Mr. EISEMAN. The rate of commitment of obligations has been increasing in recent months as the additional workload, under the new program, has come in. As the Commissioner's statement indicated, the cutoff date was in December. So starting in December and going through January, February, and March, there has been an increasing number of fund reservations. The rate of obligations has also increased over those months and is expected to continue to increase during the balance of this year. Senator HILL. Do you have any questions, Senator Potter? POSSIBILITY OF REQUEST FOR SUPPLEMENTAL Senator POTTER. Yes, I do have a further question. Does this mean there is a possibility that you might come back for a supplemental appropriation? Mr. SEWARD. That would be possible, Senator Potter; yes, sir. Senator PASTORE. What year are you talking about now? Are you talking about fiscal year 1957, or fiscal year 1958? Mr. SEWARD. Fiscal year 1958. Senator PASTORE. Do you think you have enough money in 1957 with the $878,000? Mr. SEWARD. Yes, sir. Senator HILL. Are there any other questions, gentlemen? Apparently there are no further questions, sir, and we thank you very much. Mr. SEWARD. Thank you, Senator Hill. SALARIES AND EXPENSES STATEMENTS OF L. G. DERTHICK, COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION, AND WAYNE O. REED, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION APPROPRIATION ESTIMATE Salaries and expenses: For expenses necessary for the Office of Education, including surveys, studies, investigations, and reports regarding libraries; fostering coordination of public and school library service; coordination of library service on the national level with other forms of adult education; developing library participation in Federal projects; fostering nationwide coordination of research materials among libraries, interstate library coordination and the development of library service throughout the country; purchase, distribution, and exchange of educational documents, motion-picture films, and lantern slides; collection, exchange, and cataloging of educational apparatus and appliances, articles of school furniture and models of school buildings illustrative of foreign and domestic systems and methods of education, and repairing the same; and cooperative research, surveys, and demonstrations in education as authorized by the Act of July 26, 1954 (20 U. S. C. 331–332) ; [$5,000,000] $7,500,000, of which not less than $550,000 shall be available for the Division of Vocational Education as authorized: Provided, That all receipts from non-Federal agencies representing reimbursement for expenses of travel of employees of the Office of Education performing advisory functions to the said agencies shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States to the credit of this appropriation. [Salaries and expenses: For an additional amount for "Salaries and expenses", $270,000: Provided, That of this amount (a) $85,000 shall be available only upon enactment into law of H. R. 11695, Eighty-fourth Congress, or similar legislation, and (b) $45,000 shall be available only upon enactment of H. R. 11549 or S. 3958, Eighty-fourth Congress.] The House allowance of $7 million represents a reduction of $500,000. Generally, the allowance provides the amount requested for the cooperative research program and for only 8 of the 75 additional positions which were requested to perform research and studies in areas not presently or inadequately covered by the staff. Specifically, the effect of the House action is as follows: Activity 1. Administration of school assistance in federally affected areas The House allowance provides $74,535 for this activity for mandatory increases. The allowance does not provide $7,200 budgeted for additional travel costs, for machine tabulation of accumulated program data, and other expenses. Activity 2. Educational services (a) Planning.-The House allowance provides an increase of $3,465 including mandatory items of $1,835 and $1,630 for other objects of expenditure. (b) Vocational education.-The House allowance provides an increase of $36,815 for this activity, of which $45,815 is for mandatory items, including $14,370 for annualization of new positions in 1957. This is offset by a reduction of $9,000 in other objects of expenditure. This program reduction will prevent the Office from providing two positions and other expenses requested to assist the States in further developing the practical nurse-training program with the greatest possible speed, and from printing a proposed publication relating to this program. (c) State and local school systems.-The House allowance would provide an increase of $121,320, of which $112,915 is for mandatory items, and for 2 additional positions (1 professional and 1 clerical) to perform research and services in the field of education of children with speech and hearing defects. The program reduction of $119,480 will prevent the Office from establishing 19 additional positions to serve in the areas of uniform records and reports, school finances, school housing, State and local school administration, adult education particularly of the aging, and visual aids, and to provide research and clerical assistance to provide for more current data. The loss of this personnel will mean continued delay in the regular work of the Office and in producing reports that are underway. Further, it will prevent initiation of a needed study in education for the aging and curtail or indefinitely postpone studies related to State programs for financing education, assistance in planning long range State and local school programs, State and local programs of pupil transportation, and the purposes of functioning of lay advisory committees in education. (d) Higher educational institutions.