got there, so I cannot give you any definite information on it. I suppose when the buildings were built. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. That is all. PLANNING TO STAGE OF COMMENCING CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS Mr. CANNON. We have another item here in the amount of $275,000, additional amount for planning to stage of commencing the construction operations. You have $100,000 on hand which you expect to use in this project, which will make this additional appropriation total $375,000 for your entire project. I notice that this estimate is for preliminary costs incident to the construction at a later date of additional accommodations. How will this money be used, and why is it here as an urgent deficiency item? ADMINISTRATION OF SOLDIERS' HOME General LOUGHRY. For the information of the committee, I would like to make a brief statement with reference to the administration of the Soldiers' Home, as well as to the justification for construction which you now have under condiseration. The general supervision and financial administration of the home. has been placed by Congress in a Board of Commissioners composed of the following officers of the Army: The Adjutant General, the Judge Advocate General, the Quartermaster General, the Surgeon General, the Chief of Engineers, the Chief of Finance, and the Governor of the home. The regulations which the Board of Commissioners establishes for the Governor of the home receives the approval of the Secretary of War. The appropriations for the maintenance and operation of the establishment are made from the Soldiers' Home funds, which is a trust fund. It is derived from monthly deductions from the pay of enlisted men on the active list of the Regular Army, and from fines and forfeitures adjudged against such personnel by courts martial. The Congress has fixed a limit on the monthly deduction of 25 cents, the exact sum to be deducted to be fixed by the Secretary of War. The deduction varies from time to time and has been fixed at 10 cents per month since about January 1943. The permanent fund is now slightly in excess of $15,000,000. Consequently, all appropriations for the support and maintenance of the Soldiers' Home are made from the trust fund and not from the public Treasury, which you, of course, understand. As to eligibility, only former soldiers who have had some service in the Regular Army are eligible for membership in the home. Eligibility falls into three classes: First, a soldier who has served honorably and faithfully in the Army of the United States for 20 years or more, who has had some service as an enlisted man in the Regular Army. Secondly, those who had some service in the Regular Army, who have been rendered incapable of earning their own living by reason of wounds or disability incurred in the service. Thirdly, those who have had some service in the Regular Army and who have contributed to the support of the home and are unable to earn their own living by reason of sickness, old age, or other disabilities. I thought that I might refresh your minds by making that very brief statement. CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM FOR ENLARGEMENT AND MODERNIZATION OF HOME A construction program for the enlargement and modernization of the Soldiers' Home has been under consideration by the Board of Commissioners since the fiscal year 1944. The Congress has previously appropriated $100,000 for planning purposes. We have asked for $375,000 and $100,000 has already been appropriated, but has not been expended. The Chief of Engineers has recently prepared a plan for the enlargement of existing capacity and for the modernization of certain existing utilities and facilities. The principal projects of this plan are as follows: (1) Quarters for 1,260 members, $5,312,500; (2) a new hospital with a capacity of 264 beds and the rehabilitation of existing facilities, $3,699,400; (3) utilities, $1,457,900; (4) service facilities, $212,000; (5) site adjustment, $125,000, making a total of $10,806,800. The funds requested in the current estimates will be largely employed for architectural and engineering planning for the new quarters for members and for the hospital and expansion to meet conditions that may arise at the home. It is proposed to submit the estimates for actual construction when these plans have been completed. It will perhaps take the Chief of Engineers the better part of 6 months, assuming this money is appropriated, to prepare the plans and specifications, and then we presumably would come before this committee in January and ask for the actual funds for construction. The reasons for the proposed augmentation in the capacity of the home are set forth in the justifications and, with your permissionthey are brief-I would like to read them and perhaps emphasize certain things. Mr. CANNON. You may proceed. General LOUGHRY. As I have stated in my previous remarks, this plan has been under consideration since 1944. It has been discussed by my predecessors with the Military Subcommittee in general conversation, and they have known what is going on and reacted favorably to it and, of course, that is indicated by the fact they have made the appropriation for planning purposes. I might say at the present time, so far as our capacity is concerned, we have a barracks capacity of approximately 1,075 and a hospital capacity of 325, or a capacity for 1,400 members in all. Mr. CANNON. How many? General LOUGHRY. 