirements. Equipment-increased from $2,000 to $5,500 ---- $3,500 is requested for purchase and installation of dust-collecting equipment in the carpentry shop in the Capitol Building. A similar installation was made in the carpentry shop in the Senate Office Building several years ago and has proven highly satisfactory. Installation of the dust collector is recommended for the protection of the health of the employees in this shop. The shop is located in the basement terrace of the Capitol, House side, in a space without windows. Total estimate for 1962 2,000 3,500 +$93, 200 1, 142, 000 Mr. STEED. I would like to say I note here there is a net decrease. Mr. STEWART. That is right, $10,000. The deductions were $103,200 and the additions $93,200. ITEMS DROPPED FROM 1961 Mr. STEED. Make a brief comment on the deductions, and then you can take up the increases in some detail. Mr. STEWART. The deductions are these: First there are the following nonrecurring items allowed under "General annual repairs and alterations" for 1961 and dropped for 1962: Improvements to bronze revolving door, west basement entrance to Capitol, $3,950; replacement of two sections of copper roof under northwest and southwest skirt of dome, $2,250; repairs to mosaic floor on principal floor of Capitol between the little rotunda and the Senate connecting corridor, $7,000. Nonrecurring items allowed under "Maintenance, air-conditioning system" for 1961 and dropped for 1962 are as follows: Rebuild four central dehumidifier units of the air-conditioning system, which serve areas in both the House and Senate sides of the Capitol, $45,000; replacement of steam line in the air-conditioning system for the Senate wing of the Capitol, $3,600. Mr. Bow. Why could you not have used that fund for the amount used out of the contingent fund for the Ways and Means Committee room? Mr. STEWART. This is under "Capitol Buildings." The Ways and Means Committee room comes under the "House Office Buildings." Mr. Bow. Thank you. Mr. STEWART. The next deduction is for nonrecurring item allowed under "Repairs, works of art" for 1961 and dropped for 1962, as follows: Repairs to large oil painting "Recall of Columbus," located in the Senate wing, gallery floor, east corridor, of Capitol, $1,400. Replacement of wooden revolving door, west front, first floor, entrance to Capitol, nonrecurring item dropped for 1962, $9,000. That is the door over here [indicating]. If I may say something off the record at this time it might be of interest. (Discussion off the record.) Mr. STEWART. And the last deduction is the nonrecurring item of painting of exterior of the west central section of the Capitol and exterior trim of Senate and House wings, $31,000, which was done this year. It is done every 4 years. I hope within the next few years we will have a marble front on that side so there will be no further need for painting. Mr. STEED. On the item of painting, what about some complaint that has been made that the color was not in harmony with the rest of the colors? Did you hear anything about that? Mr. STEWART. Mr. Chairman, the best answer I can give you on that is this: We painted the dome the color that blended with the wings of the Capitol. The Georgia marble in the new east front is slightly bluer or grayer than the marble in the two wings, and if you will stand on Independence Avenue at any time in any light, nighttime or any other time, and look at the Capitol Building from the House Office Building, you will see a perfect blending of tones. If you should stand before the east front with the blue and gray that is in the new Georgia marble, then you do get some contrast. The paint job we did on the west side was to match the color of the marble in the Senate and House wings. Does that answer your question? WAGE BOARD, OVERTIME, AND WITHIN-GRADE INCREASES Mr. STEWART. The first addition is under "Personnel compensation." For wage rate increases authorized by Public Law 763, 83d Congress, $24,025. a result of a This includes $21,010 for 1962 to meet on a full-year basis the cost of increased wage rates established for these wage board positions as general survey of Government and industrial employees' wages in the Washington metropolitan area, conducted during the past year. The new rates went into effect December 25, 1960, in accordance with the provisions of Public Law 85-872, 85th Congress. This increase is necessary in order that the Capitol Building's wage board employees may be compensated on a full-year basis in the fiscal year 1962 in accordance with present prevailing rates. Also included in the $24,025 increase is $3,015 for 1962 to meet the cost of within-grade promotions falling due in that year, authorized by Public Law 763 under the wage board system, for employees compensated under that act. Within-grade promotions and other changes authorized by the Classification Act of 1949, as amended, for employees compensated under that act, $1,386. Overtime and holiday pay increased by $11,000 to meet increased pay costs under that allotment resulting from base pay increases under Public Law 763 and the Classification Act. ADDITIONAL POSITIONS REQUESTED Two additional positions (male nurse) at $5,355 per annum each, $10,710. An increase of $10,710 is requested for 1962 for two additional positions of male nurse, GS-7 under the Classification Act. Dr. Calver, the physician of the Congress, after consultation with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and securing his approval, requested that there be included in the estimates of the Architect of the Capitol for the fiscal year 1962 the necessary funds to carry on the Capitol Building's payroll under the Architect of the Capitol two attendants in his office who have previously been carried on payrolls of the Navy Department and are retiring from that Department after 20 years of service. One has been assigned by the Navy Department to Dr. Calver's office for 8 years and the other for 10 years. One is 38 years of age and the other is 41 years. They are highly skilled and efficient medical assistants and are thoroughly conversant with the requirements of Dr. Calver's office after years of intensive and extended training. An amount of $10,710 is accordingly requested for 1962 to carry on the