-The House allowance would provide an increase for this activity of $33,800 for mandatory items, including $18,665 for annualization of new positions provided in 1957. The program reduction of $152,600 would preclude studies and services planned: (1) particularly in the organization, coordination, and financing of higher education, and (2) in developing necessary programs of teacher education, liberal and graduate education, and the education of personnel in certain professional and specialized fields, such as social work, and business and public administration. These areas will receive little or no attention without the additional 25 positions and other expenses requested. The current and imminent developments in higher education are making and will continue to make demands on the Office that are beyond the capacity of the present staff to meet. The reduction would prevent carrying out plans which were made for additional services and studies which will undoubtedly grow from the findings and recommendations of the President's Committee on Education Beyond the High School. (e) International education.—The House allowance would provide an increase of $11,945. This represents $12,945 for mandatory items including $5,480 for annualization of new positions provided in 1957, offset by a reduction of $1,000 in nonrecurring expense. (f) Publications services.-The House allowance would provide $19,460 for mandatory items, including $9,591 for annualization of new positions provided in 1957, taking into consideration nonrecurring items totaling $13,020. A reduction of $45,670 for this activity would prevent establishment of 5 additional positions and retard editing and related work resulting from the increase in the total publications program in the office; eliminate increase for travel expenses to provide for attendance at meetings of educational and other organizations where Office of Education exhibits are planned, for a meeting of a publications advisory committee; and for transportation of exhibits to educational meetings; prevent wider distribution of School Life, and preclude printing several important proposed publications. (g) Legislative reference.-The House allowance would provide an increase of $4,540 for mandatory items for this activity. A reduction of $13,830 would preclude the establishment of 2 additional positions, a specialist for school legislation and a secretary, which were requested to meet the increasing demands related to school laws passed by State legislatures which affect Federal legislation and the program of the Office. Over 6,000 enactments affecting education were passed by State legislatures in the 1955 sessions. Many requests for services in this field cannot be fulfilled. Activity 3. Research services (a) Planning.—The House allowance would provide an increase of $48,360 for this activity, including $3,868 for mandatory items, and $44,492 for 6 additional positions and other expenses to permit more effective organization of research, and to work with colleges, universities, and State educational agencies participating in the cooperative research program. The reduction of $39,590 would prevent the employment of 1 professional and 2 clerical assistants who would prepare needed information for the Research Advisory Committee and compilation and analyses required for the annual report. The reduction would preclude also provision for the Department's share of the expenses of the President's Council on Youth Fitness. (b) Research and statistical services.-The House allowance would permit an increase of $87,485 to provide $118,250 for mandatory items, including $90,120 for annualization of new positions provided in 1957, offset by nonrecurring items totaling $30,765. A reduction of $80,860 would prevent the establishment of 6 additional positions which are needed to provide adequate supervisory services, and would seriously retard the issuance of statistical data by limiting the amounts available for machine tabulation of information received, and for printing of forms, questionnaires and publications. (c) Research projects.-The House allowance provides for the total amount requested for this activity; namely, $2,300,000. Activity 4. Program direction and management The House allowance provides an increase of $21,485, including $18,485 for mandatory items, $4,500 for increased man-year employment, offset by the reduction of $1,500 in other objects of expenditure. The reduction of $21,050 precludes the appointment of a Chief, Organization and Classification Unit, and 3 clerical positions which are essential to provide for increased workload resulting from the enlarged Office staff, and eliminates the increase for travel expenses requested for consultants called by the Commissioner to provide expert advice concerning various phases of the Office program. Appropriation language.—The House deleted the provision for reimbursement of travel expenses from non-Federal agencies. For more than 10 years the Office has had authority in its appropriation act to accept reimbursement for travel expenses of its staff performing advisory functions to non-Federal agencies. Only those invitations are accepted which directly relate to the work of the Office. This authority represents an economy in operation and has been used judiciously. I urge that it be restored. It is well accepted by our clientele and will work a hardship if suddenly withdrawn. |