1,400 in all; in other words, 1,075 in the barracks and 325 in the hospital, totaling 1,400 members, approximately. We also have capacity and have employed out there approximately 250 civilians. The proposed new building for members will be in addition to present structures that may be misleading; it should be "together with the present structures-provide housing for 2,335 members and 125 additional civilians exclusive of a hospital capacity of 500, or a total member capacity of 2,835. I might say there that generally there is in the hospital from 20 to 25 percent of all members of the home. MEMBERSHIP OF THE HOME The total membership of the home was on July 1, 1944, 1,193; July 1, 1945, 1,272; and May 1, 1946, 1,469. These figures show an increase of 79 during the fiscal year 1945, and 197 during the first 10 months of the current fiscal year. For the latter period the increase has been approximately 20 per month. If the increase continues at the present rate, we shall have a total membershi of 1,869 on January 1, 1948, and 2,109 on January 1,1949. At the present time, there are 37 vacant membership beds in the home. In other words, we are up against the roof right now, and if we do not get additional housing we are going to be in a position very shortly where we are going to have to turn applicants for membership away out there. The figures presented above show the anticipated membership in the years 1948 and 1949. However there is no assurance that this rate of increase may not be exceeded in future months. The plan visualizes the necessity for taking care of further increases in subsequent years. The recent augmentation in membership is attributed in considerable measure to Public 190, 79th Congress (approved Oct. 6, 1945), which provides that enlisted men may be retired after 20 years' service. The proposed new building, in the opinion of the Chief of Engineers, represents the capacity which will be most economical in construction costs. If conditions, subsequent to new construction should permit, two old barracks (the King and Sheridan Buildings) will be razed with a consequent decrease in the foregoing capacity of 382. These buildings were erected in 1872 and 1883, respectively. They are antiquated and costly from a maintenance standpoint. And I might say, while these are the oldest buildings and in the worst condition TYPE OF BUILDINGS TO BE REPLACED Mr. CANNON. Are they frame or brick? General LOUGHRY. They are brick-in the other buildings we now have men housed in basements where it is not proper to have men housed. It would be desirable, if we get this new building, to raze these two buildings I referred to; to take men out of the basements of the present structures or other rooms where they are too confiend and put them in the new building. The general comprehensive plan prepared by the Office of Chief of Engineers visualized the replacement of all structures at the home, in view of the fact they are all old, obsolete, and are expensive to maintain; but my immediate problem, in which I am concerned, is augmenting the capacity of the home. the situation would permit, after we get this new building, which will have a capacity of 1,260 members, then consideration would be given to razing these two oldest buildings and which are in the worst condition, with a capacity of 382, but I would not go beyond that certainly at this time. If This plan the Chief of Engineers has prepared is a comprehensive plan. It was prepared during last summer and fall and is the first time, if I may say so, that a long-range program has been prepared for the home. It can be added to. There is nothing in this construction that cannot be used in any further augmentation that may be necessary, and these figures, I think, indicate that we are not going too far in building a new building or a new barracks with a capacity of 1,260. That will give us a capacity of 2,835. If we have 2,100 men in the home, as is predicted, as of January 1, 1949, 500 of those beds, based on 20 to 25 percent of the total membership being in the hospital, would leave a capacity of 2,335. Then if we deduct from that 382, which is the capacity of the King and Sheridan Buildings that might be razed, the capacity of the home will not be greatly in excess of the actual predicted membership at