technical archives and library and other related functions scattered in several divisions, thereby saving some space and manpower and providing better service.

The electronic equipment development and repair function has been removed from the Coastal Surveys Division and relocated in the Instrument Division, which has bureauwide responsibility for the design, development, and repair of instruments and equipment.

The property accounting and supply functions have been removed from the Instrument Division and consolidated with other related administrative services in the Administrative Services Division. The change, which allows the Instrument Division to concentrate more fully on the instrumentation function, was accompanied by the installation of a new and simplified property accounting system that meets present-day requirements and principles of Federal property accounting.

Maritime Administration

No major organizational changes were made during the calendar year 1956 although there were new subordinate units established as follows:

There was established under the Office of Ship Construction and Repair a Division of Nuclear Projects. This Division's basic function and objective is the successful integration of a nuclear reactor and main propulsion machinery within a specially designed and outfitted hull that will take maximum advantage of known or anticipated nuclear technology for application to merchant ships. The establishment of this Division was accomplished in conjunction with a delegation of authority to the Maritime Administrator, by the Secretary of Commerce, to work directly with the Atomic Energy Commission on nuclear projects to the extent determined (by the Maritime Administrator) to be necessary to fulfill presently contemplated and/or duly authorized future nuclear projects in relation to the American merchant marine.

An agreement was consumated between the Department of State and the Department of Commerce (Maritime Administration) which provided for the Administration to assign abroad foreign maritime representatives, and for cooperation between the Department of State and the Department of Commerce (Maritime Administration) in carrying out abroad certain functions of the Maritime Administration. Under the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, the Maritime Administration is required to take account of the construction and operating costs of foreign-flag shipping in the determination of United States shipping and shipbuilding subsidies. The basic factors influencing the determination and agreement to place the required foreign representation under the jurisdiction of the Maritime Administration were: (a) The activity is for the benefit of one agency of the Government, (b) the activity is strictly for purpose of assisting in the administration of domestic laws and programs, and (c) the activity is one which is not well suited to the role of the Foreign Service abroad and to its operating methods. Under the provisions of the agreement the Maritime Administration now has stationed abroad foreign representatives with headquarters at London, England; Paris, France; Rome, Italy; and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Office of the General Counsel underwent a reorganization resulting in the establishment of one additional division. The former Division of Contracts was abolished and its functions assigned to two new Divisions; namely, a Division of Operating Contracts and a Division of Construction Contracts. This action was directed primarily toward better facilitating the construction contract activity which has been greatly accelerated by the construction loan and mortgage insurance provisions under title XI of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936 as well as by increased activity under titles VII and V of the act.

The position maritime manpower officer was abolished and the functions of this position involving manpower and maritime training in general were transferred from the Office of the Maritime Administrator to the Program Planning Office. The responsibilities of the former manpower officer involving administration of the personnel phases of the cadet training program were reassigned to the Administration's personnel officer and the functions involved are being conducted by a newly established unit of the Personnel Office entitled the Maritime Cadet Training Branch. The new organizational alinement of these functions affords more effective accomplishment of the work involved. Bureau of Foreign Commerce

On April 17, 1956, the Secretary of Commerce reorganized the Bureau of Foreign Commerce to do a more effective and expeditious job for the United States business community. This reorganization streamlined the Bureau's organizational structure and strengthened its services to business in the fields of foreign trade, investment, and travel.

The decrease in the Office of the Director is due to the Bureau's internal reorganization. The Office of Trade Promotion (formerly the Office of Intelligence and Services) remained at approximately the same complement; however, the reorganization reduced personnel in this Office through the transfer of organizational units to the Office of Economic Affairs, resulting in the increase of the latter Office. The Office of Trade Promotion subsequently was increased to its present strength in keeping with its expanded program. The decrease in the Office of Export Supply is due to a decline in the workload and a reduction in the appropriation of this activity.

The technical assistance overseas program was partially liquidated early in calendar year 1956 by the transfer of technicians from Commerce to ICA, and was completely liquidated as of June 30, 1956.

Patent Office

There was a net increase of 312 employees to carry out the Patent Office programs authorized by Congress. The increase in the number of employees was mostly due to the addition of 246 scientists and engineers for the patent examining and classification groups in order to implement the authorized 8-year plan for reducing the backlog of pending patent applications.

There were no significant organizational changes in the Patent Office during the 1956 calendar year. However, it was reported that a continuing program of improvement in organization and functions resulted in the following changes:

A plan was put into operation during the year which was designed to increase the effectiveness of the patent classification function. Under

this plan, subject-of-invention categories scheduled for reclassification or revision, along with the patent examiners to whom applications in these categories were assigned, were transferred to divisions in the classification group. Both the reclassification of patents and the examination of applications are now conducted concurrently in such divisions. The expected results of this procedure include: (a) Better classification because the classification function will be accomplished by examiners having current knowledge of the subject matter being patented; (b) through participation, each examiner working in any certain class of patents will have a better working knowledge of the schedule of the new classification of those patents when he returns to the division from which he came. It is also expected that once this program becomes firmly established it may be possible to reclassify large groups of patents in a much shorter time than has been possible in the past because there will be more persons participating in each project.

Bureau of Public Roads

In preparation for discharging the greater responsibilities devolving from the administration of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, during calendar year 1956 advance planning of organization changes and improvements in operations were emphasized. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 provided for a greatly expanded highway program with authorizations of $24.8 billion for the building and completion of the National System of Interstate Defense Highways. These authorizations, to be spread over a period of 13 years, are in addition to authorizations providing for the construction of the regular Federal-aid programs. Organizational adjustments and realinement of functions permitting conservation and maximum utilization of scarce engineering manpower and other facilities were initiated or completed. Further refinements, aimed at insuring an adequate organization geared to cope with the increased workload and other extraordinary problems, are under continuing study.

