JEANNETTE, PA., POST OFFICE, ETC. ACQUISITION OF SITE AND CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDING The CHAIRMAN. The next item is for Jeannette, Pa. Mr. WETMORE. The estimated population of Jeannette for 1930 is 18,075, and the postal receipts for the same year amounted to $70,853. This is for a site and building, and the building proposed consists of a basement and one story with an approximate ground area of 7,200 square feet. The building would be brick faced, stone trim, and of fireproof construction. The proposed building would provide approximately 5,840 square feet for the post office. The CHAIRMAN. You say there are only $70,000 receipts for a post office in a town of that size? Mr. MARTIN. The receipts were $70,853. That is close to the average per capita. The average is between five and six dollars per head throughout the country. KETCHIKAN, ALASKA, POST OFFICE AND COURTHOUSE DREDGING AND FILLING SITE The CHAIRMAN. The next item is for dredging and filling the site of the Ketchikan, Alaska, post office and courthouse, under an estimated total cost of $10,000. Why have you got to do any dredging in Alaska? Mr. WETMORE. We own the site there. That is on the water front, and the War Department is now doing dredging in that neighborhood. This is to provide the necessary fill for the site. They will do the work for us at this estimated cost. The CHAIRMAN. Have you got to do some filling there to get a site? Mr. WETMORE. Yes; in order to get a proper site. The CHAIRMAN. How does it happen that this was not estimated for in the original authorization? Mr. MARTIN. That has not been authorized as yet, although we have recommended a building at Ketchikan, Alaska. This case will probably come up to Congress next December. In as much as the War Department is now doing that channel work, we thought it a prudent time to have our site filled to the extent that is necessary. The CHAIRMAN. Do we own a site there? Mr. MARTIN. Yes, sir; and it is well located. KNOXVILLE, TENN., POST OFFICE, AND COURTHOUSE ACQUISITION OF NEW SITE AND CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDING The CHAIRMAN. The next item is for Knoxville, Tenn. Mr. WETMORE. That is just a change in legislation that would permit the acquiring of a new site. The present legislation authorizes the acquisition of additional land and the construction of a new building on the present site, extended. The price asked for additional land was so high that the joint departmental committee thought it wise to have the legislation amended to permit an alternate proposition, with a new site, and that being done, to advertise for a new site in order to see whether or not that would be a more economical proposition. The CHAIRMAN. Rather than build on the old site? Mr. MARTIN. Yes, sir. That will allow us to dispose of the old site. The CHAIRMAN. Is the old site a valuable one? Mr. MARTIN. It is probably worth about $400,000. The CHAIRMAN. Are you asking for an additional appropriation here? Mr. MARTIN. No, sir; there is the same limit of cost. LA CROSSE, WIS., POST OFFICE COURTHOUSE, ETC. INCREASE IN LIMIT OF COST The CHAIRMAN. The next item is for La Crosse, Wis. Mr. WETMORE. The population of La Crosse in 1930 was 30,421, and the postal receipts for the same year amounted to $300,605. The present limit of cost is $140,000, for acquisition of additional land and the construction of a basement and 1-story extension to the present building, as per the requests of 1928. A major increase in space is now requested by the various activities desiring quarters in the building to such an extent that a 3-story and basement extension will be necessary. The space requirements as between what was contemplated under the original limit of cost and what is now requested, are as follows: For the post office, under the present limit of cost, for the ground floor, 5,732 square feet; for the second floor none, and for the third floor none, the cubical contents being 184,128 cubic feet. As revised to provide the space requested, these are the figures: 6,000 square feet for the first floor, 6,000 square feet for the second floor, and 4,350 square feet for the third floor, giving a cubical content of 388,480 cubic feet. The amount estimated to provide the increased space, for construction or remodeling, is $190,000; the present available balance is $105,000, and the increase necessary is $85,000, making a new limit of cost $225,000. The CHAIRMAN This is a case in reference to which Congressman Hull, of Wisconsin, appeared before us on yesterday, when he said there was a reduction of $15,000 made by the Bureau of the Budget. Do you know what justification the Bureau of the Budget had for making that reduction? Mr. MARTIN. We understood several activities which had requested of the Treasury Department space in this building later withdrew their requests when they recognized the fact that it would be an additional expenditure. I think some of the activities which either reduced their space or withdrew their requests were the Agricultural Extension Service and the Civil Service Commission. The CHAIRMAN. You will verify that for the record? The CHAIRMAN. Let me ask you about the Bureau of the Budget either reducing or increasing items in these estimates. What did they do, generally? Mr. WETMORE. Wo do not consider in the department that we have any particular authority to go back of the returns. If the War Department say they need 500 square feet of space we put that down. as a requirement. If the Agricultural Department say they need a certain number of square feet we accept that and other stated requirements and figure up what the total requirement may be for all of the activities in the way of space and report what they say is necessary. But the Bureau of the Budget will undertake to go back of the returns in the case of these smaller activities where, to make provision for them would perhaps mean an additional story or a half story, or something of that kind, and considering the amount of rent they pay, they undertake to get the departments that have asked for this space to reduce their requirements or withdraw their requests, so as not to involve the additional expense that otherwise would be involved. The CHAIRMAN. Then the practice is that it goes back to the Bureau of the Budget and they make an examination, and when they find out that these departments do not need the space they have asked for they ask them to make a reduction; is that it? Mr. WETMORE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Were there any more reductions made in this bill other than the ones we have had before us? Mr. MARTIN. There are a number of reductions and those reductions affecting post-office space all had