make the construction harmonize with adjacent psychopathic ward, provide a fire stop, and also includes the necessary heating, lighting, and plumbing equipment for the said proposed third story. The CHAIRMAN. That is the dormitory? Mr. HUSBAND. That was the third story. The CHAIRMAN. You say that it will cost $1 a cubic foot? Mr. HUSBAND. This makes the cost of construction of the third story at the rate of $1 per cubic foot. NOTE. There is no question but what the cost of, say, a dollar per cubic foot for the additional story and new roof on the laundry building at Ellis Island appears to be high, but New York construction costs continue high for small buildings, and particularly where there is a considerable loss of time in transporting labor to and fro, as at Ellis Island. The situation of this building, jammed in between the west end of the large hospital building on No. 2 Island and the adjacent covered way, makes access of material and the handling of said material after delivery a considerable item of expense. (See block plan of United States Immigration Service, New York.) Moreover, arrangements have to be made for keeping weather tight the present roof and the removal of same after construction of second story is complete. Alterations and additions invariably cost more per cubic foot than new construction of the same character. This estimate for the second story took into account the expensive subdivision in the way of small rooms, the installation of some eight toilet fixtures, bath rooms, etc., as well as the alterations in the first story. I went over this estimate individually, my office went over it, and subsequently it was checked up with a contractor's estimate. Locally, in New York, the cost of building materials has not materially decreased on small jobs, such as this, and wages in building trades remain substantially at the 1919 rates. I shall be very glad to revise these estimates in detail on my return to duty at New York, if desired. Capt. ALFRED BROOKS FRY. The CHAIRMAN. It ought not to be over 30 cents at the outside. How many cubic feet will there be; what kind of construction is it? Mr. HUSBAND. We have not that. The CHAIRMAN. You can get the best fireproof construction in a building, including foundations and equipment, for less than 40 cents a cubic foot. I do not see how you get at $1. Mr. HUSBAND. I am afraid that I am not competent to discuss that, Mr. Chairman. Our engineer in charge made these figures. The CHAIRMAN. Is he a civil engineer or a mechanical engineer? Mr. HUSBAND. He is a civil and mechanical engineer of 36 years' service under the Departments of the Navy, Treasury, and Commerce and Labor. He was to have been here this morning, but has not come because of a conflict of appointments and illness. The CHAIRMAN. Is he in town? Mr. HUSBAND. I can not say. He is the supervising chief engineer of United States public buildings at the port of New York. I will say, Mr. Chairman, that I personally questioned the advisability, because of the expense, of adding the third story. The CHAIRMAN. How much could be taken off? Mr. HUSBAND. I could not tell you if the roof was put on the second story. The CHAIRMAN. It figures $37,000 for the additional story. Of course, the roof is not included in that? Mr. HUSBAND. I believe the roof is included in the $37,000 and with these other items would go out, The CHAIRMAN. That would make it cost a little more per cubic foot to put the roof on? Mr. HUSBAND. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. How much would the roof cost? Mr. HUSBAND. $6,600. The CHAIRMAN. And the total cost would be how much? Mr. HUSBAND, $37,800. The CHAIRMAN. And the roof cost $6,600 ? Mr. HUSBAND. Yes, sir. My understanding of that is that it would add about $30,000 to the cost of the building. Laundry machinery, $22,670.75. The CHAIRMAN. Of course, we do not know anything about that. Mr. HUSBAND. This goes into the building. The CHAIRMAN. The building material I would know something about, but I would not know about the other. DETAILS OF ESTIMATE. Mr. HUSBAND. I will read these items: 42 by 72 inch J-2 Henrici washer, with tobin bronze cylinders, having one partition, making two compartments, two doors, with reversing motor attached with controller.. M-1 42 by 36 inch Henrici washer, having tobin bronze cylinders, with no partition, making one compartment, with one door and with reversing motor attached with controller.. 40-inch overdriven extractor with copper basket with 74-horsepower motor 30 by 120 inch Troy big two flat-work ironer, having two cylinders, each 30 $3,375 2,650 2, 150 6,550 2,855 1, 915 24-inch steam collar and cuff ironer, single-pass type, with brass finger guards feed plate with motor attached. 1,440 25-gallon heat-retaining starch cooker, with cooper casing and copper lining, hinge cover. 