APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1948 HEARINGS BEFORE THE 45 Congress. SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTIETH CONGRESS HJIO ,38 1948 COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS JOHN TABER, New York, Chairman RICHARD B. WIGGLESWORTH, Massachusetts CLARENCE CANNON, Missouri CHARLES A. PLUMLEY, Vermont H. CARL ANDERSEN, Minnesota LOWELL STOCKMAN, Oregon JOHN PHILLIPS, California ERRETT P. SCRIVNER, Kansas CHARLES R. ROBERTSON, North Dakota FREDERIC R. COUDERT, JR., New York CLIFF CLEVENGER, Ohio LOUIS LUDLOW, Indiana JOHN H. KERR, North Carolina 2 FIRST DEFICIENCY APPROPRIATION BILL, 1948 169 HEARINGS CONDUCTED BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IN CHARGE OF DEFICIENCY APPROPRIATIONS, MESSRS. JOHN TABER (CHAIRMAN), RICHARD B. WIGGLESWORTH, ALBERT J. ENGEL, KARL STEFAN, FRANCIS CASE, FRANK B. KEEFE, CLARENCE CANNON, JOHN H. KERR AND GEORGE H. MAHON ON THE DAYS FOLLOWING, NAMELY: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1948. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE SERVICE STATEMENTS OF LUTHER H. EVANS, LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS; VERNER CLAPP, CHIEF ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN; ERNEST S. GRIFFITH, DIRECTOR, LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE SECTION; FREDERICK H. WAGMAN, DIRECTOR OF PROCESSING; AND JOHN C. L. ANDREASSEN, DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION DIGEST OF GENERAL PUBLIC BILLS INCREASE IN LIMITATION FOR SALARIES AND COST OF PREPARATION AND REPRODUCTION The CHAIRMAN. We have a request here in House Document No. 502 for $5,000 increase in the limitation for salaries and cost of preparation and reproduction of the Digest of Public General Bills. Will you tell us about that? Dr. EVANS. Mr. Chairman, I can give you this story very briefly. Congress requires that we pay for the salaries and the reproduction of the Digest of Public General Bills, with a $25,000 limitation. This year we are finding it difficult-indeed impossible-to live within that limitation because of two factors. One is the increase in printing costs, and the other is the fact we printed the Digest covering the first session of the Eightieth Congress, and then the special session ran us into a hole, because we had to put out another volume. We think $5,000 will be necessary to take care of the situation. We proposed to meet this ourselves by substituting mimeographed issues for one of the printed issues. We took the matter up with the House Administration Committee, and it was suggested that we not substitute the mimeographed edition but go ahead and do the printing. That is the reason for the situation in which we find ourselves at the present time. The CHAIRMAN. This is not for salaries, then; it is for printing; is that it? Dr. EVANS. It is printing and salaries jointly. 1 The CHAIRMAN. I do not see how you can spend money for printing. Dr. EVANS. The title is for salaries and printing, but the deficit is in the printing. The CHAIRMAN. I do not believe this language would do what you have been talking about at all. Mr. ANDREASSEN. We have discussed that with the clerk of the -committee. The language as the appropriation was made last year states "salaries" alone; it does not say "salaries and other expenses." The CHAIRMAN. Then how could you spend money for printing? Mr. ANDREASSEN. It is specifically mentioned in the appropriation language. Dr. EVANS. I think "salaries" is just the heading. The actual deficit is in the printing part that comes under that authorization. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. How much have you spent to date within the limitation? Dr. EVANS. Through the continuation of the first session of the Eightieth Congress, we had spent $9,600, approximately, for printing The annual salary cost The CHAIRMAN. Does that mean to the 31st of December, or what? Dr. EVANS. Yes, sir. Mr. GRIFFITH. The printing cost came in January for the volume that was sent over in December. Dr. EVANS. The obligation was incurred in the first half, and this includes that. The total salaries for the year are estimated at $13,250. That runs along pretty much at a steady rate. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. Does that include printing? Dr. EVANS. No, sir; that is just salaries. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. I thought you said we were talking about printing here and not salaries. Dr. EVANS. I was giving the total of the appropriation. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. You were given a limitation of $25,000, as I understand it. Dr. EVANS. That covers salaries and printing, both. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. How much of that has been spent? Mr. ANDREASSEN. The exact figure on expenditures to date for the first issue during the year is $5,985. For the next issue, which covered the second session of the Eightieth Congress, it was $3,617. We estimate that the actual printing cost for the third and fourth issues covering this current printing will be approximately $6,500, or a total estimated printing cost of $16,102. The actual cost of the staff which is preparing this Digest for the entire year will be $13,250; required for supplies, $750 Dr. EVANS. May I interrupt there to say that the salaries run approximately on a steady level, so that for the first half of the year we have expended approximately half of the salary amount. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. What I am trying to find out is how much of the $25,000 has been expended to some recent date. Can you give me one figure for that? Mr. ANDREASSEN. If I may go along with what I was giving you, I will give you this other figure. The total of those various sums I have given you is $5,102 in excess of the $25,000 limitation. Dr. GRIFFITH. Approximately $16,000 has been spent. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. Including the estimate for the second session, that is $16,102. What did you add to that? Dr. EVANS. It is one-half of $13,250, which would bring us to December 31, approximately. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. That is salaries? Dr. EVANS. Yes. That would be approximately $6,000. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. What else is there-supplies? Mr. ANDREASSEN. $750. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. That gives a total, including your estimate for the third and fourth publications, of $25,002; is that right? Mr. ANDREASSEN. The total of everything would be $30,102. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. Now give me the other figure I asked for, that is, the actual over-all expenditures against the $25,000 as of some recent date. Dr. GRIFFITH. $16,600 as of January 1, including the obligated printing funds for December. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. That is not an expenditure, then, because you have some additional obligation. Dr. GRIFFITH. Well, the copy had gone to the printer. Mr. ANDREASSEN. And we do have the figure of the actual cost. Dr. GRIFFITH. The bill came in in January for the work which we submitted in December. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. How much is that bill? Dr. EVANS. $3,617. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. So, as of December 31, you had spent approximately $15,000? Mr. GRIFFITH. $16,600. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. Less $3,617 in terms of expenditures would give you $13,000, would it not? Dr. EVANS. Yes, sir. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. How good is this estimate of $6,500 for the third and fourth publications? Dr. GRIFFITH. It takes last year's cost and adds the percentage of increase in printing costs, of which there have been two in the Government Printing Office contracts. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. How much of an increase? Mr. ANDREASSEN. There have been two increases. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. The increase in cost is what percentage? Mr. ANDREASSEN. The wage rates in the Printing Office staff have been increased on two occasions. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. You said you arrived at the estimate for the third and fourth volumes by taking last year's figures and adding the increased cost of printing. What is that increased cost of printing? Mr. ANDREASSEN. Approximately 10 percent on each one of those items. Dr. EVANS. Ten percent on each of two increases is approximately a twenty-percent increase. Dr. GRIFFITH. Around $1,3000 increase is our best estimate, assuming the issues are the same size as the last. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. What was the actual cost last year? Dr. EVANS. In fiscal 1947, the total cost of printing was $10,518. |