that time. We cannot tell what is going to happen thereafter. In other words, there is no point in building something and then coming back here a year or two later and asking for funds to build additions, and that capacity, in my opinion, would be good for perhaps 5 or 10 years. A majority of the existing utilities and service facilities have been in operation for many years, are obsolete and subject to service interruptions and excessive maintenance and are not adequate for continued operation to serve the anticipated population. And, as I pointed out and as the Chief of Engineers has stated, it is not only a case of augmentation, but it is a case of requirement to give better housing to men who are actually at the Soldiers' Home now. The sum of $375,000 is considered to be the absolute minimum required to provide for qualified professional services and engineering overhead in the accomplishment of the planning objective, complete in all respects preparatory to the initiation of construction operations. In fact, to accomplish the work required within this estimate, it will be necessary to cut all corners. The sum of $45,000 (appropriated for planning purposes in fiscal year 1945), which has already been transmitted to the office of the Chief of Engineers, together with the amount of $55,000, included in the 1947 Budget for the same purpose, a total of $100,000, should be considered as available in connection with the present estimates. This estimate has, accordingly, been reduced to $275,000. The Military Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee in various hearings and appropriations made for planning purposes has indicated its approval of the projects for the augmentation and rehabilitation of the United States Soldiers' Home. I have endeavored to present to the committee the reasons why it is urgently necessary to augment the capacity of the home. We are within 37 of capacity now and, before this construction is finished, in all probability we are going to have to deny applicants membership in the Home. So far as this immediate estimate is concerned, Lieutenant Colonel Poorman, assistant from the Office of the Chief of Engineers, is here. CAPACITY OF HOME Mr. CANNON. You have accommodations out there for 1,075 domiciliary members and 325 hospitalized members; is that right? General LOUGHRY. That is correct. Mr. CANNON. That is a total of 1,400? General LOUGHRY. That is a total of 1,400. Mr. CANNON. That is, you have room for 1,400 members out there? General LOUGHRY. Yes, sir. EXTENT OF OCCUPANCY OF HOME Mr. CANNON. You still have 37 unoccupied beds in your hospital, and how many unoccupied units are there out of this 1,075 domiciliary capacity? General LOUGHRY. With reference to the 37 unoccupied beds, there are 28 in the barracks and 9 in the hospital. Mr. CANNON. You gave it to us as 37 unoccupied beds out of 325 beds. General LOUGHRY. At the present time there are 28 vacant membership beds in the Home. Mr. CANNON. That is beds; now, how many domiciliary units are vacant? General LOUGHRY. That 37 vacant beds includes 9 in the hospital; In the hospital with a capacity of 325, the last morning report showed 316 members. Mr. CANNON. Out of that capacity of 1,075 domiciliary units, how many actual domiciliary members do you have? General LOUGHRY. There are 38 vacant beds. Mr. CANNON. And how many hospital beds are vacant? General LOUGHRY. Approximately nine. That is based on the last morning report. Mr. ČANNON. Approximately nine? General LOUGHRY. Well, the capacity is 325 and there are approximately 316 patients there at the present time. Does that answer your question? Mr. CANNON. That would leave nine. General LOUGHRY. That would leave nine. Mr. CANNON. Is this your peak population; have you ever had more? General LOUGHRY. Not to my knowledge. I have looked at the figures over the last several years and prior to the war the membership, I think, approximated something close to what it is now. During the war some members went out and took jobs and some re-enlisted. In the fiscal year 1945 we increased the membership by 100, and in the first 10 months of this year it has increased at the rate of 20 a month. Mr. CANNON. You have never denied admission because of lack of accommodations? General LOUGHRY. To the best of my judgment; no. INCREASE IN POPULATION Mr. CANNON. There has been a rather remarkable increase out there. You ran from 1,193 year before last up to 1,272 last year and 1,469 this year. How do you account for this rather striking increase? Of course, these are all veterans of wars antedating the First World War; no one in the First or Second World Wars can qualify, I believe? General LOUGHRY. We have members from both World War I and II. Mr. TABER. It is only Regular Army members who can qualify; is it not? General LOUGHRY. That is right-Regular Army members only. Mr. TABER. Rather than Reserves? |