Capitol Building's payroll two positions of male nurse at $5,355 per annum each, in order that the services of these two men may be retained on a permanent basis in the Office of the Physician of the Congress. Two additional positions, elevator mechanics: An increase of $10,379 is requested for 1962 for two additional positions of elevator mechanic-one W-10 at $5,304 per annum and the other W-9 at $5,075 per annum-to be compensated under the wage board system. At present a force of two elevator foremen and five elevator mechanics is carried on the Capitol Buildings payroll. In addition to the daily routine care of the 19 elevator units in the Capitol Building-which includes 13 elevators, 1 dumbwaiter, 2 lifts, and 3 conveyors the present force performs the work of special testing, inspecting, and recabling of all elevator units in all buildings under the Architect. In addition, they care for the one elevator at the Capitol Power Plant and the two elevators at the Court of Claims Building. Under the present setup, one mechanic is available for full-time duty at the Capitol. The other 6 men work as a group and their time is consumed in making periodic tests, general inspections, major adjustments, biannual cable inspections, and heavy repair work on 122 elevator units distributed in 10 buildings-the Capitol, two Senate Office Buildings, two House Office Buildings, two Library of Congress Buildings, Capitol Power Plant, U.S. Supreme Court Building, and the Court of Claims Building. One additional mechanic is requested to assist the mechanic presently engaged in the daily care of the Capitol Building elevators. With the extension of the Capitol and the addition of the new Senate subway terminal, the number of units to be maintained in 1962 will increase from 19 to 27. One man cannot take care of this heavy workload alone. One additional mechanic is requested to assist the special maintenance crew in the special maintenance work performed by them in the care of the 122 elevator units in all 10 buildings. This phase of work has been greatly increased by the acquisition of 11 new units in the New Senate Office Building and will be further increased in the fiscal year 1962 by the addition of 8 new units in the east front extension of the Capitol and the new Senate subway terminal. An adequate force should be provided for this work in the interest of safety to Senators, Members, employees, and the public who use these elevator units daily. Mr. Bow. What is the present rate of your elevator mechanics that you have now? You say you have two foremen and five elevator mechanics. What is their present rate? Mr. HENLOCK. They vary. Two of them are grade 14, one grade 11, two grade 10, two grade 9. Those are Wage Board grades. FREQUENCY OF WAGE BOARD INCREASES Mr. STEED. On the Wage Board matter, how often are those determinations made? Mr. STEWART. Every year. Mr. HENLOCK. In the fall. Mr. STEED. Could you give us a schedule showing what the changes were in the last one? Mr. HENLOCK. We will be glad to furnish that. Mr. Roor. It is an overall 4 percent. Mr. STEED. About how many classifications are affected by that? Mr. HENLOCK. Seventeen grades in all. We have 873 employees under the act. Mr. STEED. Four percent across the board? Mr. HENLOCK. Yes. The amounts vary, but the average is about 4 percent. Mr. STEED. When one of those situations hits you, how do you meet it? Do you have to get a supplemental? Mr. HENLOCK. Ordinarily we do, unless we are able to absorb the cost through savings. As more men get to the top of the grade, whenever there is any turnover, there is some saving that occurs there. On most of our appropriations we were able to absorb the cost this year. Ordinarily we do have to come in for a supplemental at this time of the year, around April. TWO MALE NURSES Mr. STEED. On those two male nurses, have they already retired from the Navy? Mr. Roor. One of them has, and one is supposed to retire in June or July. Mr. STEED. Will they draw Navy pension in addition to their salaries here? Mr. Roor. Yes. Here is the information sheet we obtained yesterday from the Civil Service Commission. Item No. 1 says that a retired enlisted man receiving retired pay on the basis of his enlisted grade is not prevented from holding a Federal position, and there is no limitation on his combined rates of pay regardless of the reason for his retirement. Both of these men were enlisted men. They were chief hospital corpsmen. Mr. STEED. On this overtime and holiday pay, what type employees usually are involved in that? Mr. HENLOCK. Principally the blue collar workers, but most all of our employees are required to work a 512-day week because we have to keep the office open on Saturday, as well as Monday through Friday. Overtime consists of a part day on Saturdays and in addition some mechanics in the heating, ventilating, elevator, and similar departments have to stay beyond the usual workday whenever Congress stays in session longer, which frequently happens on the Senate side during the closing days of Congress. RECENT ADDITIONS TO ELEVATOR MECHANICS FORCE Mr. STEED. On your elevator maintenance mechanics in connection with all this human load volume you are carrying, when was the last time you had to have more help in that field? Mr. HENLOCK. I think it has been about 5 years, if my memory is correct. We would have to check the records to be absolutely correct. Mr. STEED. We have had no change on that since all these additional elevators came into operation? Mr. HENLOCK. Two mechanics were added in 1957-58 due to the addition of the new Senate Office Building elevators. Mr. HORAN. Your total will be 127 now? Mr. HENLOCK. 122 elevator units in all that we maintain, and when we add the new ones, it will be about 130. Mr. STEED. When all the construction now underway and contemplated is completed, how many additional elevators will you have? Mr. CAMPIOLI. Including freight elevators, about 24, in the third House Office Building, and 8 more on the east front, or about 32 eleva tors. TWO MALE NURSES Mr. STEWART. Mr. Chairman, at this point, may I introduce this for your record. It is a letter from the Speaker requesting those male nurses. Mr. STEED. We will include this letter at this point in the record. 69462-61--9 |