Senator MAGNUSON. But the bulk are still the smaller communities under 10,000 that want to go ahead with some planning on public works? Mr. WOOLNER. That is correct. Senator MAGNUSON. And many communities, I will say to the committee, have abosolutely no professional help, such as a city engineer or top water superintendent or things of that kind. Mr. WOOLNER. Some have part-time officials. Senator MAGNUSON. Yes, part time or they have to hire a consultant of some kind. CORRELATION WITH URBAN PLANNING PROGRAM Senator CASE. May I ask a question at this point? Senator MAGNUSON. Yes. Senator CASE. Is there any correlation as you observed it between applications for assistance under 702 and those for general land use planning under 701? Mr. WOOLNER. There is a growing correlation, Senator. We have been working closely with the people in the Urban Renewal Administration. As overall plans are developed under 701, then we are able to suggest the specific planning for specific projects under 702. This, I think, is a developing thing. I don't think we have reached the ultimate in the manner in which we can correlate the two programs. REPAYMENT OF ADVANCES Senator HOLLAND. These are repayable advances? Mr. WOOLNER. They are repayable at the time construction begins. We make them on the basis that we have assurance that construction will start within a 5-year period. So that something that is far off in terms of an idea, but is not firmed up, we would not approve. Senator HOLLAND. I notice that one of the reasons for your requesting this amount is that repayments have not come in as rapidly as you had expected. What is the story about that? Mr. WOOLNER. In any one given fiscal year the time interval is so short that a difference in the start of construction of a project by 3 to 6 months may throw us completely off in terms of repayments received during the fiscal year. Plus the fact that the program has been going on only for some 6 or 7 years, and in the early years at a very modest rate. It is only in the last 3 or 4 years that we have been reaching the program level of $10 and $12 million total. We are just now coming into the period of repayments. Senator MAGNUSON. Are there any further questions? Mr. WOOLNER. Thank you, sir. INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION STATEMENT OF RUPERT L. MURPHY, CHAIRMAN; ACCOMPANIED BY BERNARD F. SCHMID, MANAGING DIRECTOR; AND J. NEIL RYAN, BUDGET AND FISCAL OFFICER HOUSE ALLOWANCE Senator MAGNUSON. Chairman Murphy is here, of the Interstate Commerce Commission, and Mr. Ryan, the Budget Director is here. The House allowed $100,000 of the $125,000 requested for increased travel cost, which resulted from the same thing we have heard here, higher per diem and mileage rates, and the House report states that the increased per diem cost for the year is $170,000. The Commission is absorbing $50,000 and the committee proposes an additional $25,000 be absorbed. So what you are suggesting here is either you will absorb the $25,000 or that you cannot do it? Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Chairman, what we will have to do if we have to absorb an additional $25,000 will be to curtail what we think are some real important travel to make necessary investigations and handle the workload that we have. It can be done if we curtail such travel, but I think in the public interest it would be detrimental. CRITERION FOR PUBLIC LAW 87 Senator MAGNUSON. You have set a criterion within your Commission to take advantage of the Public Law 87, have you not? Mr. MURPHY. Yes, sir. Senator MAGNUSON. The other agencies have been up here and each agency has some different rules. You do not have any uniform rules. Mr. SCHMID. The law is permissive and not mandatory. in the justification. Mr. SCHMID. That is right. You have set forth your rules here MILEAGE ALLOWANCE Senator MAGNUSON. You say mileage allowance for use of privately owned automobiles was increased from 8 to 10 cents. Is that your action or is that under the law? Mr. SCHMID. That is our action. The law permits 12 cents, but we went up to 10. PER DIEM EXPENSE ALLOWANCE Senator MAGNUSON. Your per diem is $16 for everybody. But you say only $16 is provided if the room accommodation is $7 or more. Mr. SCHMID. That is correct. Senator MAGNUSON. And $14 if it is less than $7. Mr. SCHMID. That is right. Senator MAGNUSON. And $12 where new room accommodations are involved. Mr. SCHMID. That is right. Senator MAGNUSON. We can get at that a little better when we get your regular appropriation. We will put your estimate and justification in the record in full. Mr. MURPHY. Thank you, sir. (The estimate and justification follow :) SUPPLEMENTAL ESTIMATE (H. Doc. 333) "INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION "SALARIES AND EXPENSES "For an additional amount for 'Salaries and expenses', for additional travel erpenses, $125,000." Additional funds are needed to meet increased travel costs resulting from higher per diem and mileage rates authorized pursuant to Public Law 87-139. Because of its extensive field operations, necessary for the enforcement of law and regulations, and the large number of hearings it conducts in the field, the necessary travel costs are too large