gested sprinkler system would be placed in half of the rooms of the buildings where our records are. In other words, 80 of the rooms. The great value of it is that if there should be a fire at night the heat would automatically release the water and sprinkle it on the fire wherever it might break out, and probably save the building, as it is far from being fireproof. The estimate which we submit is based on figures that we have gotten from several companies, and the specific figure we submit has been submitted by the Globe Automatic Sprinkler Co. and the Automatic Sprinkler Co. of America.

PURCHASE OF ADDITIONAL SURVEYING INSTRUMENTS.

The CHAIRMAN. You are asking $10,000 for the purchase of necessary additional surveying instruments required in order to meet the extraordinary demands for greatly increased field work incident to war conditions and to replenish the stock, fiscal year 1918.

Mr. JONES. Mr. Chairman, we have felt the lack of proper and sufficient instruments for a number of years. With an increase of the number of parties we not only actually felt the need of new instruments, but the fact that our force in the instrument section has not increased has prevented us from doing any more with our force than actual repairing the old instruments, and not making the new instruments, as we have often done in the past. That is due to the increase in the parties and the demands on us at this particular time. by the War Department, which make it impossible for us to furnish our parties with the necessary up-to-date instruments. For example, two 12-inch theodolites that are needed very much by two of our parties we had to borrow from the Columbia University. They may want them back at any time. They may not. We hope they will not. However, we have not one to replace them in case they do. Another fact is, that we should keep a reserve supply of at least 25 per cent in some cases and 50 per cent in others, for the reason that if an instrument breaks or is injured or is being transported from Alaska or the western coast or the Southern States to the Washington office, and some other party may want a similar instrument, and not having one in stock, in other words, having no reserve stock, it is impossible for us to furnish it at the time needed.

The War Department at the present time is calling upon us and pressing us for the work in connection with their topographic maps. We are doing work for no other department and are doing no routine work, all the work being done is at the request of the War Department. For instance, we are asking for two levels in the detail which is mentioned in this estimate (p. 75). We have, in some cases, been forced to send out the old type level, and where we can only make 60 miles with the old type level we can make 120 miles with a modern one. That is an illustration of where it is economy, and at the same time saving money by not having to repair the old type instruments, if we have something that is modern and in every way up to date.

Mr. Chairman, I brought with me Mr. Fisher, our mechanical engineer, in case you wanted to ask anything specific regarding the individual items as enumerated in the estimate, a copy of which we have before us.

The CHAIRMAN. How much of this is for the reserve equipment?

Mr. FISCHER. Inasmuch as we have not more than just barely enough of instruments to supply the present field parties, all of it can be regarded as reserve. Of all the important instruments, we have

no reserve.

The CHAIRMAN. If it is al for reserve, it is not to meet the current demand.

Mr. JONES. All of the $10,000 is to outfit our parties to do the work now being undertaken.

The CHAIRMAN. That does not mean anything. You said that a part of this is to furnish you with the equipment needed and a part of it is to provide a reserve capacity. How much is for the reserve?

Mr. JONES. That is quite hard to say for this reason: We count on using all the instruments asked for. We send out an instrument, and we are erpairing another one, and while that instrument is being repaired, some other party may, for some reason, injure their instrument and the one which we have in stock goes right out again. It is a little difficult to divide the line exactly at any time. I should say ordinarily 25 per cent.

The CHAIRMAN. For reserve?

Mr. JONES. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Are these instruments all made in the bureau? Mr. JONES. No, sir. The theodolites will have to be ordered in England. You will please notice one item-"Two theodolites, primary triangulation, $2,000." We have made those in times past, when the number of parties were not so great and when the demand was far less than at present, but now it will be necessary to buy the theodolites complete. Our force is busy on other matters that require their attention continuously.

Secretary REDFIELD. Tell the chairman how many additional parties you have in the field and what they are doing.

