of the present work of our copyright office is to digest and eliminate that useless material. MAIL AND DELIVERY SERVICE. [See also p. 45.] Mr. Green requested me to submit a communication which he would like to go in in connection with his statement as to the mail and delivery service. It looks from the record as though the Librarian had turned all that work over to him. All the work he has assumed has been in connection with the wagon and the chauffeur. All the rest of the work is handled by my force, and consequently I have an item for mail and delivery service, just as he does. My people handle the material and the records, and the material includes 30,000 volumes a year delivered to the residences of Senators and Representatives. BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, The COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, House of Representatives. MR. CHAIRMAN: With reference to the mail and delivery service of the Library of Congress In my testimony before the committee I beg to explain that in stating that this had been taken over by me I referred merely to the wagons and driver or chauffeur. The Librarian's force still does all the handling of the material and the records. His estimates provide still for this, and the item transferred to mine was merely one $720 salary for the driver. This was done last year. The deliveries are increasing so rapidly and the area to be covered that the wagons have now to be supplemented by a motor cycle. His estimates provide for this. Very truly, yours, BERNARD R. GREEN, Superintendent. I also submit a brief communication, which I ask to have inserted, explaining two items as to which I was not questioned at the hearing. One asks for an operator for a motor cycle, because we have had to supplement the wagons by a motor vehicle. We have the vehicle, and we want $540 for a man to run it. Also a provision for two translators, which I ask for in the Division of Documents. Mr. CHAIRMAN: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, The service.-Two items of which I was not asked for a specific explanation are: In the mail and delivery service one $540 salary to provide for delivery on the motor cycle; and in the Division of Documents two translators at $1,200 each. The motorcycle seems now indispensable to supplement the delivery wagon. We have the machine; the salary is for the operator. The Library contains huge masses of material in foreign languages. The use of this by Congress, as well as other inquiry from Congress, requires translations; especially is this so in connection with the Division of Documents. Our roll at present contains absolutely no translators as such. Stenographers and typewriters.-Every division which now includes such, conducts correspondence. The minutes would seem, by inadvertence, to give a different impression. Transfers and details.-The legal ability to make these does not imply that at any one time they can be made, or that they are in the direction either of efficiency or economy. In fact, in the Library they would be apt to be directly opposite; for they would take persons engaged in a kind of work in which they are skilled and divert them temporarily to another kind of work in which they are unskilled. There would be waste in one direction without an adequate gain in the other. Very respectfully, HERBERT PUTNAM, The CHAIRMAN SUBCOMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE, ETC., APPROPRIATION BILL, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1912. EXECUTIVE OFFICE. [See also p. 775.] STATEMENT OF MR. N. P. WEBSTER, ACCOUNTANT. Mr. JOHNSON. You are the accountant at the White House? Mr. WEBSTER. Yes, sir. Mr. JOHNSON. You are familiar with the official force and the expenditures out of the contingent fund? Mr. WEBSTER. Yes, sir. Mr. JOHNSON. How many clerks are employed in the Executive Offices? Mr. WEBSTER. We have on our rolls 36. Mr. JOHNSON. You are not asking for any increase? Mr. WEBSTER. We have asked for one extra laborer. We find it necessary to have an extra laborer; on account of the reorganization of the office last year the laborers were cut down from four to two, and we find that is not sufficient, and we have asked for one additional one. We now have one laborer on detail there. Mr. BYRNS. What do your laborers do, Mr. Webster? Mr. WEBSTER. The laborers take care of the office. One of them comes in there in the morning and stays all day. Now, we want two on at night. The office is open until 12 o'clock at night, and after everybody is out of the office it is necessary to scrub the floors and to do all kinds of