145 30 by 96 inch finishing table with plain iron legs.. 70 Fiddler simplex seam dampener with motor attached. 75 60.75 1,390 No. 724 Shaw shaper electric heated with spare heating element.. 38-inch Troy prosperity garment presses, arranged in two tandems.. Total.... Installation charge, $3,000. The above motors are for 220 volts direct current. 22, 670 Explanation. On the night of May 16, 1921, the hospital laundry building on Island No. 2 was destroyed by fire, and a careful survey of the situation indicates the need of an immediate appropriation to reconstruct and recondition the building. Two laundries have always been in operation at Ellis Island, the one located on Island No. 2, which was destroyed, and a small auxiliary plant on Island No. 3, which is used to wash the linen and blankets of aliens suffering from contagious diseases. The installation of modern laundry machinery will make it possible to shut down this auxiliary plant, save the salaries of eight or nine employees, and cut down the overhead expense. The auxiliary laundry is now being operated continuously, but its capacity is so limited that it is possible to perform only part of the necessary laundry work; hence it is essential that prompt measures be taken to afford the necessary relief. It is obvious that these repairs should be made as soon as possible, as there has seldom been less than 500 patients in the hospitals during the past five or six months, and with all sorts of diseases and disabilities requiring treatment the quantity of laundry is very large indeed, and it must be done quickly in order to avoid the purchase of a stock of linens, blankets, etc., out of all proportion to the ordinary equipment required in this respect. Furthermore, there is a very dangerous fire risk at the present time, as a conflagration could follow along the corridors of the building to the one leading to the hospital building itself and to the ferryhouse, and as the steam, hot and cold water and flushing lines are all carried through the covered way a serious fire would put all these connections with the hospital building out of commission. The CHAIRMAN. You do the laundry work there for an average of 500 people? Mr. HUSBAND. These are in the two hospitals. The CHAIRMAN. In the three places? Mr. HUSBAND. I said there were three laundries. These two laundries are hospital laundries. The other one is the laundry on Island No. 1, which is the immigration station. The CHAIRMAN. If you can get the appropriation to rehabilitate this laundry you can do away with the auxiliary laundry? Mr. HUSBAND. The laundry on Island No. 3. The CHAIRMAN. And save the compensation of eight of these persons? Mr. HUSBAND. Eight or nine. The CHAIRMAN. What would that amount to? Mr. HUSBAND. I think that might be about $12,000 or $13,000 a year. The CHAIRMAN. You are not clear that you need the third story on this building? Mr. HUSBAND. Yes, sir; I am clear about that, that we need it. not as a part of the laundry, but to provide additional dormitories and certain modern conveniences for the nurses and attendants. The CHAIRMAN. What kind of conveniences have they? Mr. HUSBAND. They have almost nothing. There is a small room, a dining room, and small sitting room, and some sleeping rooms. The CHAIRMAN. What would become of those? Mr. HUSBAND. I suppose those would be used in the same way as they are now. The CHAIRMAN. You could get along without it? FOR REMODELING AND EQUIPPING ROOMS IN ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, ISLAND NO. 1. The CHAIRMAN. The next item is, "For remodeling and equipping 15 rooms, including 3 bathrooms, in the administration building, Island No. 1, in order to provide suitable quarters for the detention of alien women with small children, aged persons, and other passengers who may require special consideration, $20,000." Do you recall whether that was asked for in the regular appropriation? Mr. HUSBAND. Yes, sir; it has been asked for in the appropriation for 1923, the new fiscal year. The CHAIRMAN. Was it asked for for 1922 ? Mr. HUSBAND. It was asked for in the form of $180,000 for the addition of another story on one of the Ellis Island buildings, and it was included in the same way in the estimates for 1923. The CHAIRMAN. What is the special need of it? Mr. HUSBAND. The special need just now is that under the percentage law we are obliged to detain at Ellis Island people for a much longer period than heretofore, people of the nonimmigrant class, cabin passengers. The CHAIRMAN. Under what circumstances do you have to care for cabin passengers? Mr. HUSBAND. A cabin passenger comes in from South America or Australia or from some country where the quota for the month or the year is exhausted and it is necessary