the tuition of the clerks received on the "emergency roll. In order to compensate this clerk on account of his higher order of duties it is requested that the estimate be increased $800, making a total of $11,633.36, instead of $10,833.36, in order to effect the transfer of the clerk concerned to the "emergency" roll at a salary of $1,800. WM. A. MANN, Brigadier General, General Staff, Chief of Burcau. CONTINGENT EXPENSES. The CHAIRMAN. For contingent expenses you are asking $827,500, and you have $465,000. Mr. SCOFIELD. Yes. The way we arrive at that is as follows: The average cost for the first 1,000 employees appointed on this emergency roll will be found to be approximately $200 each for equipment. The CHAIRMAN. When you say equipment, what do you mean? Mr. SCOFIELD. Desks, typewriters, and all things of that kind which come out of this appropriation. The CHAIRMAN. $200 a man? Mr. SCOFIELD. $200 each. The CHAIRMAN. If you simply give a man a chair and a desk, it ought not to cost that much. Mr. SCOFIELD. But you have to buy a typewriter and also some adding machines and things of that kind. There are a whole lot of things of that sort, and I can give you a list of them if you want it. The CHAIRMAN. You estimate that at $200 for each additional employee? Mr. SCOFIELD. That was the average cost of equipment for the first 1,000, and assuming that the 2,900 more will be appointedand there will be more than that according to the estimate-that makes $580,000. It has been found that the ordinary expenses for previous fiscal years has been at the rate of approximately $40 for each employee out of this appropriation. Estimating upon a total of 5,600 employees, the expenditure at $40 each would be $224,000. Mr. SHERLEY. You do not expect the average of $200 to continue when you get a greater number, do you? Mr. SCOFIELD. It may be that the greater number will modify that, Mr. Chairman. Mr. SHERLEY. Almost inevitably. For instance, you will not need the same proportion of adding machines and a good many other things of that sort. Mr. SCOFIELD. But you know this appropriation for contingent expenses covers a whole lot of things. Mr. SHERLEY. Does it cover furniture and desks? Mr. SCOFIELD. Yes; and professional and scientific books, law books, books of reference, blank books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers, maps, typewriters and adding machines, furniture and repairs to same, carpets, matting, oilcloth, file cases, towels, ice, brooms, scap, sponges, fuel, gas, and heating apparatus for and repairs to buildings outside of the State, War, and Navy Department Building. The CHAIRMAN. That is not including the cost of equipment. That is included in the average of $40 a year. The great bulk of your employees are ordinary clerks, are they not? Mr. SCOFIELD. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Who are just given a desk and a chair? The CHAIRMAN. I suppose all of them do not use typewriters. Mr. SCOFIELD. $200 may be high, but a typewriter costs money and desks cost money nowadays. Mr. BYRNS. All of your clerks do not use typewriters, do they? Mr. SCOFIELD. The great majority of them do. I will submit a statement showing just what is covered by the equipment which is furnished. ESTIMATE OF AVERAGE COST OF EQUIPPING A CLERK, BASED OF THE FIRST 1,000 APPOINTED. In addition there must be added the cost of overhead expenses, such as officers' equipment-desks, office chairs, side chairs, dictographs and dictophones, and floor covering-and miscellaneous office equipment, such as electric fans, tables, safes, motor trucks, books, book racks and bookcases, fire extinguishers, electric lamps, water coolers, clocks, telephone equipment, awnings and shades in rented buildings, etc. Total estimate, $200 each. It is estimated that the cost of equipping offices where clerks do not operate typewriters is offset by adding machines, duplicating machines, drafting instruments and supplies, listing machines, etc. It is probable that the cost per capita for filing furniture, as well as the overhead expense, will be considerably less for employees appointed hereafter, owing to the fact that the new offices have been, to a large degree, equipped, and this reduction may be to the extent of $25 or possibly $50, but as the estimate of the number of additional employees required has been increased by between 300 and 400 since the preparation of the estimates, I am afraid to reduce my estimate of the appropriation needed. JULY 18, 1917. F. M. HOADLEY, Acting Chief of Supply Division. The CHAIRMAN. And you took the experience you have had and averaged it up? Mr. SCOFIELD. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. And that is all the information you have to go on? Mr. SCOFIELD. That is all. This was gotten up very hurriedly and on the best information we could get. We are pretty busy up there, and we have not had the time and we can not get the infor 1 The typewriters purchased range in price from $58.50 for the Standard Carriage Royal to the Wide Carriage Remington Monarch machines at $105. Owing to the amount of statistical and statement work a great number of wide-carriage machines were necessary. From April 2 to this date (July 17) 1,914 typewriting machines have been purchased. In this period about 2,200 new employees have reported. The expense for filing furniture is unusually large for two reasons: First, owing to the number of new offices and divisions created and new buildings secured many sets of entirely new filing equipment had to be secured. Second, owing to a change in the filing system in The Adjutant General's Office and the abnormal growth in that office's files, large purchases of filing equipment were made. Since April 10 last $13,441.40 has been expended for filing furniture for The Adjutant General's Office alone. mation. The bureaus will tell us to-day that they want this thing and that thing, and to-morrow they want five times as much, and they are complaining that they are being blocked. REPAIRS TO BUILDINGS. The CHAIRMAN. You include in this item authority to repair other buildings that may be required or used? Mr. SCOFIELD. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Are those Government buildings or rented buildings? Mr. SCOFIELD. They are rented buildings, mostly. I put the expression "and other buildings" in because we may have some other buildings on which we may want to make some necessary repairs. The CHAIRMAN. But the purpose is to make this appropriation available for some additional buildings that may be taken in? Mr. SCOFIELD. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. You are also asking to make some appropriations in the legislative bill and the urgent deficiency bill for contingent expenses available for repairs to all outside buildings occupied by the War Department and its bureaus and offices. That really is not necessary, is it, if this $827,000 is made available? I presume that would cover it. Mr. SCOFIELD. You know that more than repairs is covered in that item; for instance, fuel, gas, heating apparatus, etc. STATIONERY. The CHAIRMAN. For stationary you are asking for $550,000 and you have $255,000. How did you reach that estimate? Mr. SCOFIELD. For April and May our expenditures were approximately $50,000 for the two months. The CHAIRMAN. What were they for June? Mr. SCOFIELD. I have not got those figures. The CHAIRMAN. Is that just an accumulation of your stock to issue? Mr. SCOFIELD. No; that was the actual expenditure. For two months the expenditure was $50.000-that is, for April and May. At that rate it would be $300.000 per year. We expect to have double the force there shortly. Then we have to add 15 per cent for the increased cost of material, which amounts to $90,000, making a total of $690,000, the amount of the deficiency, 1917, that we have unexpended, $165,000, with the regular appropriation of $25,000, making the estimate $550,000. This estimate was made two weeks ago. The Chief of the Supply Division came into my office day before yesterday morning and said that he did not think that was enough at the rate things were going. I asked him how much more he thought we should have and he said 10 per cent. So I put that in. The CHAIRMAN. For the whole year? Mr. SCOFIELD. Yes, sir. MONDAY, JULY 16, 1917. OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. STATEMENT OF BRIG. GEN. HENRY P. McCAIN, THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES. (See p. 611.) The CHAIRMAN. General, how much are you requesting from this fund? Gen. MCCAIN. Five hundred and fifty clerks in addition to the regular force I have now. The CHAIRMAN. You have now how many? Gen. MCCAIN. We have actually 547 clerks in the regular force to-day, but the number authorized is 583. The CHAIRMAN. How many under the regular establishment? The CHAIRMAN. How many, 547? Gen. MCCAIN. Yes, sir; 