for the Interstate Commerce Commission to absorb within its existing appropriation. INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION STATEMENT OF JUSTIFICATION, SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION FISCAL YEAR 1962 Because of the Commission's inability to absorb the entire cost of increased travel allowances authorized by Public Law 87-139, it is imperative that a supplemental appropriation request in the amount of $125,000 for fiscal year 1962 be approved at the earliest practicable date. Subsequent to the enactment of our 1962 appropriation, Public Law 87-139 authorizing increased per diem rates was approved August 14, 1961. Our request for a supplemental appropriation of $125,000 arises from costs resulting from these increased rates. Effective September 1, 1961, the Commission increased its per diem rates to $16 per day for Commissioners, Joint Board members, cooperating State commissioners, and appointees under 5 U.S.C. 55a. For all others the following rates were authorized: (1) Sixteen dollars per day provided cost of room accommodations is $7 or more; (2) Fourteen dollars per day provided cost of room accommodations is less than $7; and (3) Twelve dollars per day where no room accommodation costs are incurred. Mileage allowance for use of privately owned automobiles used for official business was increased from 8 to 10 cents per mile. We have made every effort to absorb as much of the increased cost as possible by deferring inspections and investigations, scheduling itineraries to make the most efficient use of travel funds and coordinating assignments to avoid duplication of trips and effort, thus assuring that all necessary travel is handled in a judicious manner. To attempt to absorb the entire cost would seriously impair the ability of the Commission to perform the duties required of it by the Congress and would create substantial increases in already large backlogs of work. As you know, in the performance of its responsibilities, the Commission depends on the adequacy of travel funds in order to achieve expeditious handling of hearings, investigations, and inspections. The total estimated cost of the increased per diem rates effected was $175,000 of which the Commission is absorbing $50,000 and requests a supplemental of the remaining $125,000. In order to even approximate the level of travel planned for 1962, it has been necessary to delay certain planned expenditures so as to offset travel costs which are steadily increasing as the fiscal year progresses. In an attempt to accomplish this, we have delayed purchases and economized in various other areas in addition to studied economy in the use of travel funds. A current analysis of the financial status of our appropriation shows that availability of the $125,000 supplemental requested is necessary in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year to obviate the curtailment of travel by about one-third of our planned program. A reduction in travel of this magnitude would have a serious effect on the Commission's ability to perform its assigned responsibilities. INDEPENDENT OFFICES INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION "SALARIES AND EXPENSES "For an additional amount for 'Salaries and expenses', $125,000 (increase of $125,000 in the limitation on travel expenses)." 1 Obligations incurred under "Allocations from other accounts" are shown in the schedules of the parent appropriation "Civil defense and defense mobilization functions of Federal agencies, Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization." STATEMENT OF RUPERT L. MURPHY, CHAIRMAN, INTERSTATE COMMERCE COM MISSION Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, the Interstate Commerce Commission requests the Senate to restore the $25,000 by which the House Appropritions Committee has reduced the 1962 supplemental appropriation request. Accordingly, it is requested that H.R. 11038 be amended as follows: Page 8, line 20, strike out "$100,000" and insert in lieu thereof "$125,000." As indicated in our justification, copies of which have been furnished your committee, in support of the appropriation request, we have made every effort to absorb as much of the increased cost as possible by deferring inspections and investigations, scheduling itineraries to make the most efficient use of travel funds and coordinating assignments to avoid duplication of trips and effort, thus assuring that all necessary travel is performed in an economical manner. Also, as stated in House Appropriations Committee Report No. 1548: "The bill contains $100,000 of the $125,000 requested for travel costs resulting from higher per diem and mileage rates authorized pursuant to law. The increased per diem cost for the year is $175,000, and the Commission is presently absorbing $50,000. The committee proposes that an additional $25,000 be absorbed." Thus, the effect of the House Appropriations Committee reduction would require further curtailment in inspections and investigations conducted pursuant to law and impair the Commission's ability to perform its assigned responsibilities. It is respectfully requested that the supplemental appropriation request of $125,000 for the Commission be approved. 8224562 |