The next item is for remodeling and repairing the combination lodge and office building at Grafton National Cemetery, W. Va., $4,000. Following that is an item for reconditioning the combination lodge and office building at Loudon Park National Cemetery, Md., in the amount of $5,000. The next item is for repair of the enclosing wall at the New Albany National Cemetery, Ind., in the amount of $3,000. There is an item for the repair and alteration of lodge and office building at the Winchester National Cemetery, Va., in the amount of $5,400. This repair work is broken down into items as shown on page 81 of the justifications. Mr. ENGEL. Wait a minute now. That is a frame and stone building? Colonel MARSHALL. That is right. Mr. ENGEL. What work are you going to do on it; do you know? Colonel MARSHALL. We are planning a basement under it, sir. The underpinning is gone, and we are replacing it with concrete. underpinning. We are replacing 840 square feet of 4-inch flooring, and replacing 7 windows, 2 doors, and installing 8 electric outlets. Mr. ENGEL. At $10 an outlet? Colonel MARSHALL. Yes, sir. That includes the labor. That is where it all is. Mr. ENGEL. That is higher than in Washington. I had two plugs put in, and I did not furnish the material, at $9 for the first one, and $6 for the second one. This is $10 here, so you have it on Washington. They charge by the outlet, do they? Colonel MARSHALL. Most of this is done by contract, in contract quantities. Mr. ENGEL. Proceed. Colonel MARSHALL. The next item is for changing the location of water softener. The next item is for revamping drains and plumbing, and the final item is for inspection. Mr. ENGEL. Making $5,400? Colonel MARSHALL. Yes, sir; making a total of $5,400 for that item. Mr. ENGEL. All right. Colonel MARSHALL, The next item is for repair of enclosure wall and fence at Little Rock, Ark., $8,500. Mr. ENGEL. This is the Little Rock, Ark., National Cemetery. Are there any questions on that? Mr. NORRELL. I have checked over the Arkansas Cemetery estimate, and I think it is all right. Mr. SCRIVNER. Is this the same cemetery where you were talking about moving the fence? Colonel MARSHALL. Yes, sir; that is right. This is for the repair of the wall still there. Mr. SCRIVNER. So you are going to move part of it and repair the rest of it? Colonel MARSHALL. Yes, sir; that is right. Mr. NORRELL. I think the money is needed, and I personally know that that fence around the cemetery down there is broken down like you say it is. Incidentally, my grandfather is buried in that cemetery; he died in the War Between the States. Mr. SCRIVNER. I do observe that this repair in the amount of $8,500 is in addition to the $10,000 anticipated expenditure. Particularly do I notice that some of this fence that they are anticipating working on now is only about 12 years old. What kind of a fence is that, that 1,276 feet? Colonel MARSHALL. It is a brick fence. Mr. SCRIVNER. A brick fence? Colonel MARSHALL. Yes, sir. Mr. SCRIVNER. A brick fence should last a great many years, for more than 12 years. Mr. ENGEL. Here it is in the justifications. Mr. SCRIVNER. I see what it is. Is this some of your WPA work? Major KIRK. Yes. Mr. ENGEL. All right, Colonel. Colonel MARSHALL. The next item is for repairs to the memorial amphitheater and chapel at Arlington National Cemetery, $8,500. The next item is remodeling building for storage purposes, a building measuring 30 feet by 225 feet at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Mo., in the amount of $12,000. Mr. ENGEL. That is going to be for a garage, tool room, repair shop, and storage, is that right? Colonel MARSHALL. Yes, sir. Mr. ENGEL. How large a cemetery is Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery; how many graves are there there, Colonel? Colonel HOLLOWAY. Twenty-nine acres, and there are 19,788 buried there. Mr. ENGEL. All right. Colonel MARSHALL. The next item is for the repair of roads in Long Island National Cemetery, N. Y., in the amount of $18,200. This is for the repair of roads that have been built. That is followed by an item for the repair of roads in Hampton National Cemetery, Va., in the amount of $2,500. Then there follows an item for the repair of roads at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minn., $4,000. Mr. ENGEL. That cemetery has 178 acres in it? Colonel