to take them to Ellis Island until the case comes to Washington on appeal. We have had most of our troubles at Ellis Island in detaining people of the nonimmigrant class. There is really no suitable place to house them. They are comparatively few in number. The CHAIRMAN. How do you take care of them now? Mr. HUSBAND. They are put in what are called the second cabin dormitories. They are somewhat removed from the steerage quarters and are smaller, but they have tiers of bunks, these high bunks, just the same as for the immigrants with no better equipment than we have for the third class. The CHAIRMAN. What is the average number which you have there of that class? Mr. HUSBAND. That would be difficult to say, Mr. Chairman. It may be that we would have 50 some nights. The CHAIRMAN. What is the space which you propose to remodel used for now? Mr. HUSBAND. It is used for the same purpose, very largely. The CHAIRMAN. You want to give them exclusive quarters? Mr. HUSBAND. We want to give them better quarters than they have. The rooms are in pretty bad shape and the toilets are in bad shape. There are no bathing facilities connected with them. We want to equip 15 rooms that already exist. There will be no change in the partitions. There are 15 rooms and 3 baths. That item was asked for in 1922 and also in 1923 and was $180,000. By going over the island-I spent a good part of one night in doing that-it seemed to me that we did not need an additional building or room for this purpose, but to readjust what we have. The CHAIRMAN. The question which arose in my mind was whether it was so urgent that it should be taken up in consideration with a deficiency or whether it could not take its course in the ordinary bill? Mr. HUSBAND. I think it is a legitimate deficiency item, brought about, as I say, by this new law, necessitating the holding of people that we have never held before. The CHAIRMAN. You have no contract obligations standing against the proposed appropriation, that is to say, you have not committed the Government to any part of this expenditure? Mr. HUSBAND. No. This is simply to take the place of the request for $180,000 for next year by inserting an emergency item of $20,000. It will not do, of course, as much as $180,000, but will take care of the situation very well. The CHAIRMAN. This estimate was included in the 1923 estimates? Mr. HUSBAND. On the basis of $180,000 for the same purpose. Mr. SISSON. That will not prevent you from coming back and asking for $180,000? Mr. HUSBAND. We will not come back for $180,000; we do not need any more room at Ellis Island. The CHAIRMAN. This is what you consider as an urgent need? Mr. HUSBAND. I would consider this an urgent need. If you had the troubles that we have had there it would have been obvious to have these rooms in better shape and you would agree with us that it is a very urgent need. The CHAIRMAN. How did the former law compare with the present law with respect to the detention and care of the class of people referred to in this paragraph? Mr. HUSBAND. It is not solely the law, but the conditions generally. In the old days, that is, before the war, the immigration was so adjusted that comparatively few of them had to stay there any length of time. They came with their railroad tickets to destination. They usually had enough money to go on, and passed through Ellis Island very rapidly; the detentions were not serious. Since the war the people have come without their railroad tickets to destination and they have had to wait there for friends to send them transportation. The CHAIRMAN. And that would be the case in the matter of the first-class passengers? Mr. HUSBAND. No. The CHAIRMAN. I am just dealing with first-class passengers. Mr. HUSBAND. He is the most troublesome one that we are dealing with. The CHAIRMAN. What are you dealing with here? Mr. HUSBAND. With alien women with small children, aged persons, and other passengers who may require special consideration. The other passengers are the cabin passengers. One of the assistant commissioners told me the other day that he took a ship's manifest, and went over 80 names on it before he found a person with a dollar in his pocket. The CHAIRMAN. Who pays for the expense while they are detained? Mr. HUSBAND. The steamship people. The CHAIRMAN. Do you have any trouble in making collections or is the money paid in advance? Mr. HUSBAND. It is provided for in advance. The CHAIRMAN. They have deposits? Mr. HUSBAND. Yes, sir. FOR RENEWAL AND INSTALLATION OF PLUMBING, ISLAND NO. 2. The CHAIRMAN. Please take up the next item, for renewal of plumbing system on Island No. 2, including installation, $20,000. Has that anything to do with the plumbing system in the laundry Mr. HUSBAND. No. The CHAIRMAN. We have already provided for that? |