Mr. JONES. Ten years ago we had approximately 25 parties in the field. Last year we had 50 parties, an increase of 100 per cent. This year we will have in the neighborhood of 60 parties. They are doing work practically entirely in connection with the war, giving the connections and joining the topography in the South and Southeast where, as will be noticed by the hearings early in the year, it is lacking.

The CHAIRMAN. Is there anybody left in your bureau?

Mr. JONES. We have the clerical force: yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Where are the rest of them?

Mr. JONES. The engineers are in the field; that is where they belong.

The CHAIRMAN. I know.

Mr. JONES. They are not under the War Department; they are just doing this work for the War Department.

The CHAIRMAN. I understood that 40 of your men had gone into the Army.

Mr. JONES. No, sir; that was the Geological Survey. None of our men have left, except two or three occupying minor positions. They happened to be already with military organizations and one naval reservist.

Secretary REDFIELD. This work that the superintendent speaks of is work upon missing topographic maps in the South and Southeast,

done in cooperation with the engineers of the War Department and the Geological Survey. We are doing the primary work for them. We were almost without such maps south, I think, of Norfolk. Mr. GILLETT. On the coast?

Secretary REDFIELD. Yes, sir; largely.

Capt. FARIS. Along the southern border-along the Rio Grande. They have not so far any adequate military maps.

Mr. GILLETT. They must know that country pretty well by this time?

Capt. FARIS. They have surveyed the boundary, but the topographic features have not been delineated.

Secretary REDFIELD. They are such maps as the Artillery would need.

Mr. GILLETT. Our troops have been there six months and they should know that situation.

Secretary REDFIELD. It is a tremendously big job. They did not have the primary control, which we have to furnish. The Army could not do the work without them.

Mr. GILLETT. I should suppose that they had found out everything in connection with the military purposes in the six months' operation?

Secretary REDFIELD. Not in the way of map making.

Mr. GILLETT. Not map making, but they know the country?
Secretary REDFIELD. Yes, sir.

Capt. FARIS. They asked us to furnish the fundamental control on which to hang these maps.

The CHAIRMAN. Does the War Department furnish you with any equipment?

Mr. JONES. None whatever. I doubt very much whether they have much of this equipment, because at times they have borrowed from us temporarily and later returned it. It is just a question, Mr. Chairman, which very largely involves this appeal for help that with the increase in the number of parties and the demand for work we have not been able to get the new instruments which necessarily are needed and on account of the old ones wearing out. That is one reason. The other is, the newest instruments are the most economical. I just mentioned the level machine. For example, we can do twice as much work with a modern one. It costs $50 or $60 a day to maintain a level party, and we fell that it is more economical to use the modern machine; and another reason we make this special appeal is because the War Department is asking us to hurry this work.

STEAMBOAT-INSPECTION SERVICE.

TAMPA (FLA.) INSPECTION DISTRICT-FORCE FOR.

The CHAIRMAN. "For two local inspectors, clerk hire, and contingent expenses of the local board of steamboat inspectors. Tampa, Fla., authorized by the act approved February 26, 1917, fiscal year 1918, $7,900, to be expended in accordance with existing law."

There was a law passed for a new inspection district at Tampa, Fla.!

Mr. UHLER. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. What does it provide?

Mr. UHLER. It provides for the establishment of a local board, for which they made no financial provision.

The CHAIRMAN. You ask for two inspectors?

Secretary REDFIELD. That is the requirement to make the board of inspectors required by law.

The CHAIRMAN. An inspector of hulls and one of boilers?

Secretary REDFIELD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. You ask for a clerk at $900?

Secretary REDFIELD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. And $4,000 for contingent expenses?

Mr. UHLER. Yes, sir; that is for rent and traveling expenses.

The CHAIRMAN. What does the district include?

Mr. UHLER. The west coast of Florida, from about St. Georges Island down to Key West. All of that work has been done heretofore by the board at Apalachicola. This is a new board.

The CHAIRMAN. Would an office like this go into a Federal building or outside?