As provided by Public Law 966, 84th Congress, approved August 3, 1956, a Federal Highway Administrator was nominated to direct the national highway program. Pending availability and Senate confirmation of the nominee, an interim Administrator was appointed to serve in that capacity.

Section 107 of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 also has a major impact on the organization structure and total employment in the Bureau of Public Roads. This section entitles the Territory of Alaska to participate in the Federal-aid program, and provides for the transfer of the functions, staff, and faciltiies of the former Alaska Road Commission in the Department of Interior to the Department of Commerce. Lack of a State highway type organization in Alaska presents complications not encountered in stateside operations. However, action was initiated to integrate the activities of the Alaska Road Commission with the operations of the Bureau of Public Roads. The mass transfer of personnel was effected in September 1956, resulting in the only significant increase in the Bureau of Public Roads total employment.

Moderate personnel increases in field organizations within the United States also occurred during the year in connection with expanding direct Federal construction activities. Except for such changes, employment remained fairly constant, with minor variations in totals

for individual organization units resulting from normal attrition and shifting of personnel among the various components.

Organizational adjustments in field establishments were effected within the framework of a uniform basic organization plan developed after comprehensive study of district (State) and division (regional) installations. Organization and staff changes in the Washington office will be accomplished during January 1957.

National Bureau of Standards

Total Bureau employment rose from 2,699 to 2,919 during this period. The rise was largely due to increased staff to carry out the programs of the Bureau's relatively new major field station, Boulder Laboratories, established in 1954.

The only changes in the organization of NBS were below the division level. At Boulder Laboratories the section structure was improved by (a) combining the scattered projects on basic physics into a new Microwave Physics Section and discontinuing two former sections; (b) eliminating the former branch structure of the Radio Standards Division; (c) reorganizing the Radio Propagation Engineering Division into more discreet program sections; and (d) consolidating radio calibration functions in a new Calibration Center which will make coordination easier and enable lower-grade personnel to handle repetitive operations.

At NBS Washington in the Electricity and Electronics Division, the Process Technology Section (noted for Project Tinkertoy) was abolished in line with the policy of concentrating more on basic research and encouraging industry and other Federal agencies to take over development projects when feasible.

To provide for new or expanded program activities, there was established during the year (a) an Applications Engineering Section in the Data Processing System Division to develop experimental systems and advise Government agencies on the use of automatic computers for accounting, inventory control, economic analysis, reference document location, and the like; (b) a Dielectrics Section in the Electricity and Electronics Division to do fundamental research and establish standards in the dielectric (nonconductivity) properties of matter; (c) a Metal Physics Section in the Metallurgy Division to develop basic information on single metal alloy systems; (d) a Free Radicals Research Section in the Heat and Power Division to undertake for the Department of Defense a program of basic research on highly reactive chemical species. For staffing the free radicals research program, the Bureau will depend heavily upon scientists obtained from industry, universities, and other Government sources under loan arrangements. This will facilitate industrial development by introducing industry people to the new techniques and information during the research processes.

The Bureau continued to make extensive use of technical advisory committees made up of experts nominated by professional societies. Under a congressional authorization it took first steps toward planning a new laboratory facility to be constructed in Montgomery County, Md. In planning for the move, intensive reviews are being made of program, manpower, and organization needs so that managerial as well as physical arrangements can be brought to a new level of effectiveness.

Weather Bureau

Several organizational changes were made in the Weather Bureau during 1956. The position of Deputy Chief was established in the Office of Chief of Bureau. Technical and research operations of the Weather Bureau were reorganized under four offices: Assistant Chief of Bureau for Technical Services; Director, Office of Climatology; Director, Office of Meteorological Research; and Director, Office of Physical Research. Functions of the Budget and Management Division, Personnel Management Division, Administrative Operations Division, Public Information Coordinator and Regional Administrative Offices, were realined under the Office of Assistant Chief for Administration. The Plans and Program Management Office was abolished and the planning functions assigned to the new Office of Assistant Chief for Program Planning.

In cooperation with the Department of Defense and others, a field operations base for the National Hurricane Research project was established at West Palm Beach, Fla. This location facilitates coordination between the hurricane-warning service and aircraft-data collection. In support of this project 8 rawinsonde stations were established in the Caribbean area in cooperation with the Governments of France, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Mexico.

Twenty-one Weather Bureau meteorologists were included in a party of scientists assigned to Antarctica for International Geophysical Year activities. The Weather Bureau will conduct a complete meteorological observational program at six stations and will maintain a weather central at Little America to receive and distribute weather information to all cooperating nations. Support for the Antarctic activities is provided from an appropriation to the National Science Foundation for the International Geophysical Year.

Full-time employment increased by 326 positions. Three hundred and fourteen of these positions were added during the first 6 months of the calendar year and were required to expand severe-weather research, strengthen severe storm-warning services, and complete the transfer of 16 upper-air observation stations formerly operated by the military.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

The Director of the Office of Administrative Services of the Department of Defense, in an analysis of organizational changes effected within the Office of the Secretary of Defense during calendar year 1956, reported that a net reduction of 212 full-time civilian personnel was effected by the Office of the Secretary of Defense during the period from January 1, 1956, to January 1, 1957. This net reduction resulted from the transfer of 230 full-time civilian personnel performing cataloging functions to the Department of the Air Force under a management fund arrangement and a small net increase of 18 full-time civilian personnel required to perform functions having increased emphasis or to fill vacancies which existed on January 1, 1956, in other areas of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

During this same period the number of civilian personnel required on a part-time, WAE or WOC, basis was increased by 19 and 15, respectively. These increases resulted from the normal annual fluc