cleaning. The building, as you are aware, has been increased in size in the last three years; it is about twice as large as it was prior to that time, and we have not now as many laborers as we had then. Mr. BYRNS. These laborers perform no other service except to clean up your offices? Mr. WEBSTER. The one that is on in the day time does some mes-senger work. Our messenger force is rather cramped, and we have found it necessary to call on the laborers for messenger service very often. The force of messengers in the reorgination of the office was reduced from nine to four last year, and that makes us rather short of messengers. Mr. JOHNSON. I notice that in the reorganization while you cut down the force by nine men, you increased the total compensation. Mr. WEBSTER. I believe there was a decrease. Mr. JOHNSON, No; the amount for the current year is $71,820 for 36 people, and the amount last year for 45 people was $70,560. Mr. WEBSTER. I was speaking of the clerical force. The salary of the Secretary to the President was increased by act of Congress. Mr. JOHNSON. The President is very anxious for the Government to economize in its expenditures, and we are anxious to help him, and we think economy, like charity, should begin at home. We are willing to economize around the House by cutting off what we believe to be useless employees, and we would like to know if you think the force at the White House offices could be reduced. Mr. WEBSTER. I do not see how it can be decreased and keep up the efficiency of the office. The work is constantly increasing. Mr. JOHNSON. I find that in 1903 the total force in the office was 33, and the total appropriation was $55,000. In 1889 the total force in the office was 27 and the total expense was $41,220. We are not disposed to deny to the President anything he says, or that you, representing him, would say he needed, but we are anxious to economize, and would like to know if you know of any way it can be done. Mr. WEBSTER. The salaries of some of the higher grades were increased last year, because the office required men who must have a great deal of discretion and judgment, and the work was of such a confidential nature and so heavy that Mr. Norton came before this committee and laid the matter before it. He gave reasons why he thought those increases should be made, but at the same time he mentioned the fact that it did not increase the amount expended for clerical force, and that is correct. I believe the amount was $500 less than the previous year, not counting his own salary. His salary was increased afterwards. That explains why the total appropriation was greater this year than the previous year. Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. Webster, you were carried on the roll as accountant? Mr. WEBSTER. Yes, sir. Mr. JOHNSON. I see carried on the roll an executive clerk, at $5,000 a year. In 1903 that clerk was paid $2,200, and his salary has been increased from $2,200 to $5,000? Mr. WEBSTER. Yes; but his duties are different now. Mr. JOHNSON. Wherein are they different now from what they were in 1903 ? Mr. WEBSTER. He is next in rank to the Secretary to the President now. Mr. JOHNSON. Was he not always next in rank to the Secretary? Mr. WEBSTER. No; there were two assistant secretaries above him. He is actually an assistant secretary, although he is designated as executive clerk. He is doing the work of an assistant secretary. Mr. JOHNSON. Are there any details to your office now? The President has the authority to take as many people out of the departments as he sees fit. Mr. WEBSTER. Yes, sir; there are now about 12 detailed. Mr. JOHN SON. Where are they detailed from? Mr. WEBSTER. They are from the Pension Office and from the Government Printing Office and from the Department of Commerce and Labor. Mr. BYRNS. Can you tell us how many from each department or each bureau? Mr. WEBSTER. I have not that information before me. Mr. BYRNS. Will you file a statement later showing that? Mr. WEBSTER. Yes. (See p. 775.). Mr. JOHNSON. What are those tailed clerks doing at the White House? Mr. WEBSTER. Just at present the greater part of them are working on the social work; that is, preparing invitations and getting them out for people for whom they are intended, delivering them by messenger service-invitations to state receptions. There are four regular receptions and about 3,000 invitations issued to each one, and some of these clerks write the invitations and the envelopes, and the messengers who are on detail deliver the invitations. Mr. BYRNS. How long have they been so detailed? Mr. WEBSTER. We detail them about the 15th of December and keep them until about the 1st of March; that is, the greater part of them. Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. Webster, the contingent fund passes through your hands? Mr. WEBSTER. Yes, sir. Mr. JOHNSON. Could you tell us the general nature of the expenditures out of the contingent fund? Mr. WEBSTER. Well, it is for regular office supplies such as stationery, typewriters, and furniture. Mr. JOHNSON. Such things as are mentioned in this paragraph? Mr. WEBSTER. Yes, sir. Mr. JOHNSON. I see the word "horses" used here. The President does not have any horses, does he? Mr. WEBSTER. We also pay for the garage from the contingent appropriation. We have no horses now. Mr. JOHNSON. The President uses automobiles? Mr. WEBSTER. Yes, sir. I believe the wording says "horses or other vehicles." Mr. JOHNSON. This paragraph carries a contingent appropriation for horses, carriages, harness, and expenses of stable, including labor. If the President uses automobiles, why should we carry those words in this bill? Mr. WEBSTER. I think the wording should be changed to include automobiles and exclude horses, because we are not using horses now. Mr. JOHNSON. The President does not use horses, but, as a matter of fact, are they keeping any horses up there? Mr. WEBSTER. No, sir. Mr. JOHNSON. They have none? Mr. WEBSTER. No, sir. Mr. BYRNS. I suppose "expenses of stable" could be construed as meaning a garage, could it? Mr. WEBSTER. Yes, sir; I believe the comptroller has so decided. Mr. JOHNSON. The President's immediate predecessor kept quite a number of horses, did he not? Mr. WEBSTER. Most of his horses were his personal property. Mr. JOHNSON. But the Government kept them up for him? Mr. WEBSTER. Yes; the Government provided a stable for them. Mr. JOHNSON. Prior to 1903 the contingent fund was always ten to fifteen thousand dollars, and it started at $5,000. In 1904 it got up to $20,000, in 1908 it jumped to $25,000, and there it has remained ever since. Is it necessary that so large a sum should be appropriated under this heading? Mr. WEBSTER. I do not see how we could get along with a cent less. I am now figuring every way possible to carry us through and. I do not think we will have a cent left at the end of the year. The principal increase in the service, I think, is due to the greater amount of stationery required and the greater amount of office supplies, and also the automobile service. I understand that President Roosevelt had his own personal horses, and the office did not have to buy any horses for the Government at that time. Mr. JOHNSON. I saw in the newspapers that the State of Maryland, through the automobile association of that State, presented the President with licenses for five automobiles. I presume that is the number he has? Mr. WEBSTER. One of them is a baggage wagon. Mr. JOHNSON. How long have you been at the White House? Mr. JOHNSON. You were there when the service was small and very unpretentious? Mr. WEBSTER. Yes, sir; I went there before the office was hardly organized. I went there a little while after Mr. Cortelyou went in, and he organized the office. I was one of the first men appointed under his organization. FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1912. CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION. [See also pp. 776, 796.] STATEMENTS OF GEN. JOHN C. BLACK, PRESIDENT, MR. JOHN A. MCILHENNY, MR. WILLIAM S. WASHBURN, ACCOMPANIED BY MR. JOHN T. DOYLE, SECRETARY, AND MR. GEORGE R. WALES, CHIEF EXAMINER. EFFICIENCY OF EMPLOYEES, DETAILS, ETC. Mr. JOHNSON. Gen. Black, before we begin upon your estimates I want to ask you some general questions. Are all of the employees in your department up to a fair standard of efficiency? Gen. BLACK. All except one or two. Mr. JOHNSON. Do they exercise the right under the law of 30 days' leave and 30 days' sick leave? Gen. BLACK. Not all of them, and they are allowed sick leave only when they are able to prove that they are sick. I am advised by the secretary, Mr. Chairman, that the average annual leave for sickness by the employees of the commission is about 5 days instead of 30. Mr. JOHNSON. General, how many people in your bureau are detailed to other departments or bureaus? Gen. BLACK. I think not one. Mr. JOHNSON. How many have you in your department who are detailed from other departments? Gen. BLACK. In the field service we have about five or six. We have in addition to that the boards called local boards, which are made up wholly of detailed men. If you want a fuller answer, I will make it. I was answering you categorically. The United |