Mr. UHLER. We go into a Federal building whenever we have the opportunity, but when we do not, we have to go outside and rent. Very often when we go into a Federal building we are at the mercy of the custodian, and if he wants the room for anything else, we simply have to get out and rent quarters, as we have had to do in many instances.

Secretary REDFIELD. We wish you would pass a law compelling them to give us space. That is one of our difficulties-they put us out constantly.

Mr. UHLER. The difficulty with quarters in the Federal buildings is that after the appropriation for rent is made, probably 20 days before the end of the fiscal year, we are notified simply to step out. We had to do that in Pittsburgh only a few weeks ago. The same thing happened at Nashville, where we had to go to a privately owned building.

Secretary REDFIELD. From our point of view we have come and in good faith made a request for money amply sufficient for all purposes, and we have gone and started on the fiscal year, and a few weeks have gone by and we have received notice to move out. We have to go. That was the case in Nashville and in Pittsburgh. We have had many other instances. We have not any rights.

CENSUS OFFICE.

TRANSFER OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR WAR-EMERGENCY WORK-TRANSFER OF EMPLOYEES FROM ONE DEPARTMENT TO ANOTHER.

(See pp. 61, 163.)

The CHAIRMAN (reading):

To enable the Director of the Census to employ statistical and technical experts and to organize within the Bureau of the Census a special division to handle war-emergency work for other bureaus and departments of the Government service, the sum of $20,000 is hereby transferred from the appropriation "Collecting Statistics, Bureau of the Census," for the fiscal year nineteen hundred and eighteen, to the appropriation "Salaries, Bureau of the Census,"

for the fiscal year nineteen hundred and eighteen, and made available for the payment of the compensation of not to exceed eight statistical and technical experts at a rate of compensation not to exceed $3,600 per annum each, which positions are hereby established and made a part of the statutory force of the Bureau of the Census, these appointments to be made by the Secretary of Commerce upon the recommendation of the Director of the Census.

The Director of the Census is hereby authorized, upon the direction or approval of the Secretary of Commerce, to suspend any or all of the current inquiries of the Bureau of the Census which it may be deemed necessary or desirable to suspend on account of war-emergency conditions, and to employ on war-emergency work any part or all of the force and equipment of the Bureau of the Census.

Mr. ROGERS. I am asking for a transfer of $20,000 from the appropriation in the legislative act, fiscal year 1918, collection of statistics, to salaries of employees. The purpose of this is to meet the exigencies of the work which the Census Bureau has been called upon to perform. Secretary REDFIELD. No additional appropriation is asked.

Mr. ROGERS. We are asking for no increase of the appropriation in any way; simply an application of the appropriation already provided.

Mr. BYRNS. Will this bring about a cessation of activities in any other line, the transfer of this $20,000?

Mr. ROGERS. Not at all. It will enable me to keep up with the current work.

Mr. BYRNS. I was just wondering if we did not give you $20,000 too much.

Mr. ROGERS. I am going to do my best to save. I do not know whether it will prove too much or not.

ADDITIONAL STATISTICIANS.

The CHAIRMAN. This is to create eight additional statisticians? Mr. ROGERS. It provides for eight additional statisticians. It will not permit the appointment of eight statisticians at $3,600, but I want as many as the work demands.

The CHAIRMAN. This creates eight new ones?

Mr. ROGERS. It authorizes the appointment if it is necessary to employ them.

The CHAIRMAN. It creates eight new ones?

Mr. ROGERS. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. You have five at the present time?

Mr. ROGERS. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. At a compensation of $3,000 each?

Mr. ROGERS. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. You are asking for eight additional ones at $3,600 each?

Mr. ROGERS. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. Why?

Mr. ROGERS. I have at the present time all except one of my statisticians engaged in what we call emergency work from other departments and bureaus engaged in the Government service, other than my

own.

The CHAIRMAN. Why should we provide these places at a higher compensation than the men you now have receive.