547 clerks. The CHAIRMAN. Does that include those we gave you in the deficiency bill? Gen. MCCAIN. We have not got them all yet. The CHAIRMAN. That includes them? Gen. MCCAIN. Yes, sir; that includes them. The CHAIRMAN. Those in the last deficiency bill? Gen. MCCAIN. No, sir; but in the deficiency bill of September 8, 1916. Mr. CANNON. Does it include or exclude them? The CHAIRMAN. It includes them. We gave you how many? Gen. MCCAIN. One hundred clerks. The CHAIRMAN. We gave you specifically 100 clerks? Gen. MCCAIN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Now, then, in addition we gave a lump-sum appropriation of $900,000 to the War Department. Did you get anything out of that? Gen. MCCAIN. I have gotten out of that emergency appropriation 362 clerical employees. The CHAIRMAN. They are not included in that 547? Gen. MCCAIN. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Are they included in the 550? Gen. MCCAIN. Yes, sir; they are included in the 550 I estimated for. The CHAIRMAN. Then your estimate is that during this fiscal year you will require 1,097 employees? Gen. MCCAIN. No, sir; 1,133 clerks. The CHAIRMAN. That is the 547 you have and 550 additional ones? Gen. MCCAIN. It will be more than that, Mr. Chairman. I have not got my regular force filled up yet. I have an authorized force of 583 clerks, but it is not filled and I have some vacancies. It will take, putting them both together, 1,133 clerks. I made that up a month ago, but if I had to make it over again I would put some more on it, the work is increasing down there so fast. The CHAIRMAN. Of course I am not criticizing that situation. Now, you have authorized, outside of the emergency appropriation, 583 clerks. Gen. MCCAIN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. And you have estimated on obtaining 550 additional clerks? Gen. MCCAIN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. That would be 1.133 clerks? Gen. MCCAIN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Now, in your estimates, do you propose to increase the clerks now employed? Gen. MCCAIN. Yes, sir: that is, the clerks in the regular force. Under instructions from the Secretary of War I propose to select a number of clerks now on the rolls equal to 10 per cent of the 550 additional clerks authorized and increase the salary of these selected clerks $200 each. Mr. SHERLEY. You would get 550 clerks. Gen. MCCAIN. Yes, sir. Mr. SHERLEY. So that you would be permitted, under the Secretary's letter, to promote 55 clerks? Gen. MCCAIN. Yes, sir. Mr. SHERLEY. And you expect to promote 55 of them $200 each? Gen. MCCAIN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Why? Gen. MCCAIN. Because they deserve it. The CHAIRMAN. I am asking you why should 10 per cent of that number be promoted? Gen. MCCAIN. I would say that those instructions were receivedThe CHAIRMAN (interposing). Does this direct you to do that? This simply limits the number of men that may be promoted. Mr. SHERLEY. It is permissive, not mandatory. Gen. MCCAIN. No, sir; it is not; but I will do it. I will promote as many clerks in my office as I can. The CHAIRMAN. I know, but the intention is not to appropriate money with which to promote clerks, but the intention is to provide money to furnish you with additional services, and the question arises as to whether it would be proper to promote any clerks under this appropriation. The Secretary issued this order under which it would be permitted, but it limits it." It simply puts a limit upon it. Gen. MCCAIN. The reason is this: We have many clerks there who have been there for years and who are performing mighty efficient service. If you promoted them, you would be recognizing that long and efficient service, and they are certainly entitled to more consideration than men who are just coming in. Instead of giving the man we employ to-day $1.200 we would give him $1,000, and give the $200 to the men who have been with us right along. It is the same thing to the Government, whether we give it to new men or to old men. Mr. SHERLEY. That is what I am trying to get at. Is it the idea that with doubling the force you will necessarily have an additional number of clerks at $1,400, or more than you have now, and that the question then comes up whether the $1,400 places shall be filled by men at $1,400 or whether old men will be promoted from lower and less arduous and less responsible work to the $1,400 positions? |