the recommendation of Mr. Philp. The others affecting the Department of Agriculture were in line with a policy that has been established by the Department of Argiculture to the effect that where additional space requested for the extension service would require an additional story, the Agricultural Department would withdraw such request. The CHAIRMAN. Then, I understand it, the Bureau of the Budget and the Post Office Department and the Treasury Department are in agreement upon the estimates that we have before use; is that correct? Mr. MARTIN. Yes, sir. Mr. PHILP. As I understand it there have been no reductions made here, or none that I know anything about, except what have been referred to. Of course, the Bureau of the Budget does check some of the departments, just as they check us, and properly so, and some of our estimates had to go out, and we readily agreed to that, and so did the other departments. LAKE FOREST, ILL., POST OFFICE, ETC. ACQUISITION OF SITE AND CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDING The CHAIRMAN. The next item is for Lake Forest, Ill. Mr. WETMORE. The estimated population of Lake Forest for 1930 is 7,500, and the postal receipts for the same year amounted to $48,034. This is for the acquisition of a site and the construction of a building, and the building proposed would provide a basement and one story with an approximate ground area of 7,250 square feet. The proposed building would be stone faced, of fireproof construction, and would provide 5,890 square feet for the post office. The CHAIRMAN. Is that one of the compulsory buildings? Mr. MARTIN. Lake Forest was recommended in 1929 and appears in House Document 613. LAMAR, MO., POST OFFICE, ETC. CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDING The CHAIRMAN. The next item is for Lamar, Mo. Mr. WETMORE. That is a site-owned case. The population of Lamar in 1930 was 2,381, and the postal receipts for the same year amounted to $15,764. It is proposed to provide a building having a basement and one story and attic, with an approximate ground area of 4,200 square feet. The proposed building will be brick faced, stone trim and of fireproof construction. The proposed building would provide approximately 3,100 square feet for the post office. LANSDALE, PA., POST OFFICE, ETC. ACQUISITION OF SITE AND CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDING The CHAIRMAN. The next item is for Lansdale, Pa. Mr. WETMORE. The estimated population of Lansdale in 1930 is 8,106. The postal receipts for the same year amounted to $63,855. This is for a site and a building, and the building proposed would consist of a basement and one story, with a ground area of approximately 6,400 square feet. The building would be brick faced, stone trim, and of fireproof construction and would provide approximately 5,240 square feet for the post office. LAPEER, MICH., POST OFFICE, ETC. ACCUISITION OF SITE AND CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDING The CHAIRMAN. The next item is for Lapeer, Mich. Mr. WETMORE. The population of Lapeer in 1930 was 5,008, and the postal receipts for the same year amounted to $26,208. The population in 1920 was 4,723 and in 1930, 5,008. The Michigan Home Training School at Lapeer is located partly within the city limits and partly in the county. The inmates and employees number 3,345; 1,321 of these are counted in the population of Lapeer, the balance, 2,024, in the population of the county. This is for a site and building. The proposed building would have a basement and one story, with an approximate ground area of 4,675 square feet. The building would be brick faced, stone trim, and of fireproof construction, and would provide approximately 3,740 square feet for the post office. LEBANON, MO., POST OFFICE, ETC. CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDING The CHAIRMAN. The next item is for Lebanon, Mo. Mr. WETMORE. That is a site-owned case. The population of Lebanon in 1930 was 3,562, and the postal receipts for the same year amounted to $16,156. This would provide a building consisting of a basement and one story, with an approximate ground area of 4,200 square feet. The building would be brick faced, stone trim, and of fireproof construction. The proposed building would provide approximately 3,100 square feet for the post office. LINTON, IND., POST OFFICE, ETC. CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDING The CHAIRMAN. The next item is for Linton, Ind. The population of Linton in 1930 was 5,077, and the postal receipts for the same year amounted to $17,866. It is proposed to provide a building consisting of a basement and one story, with an approximate ground area of 4,200 square feet. The building will be brick faced, stone trim and of fireproof con struction. The proposed building would provide approximately 3,150 square feet for the post office and 500 square feet for the Civil Service Commission. The CHAIRMAN. There is another case where the receipts are not in proportion to the population. That is a mining town. Mr. WETMORE. Yes, sir. LITTLETON, N. H., POST OFFICE, COURTHOUSE, ETC. ACQUISITION OF SITE AND CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDING The CHAIRMAN. The next item is for Littleton, N. H. Mr. WETMORE. The population of Littleton in 1930 was 4,588, and the postal receipts for the same year amounted to $31,169. This is for a site and building. The proposed building would consist of a basement and four stories, with an approximate ground area of 6,000 square feet. The building would be brick faced, granite trim, and of fireproof construction. The CHAIRMAN. This building would be four stories high? Mr. WETMORE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Why do you have a building four stories high in a place like that? Mr. WETMORE. That is on account of the courts. The building would provide approximately 5,000 square feet for the post office, 500 square feet for the Civil Service Commission, and 8,000 square feet for the courts, a total of 8,500 square feet, exclusive of the post office. The CHAIRMAN. Are there courts being held there now? Mr. HEFFERNAN. Yes, sir. There are only two places in New Hampshire where Federal courts are held, at Littleton in the northern part of the State and at Concord in the southern part of the State. The judge lives at Littleton. The court sits for about four weeks in the year at Littleton, and that takes in all the business in the northern part of the State, along the Canadian border. LOUISVILLE, KY., post office, courthOUSE, CUSTOMHOUSE, ETC. FURNISHING AND INSTALLING EQUIPMENT FOR CAFETERIA The CHAIRMAN. The next item is for Louisville, Ky., There is no change in the estimate of cost, but this item is only for the cafeteria. |