MARSHALL. Yes, sir. Mr. ENGEL. The original development covered 25 acres, and in addition 43 acres has now been completed and you are laying out burial sections? Colonel MARSHALL. Yes, sir. The next item is contractual service for the maintenance of four national cemeteries, four Confederate cemeteries, and 18 soldiers' lots, amounting to $5,724. CONGRESSIONAL CEMETERY, WASHINGTON, D. C. Mr. ENGEL. Who is taking care of the so-called Congressional Cemetery in the city of Washington? Who is taking care of those graves? Colonel GAGNE. The graves in the Congressional Cemetery are being maintained by the Arlington National Cemetery. Mr. ENGEL. And the funds contained here for that purpose are in the Arlington National Cemetery budget? Colonel GAGNE. Yes, sir; that is right, sir. Colonel MARSHALL. Yes, sir. Mr. ENGEL. Have there been any burials of Congressmen in there in recent years? Colonel GAGNE. No, sir, there have been no burials in the Congressional Cemetery in the last 50 years, I am sure. Mr. ENGEL. It is a historical cemetery? Colonel GAGNE. Yes, sir. General HORKAN. Mr. Chairman, I will put a statement in the record on that, showing when it was founded, and everything else.. Mr. ENGEL. Yes; I wish you would. General HORKAN. Yes, sir. Mr. ENGEL. Thank you. (The matter referred to is as follows:) The United States Government has title to certain lots in the Washington Parish Burial Ground, commonly called Congressional Cemetery, located at Seventeenth and Pennsylvania Avenue SE., Washington, D. C. At the time this cemetery was established, it filled a great need. Due to difficulties of transportation, it was apparent to Congress that some provision for caring for those Members of Congress dying in Washington during their term of office must be made. As a result, Congressional Cemetery was chosen by the Government as the place of interment of Members of Congress and executive officers dying while in office. This custom was adhered to by the Government for many years. * * No burials have been made in Government-owned lots subsequent to 1902. In 1938 (by an act of Congress, approved July 19, 1937 (Public, 208), 75th Cong., making appropriations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1938, for civil functions administered by the War Department, and for other purposes, provided under the appropriation for cemeterial expenses, that the "* care and maintenance of * that portion of Congressional Cemetery to which the United States has title and the graves of those buried therein, including the burial site of Pushmataha, a Choctaw Indian Chief *"). This provision has been continued in subsequent appropriation acts. * One of the most authentic histories of this cemetery is contained in Senate Document No. 72, Fifty-ninth Congress, second session. The original grant of burial was given by the vestry of Christ Church on April 15, 1816, when, at a meeting, a committee was appointed to select 100 burial sites for use of the Government. This selection was made on April 7, 1817. Later, on December 15, 1823, 300 additional plots were designated for Government use. Recapitulation Total number of sites containing burials. Total number of sites containing no burials, on which cenotaphs are erected..... Total number of vacant sites. Total sites... 330 294 409 1, 033 Responsibility for the care and maintenance of the Congressional Cemetery has been assigned to the Superintendent of the Arlington National Cemetery and the cost thereof is charged to the funds set up for Arlington. SUPPLIES FOR MAINTENANCE OF GROUNDS Mr. ENGEL. All right, proceed. Colonel MARSHALL. The next item, Mr. Chairman, is for the purchase of supplies for the maintenance of grounds. Mr. ENGEL. That is on what page? Colonel MARSHALL. Page 86, sir. Mr. ENGEL. Proceed. Colonel MARSHALL. This amount is for the purchase of supplies necessary for the maintenance of grounds in the amount of $50,000. It involves the purchase of such things as fertilizer, cottonseed meal, carbonate of lime, trees, and shrubbery, and so forth. Mr. ENGEL. For how many cemeteries? Colonel MARSHALL. Seventy-nine cemeteries. Mr. ENGEL. And the increase in cost is how much compared to last year? Colonel MARSHALL. This $50,000 compares with a cost of $38,622, for the fiscal year 1948. Mr. ENGEL. That is an increase of $11,378, or approximately a 30percent increase? Colonel MARSHALL. Yes, sir. It is partly due to increases in price, and partly on account of the increase in the size of the cemeteries and the additional amount of maintenance required. OPERATING EXPENSES OF NATIONAL CEMETERIES, INCLUDING INTERMENTS The next project, 411, covers the operating expenses of national cemeteries, including interments, $900,000. Mr. ENGEL. The total amount of the estimate for 1949 is $900,000 as against an appropriation of $784,216 for 1948, or an increase of approximately $116,000 in 1949 over 1948. Now, proceed, Colonel. Colonel MARSHALL. Yes, sir. PERSONAL SERVICES The first item for personal services of permanent employees at the national cemeteries amounts to 337 positions or 323 man-years, totaling $715,632. This item is for the hire of superintendents and clerks at the cemeteries throughout the country. It represents an increase of 22 in number of personnel over the fiscal year 1948. This increase is made up of 17 laborers, 2 additional headstone inspectors, 1 storekeeper, and 2 clerks. Mr. ENGEL. That is an increase of how much? Colonel MARSHALL. The increase in this part of the budget is $75,302 over the fiscal year 1948. Mr. ENGEL. How much of that is for an increase in the number of employees, and how much for the increase in pay? Colonel MARSHALL. The additional laborers amount to $9,848, and the two headstone inspectors amount to $4,788. Mr. ENGEL. How much do these people pay for these quarters which they occupy. Colonel MARSHALL. Two hundred and forty dollars a year. Colonel MARSHALL. Yes, sir. Mr. ENGEL. That is pretty cheap rent, is it not? Colonel MARSHALL. Yes, sir. General LARKIN. It is cheap, but their pay is low. RECLASSIFICATION OF SUPERINTENDENTS Colonel MARSHALL. Part of this increase is an item of $17,602, which is due to the reclassification of superintendents by the civil service. This reclassification has been directed during the fiscal year 4 1948, but we have deferred it due to the fact that we must stay within the current appropriation. That is the reason it is inserted in this budget, Mr. Chairman. NUMBER OF PERSONNEL Mr. ENGEL. Page 91 is still under the same item, is it not? Colonel MARSHALL. Yes, sir. Mr. ENGEL. You have there 69 superintendents for this coming year, and 21 clerks. Are those 69 superintendents in 69 cemeteries? Colonel MARSHALL. That is right. Mr. ENGEL. And the 21 clerks are in the largest cemeteries? Mr. ENGEL. Then there are two storekeepers. Where would you have those? Colonel MARSHALL. In the larger cemeteries. Mr. ENGEL. Then you have six headstone inspectors. Colonel MARSHALL. They are the inspectors who are stationed at the quarries, who are engaged in the inspection of headstones. Mr. ENGEL. And you have two engineers, and 223 foremen, guards, and so forth. Colonel MARSHALL. Foremen, guards, and laborers. Mr. ENGEL. That would be an average of three or four to each superintendent? Colonel MARSHALL. Yes, sir. In some cemeteries we will have more than that, and in others none. Mr. ENGEL. Depending on the size of the cemetery? INCREASE IN WAGE RATES OF UNGRADED EMPLOYEES There is another item in that same category where ungraded employees have received wage increases made by local wage boards, which has made the requirement for an additional $15,957 in this budget. Mr. ENGEL. Who constitutes this local wage board? Colonel MARSHALL. It is under the Secretary of the Army, in coordination with the Civil Service. Mr. ENGEL. That is supposed to keep that wage scale up to the wage scale in the area in which they operate; is that right? Colonel MARSHALL. Yes, sir. They make a comparison with like jobs in the area, and then adjust the wage scale of the Army employees to meet the same type of job. Mr. SCRIVNER. Have they ever recommended any decreases? Colonel MARSHALL. They have never done it yet; no, sir. We have the same thing in the military with laundry employees, mostly. Mr. ENGEL. About how long has this board been in existence on cemeteries? Colonel MARSHALL. Our first reactions have been in this fiscal year, Mr. Chairman. We have had several letters from the superintendents of cemeteries where they have received directives stating that the salary of certain types of employees shall be so much. Mr. ENGEL. The board consists of representatives of the Secretary of the Army and the Civil Service? Colonel MARSHALL. Yes, sir. |