$2,000 for an assistant is contemplated in lieu of $2,000 for the Chief of the Division of Redemption, provision for which is omitted. On account of the relation between these two divisions, they could be better conducted together, and the assistantship would in effect be the position now held by the Chief of the Division of Redemption; it would be abolishing one $2,000 position and creating another at the same salary.

There is also an estimate for an assistantship to the Division of Classification of Mail Matter, at a salary of $2,000. The Division of Classification of Mail Matter is an exceedingly important one, and now has the recently added work of the newspaper and periodical returns under the law passed by the last Congress; and, as was said concerning the Division of Stamps, it is a position in which there should at no time be an absence of a responsible headship, on account of the great importance of the work as well as on account of the added work coming from new legislation, particularly that of parcel post.

In the Division of Registered Mails there is also an assistantship asked for, at a salary of $2,000, for similar reasons, the anticipated increase of work in the operation of the parcel-post system.

There are seven clerks asked for, one of the third class, at $1,600; four of the second class, at $1,400; and three of the first class, at $1,200, in anticipation of the increase of work incident to the operation of the parcel-post system. You will note, Mr. Chairman, that the question of classification is a matter committed to the Third Assistant, and it will be an important question in connection with the administration of the new parcel-post system; also the question of indemnification for lost mail matter belongs there, and I think the work in that connection will be greatly increased when the parcel post is in force. The Third Assistant's bureau also has, as previously said, supervision of the manufacture and distribution of postage stamps, and that will also be very greatly added to by the inauguration of the parcel-post system.

I want to speak a word in regard to the suggestion of consolidating, in regular divisional form, the Division of Money Orders with the bureau of the Third Assistant. Since the transfer of this division from the bureau of the First Asistant to the bureau of the Third Assistant it has been annually appropriated for separate from the other combined divisions of the bureau.

Mr. JOHNSON. Why do you want to consolidate it and place this force under the Third Assistant Postmaster General?

Mr. BRITT. It is already under the Third Assistant, and is only a division of the departmental service. In that respect it sustains the same relation as the Division of Registered Mails, the Division of Classification, the Division of Stamps, or any other division. It is sometimes necessary, because of the condition of the work, temporarily to remove clerks from one division to another, which, when there is a blanket provision for the entire force of the bureau, is in the discretion of the Third Assistant, and this separate arrangement militates against that; it also has, I think, an unfavorable effect upon the discipline and administration of the work of the division in that it tends to induce in the mind of the officials a sense of separation from the authoritative control of the bureau, and, there being no

reason for its separation, I think that the Division of Money Orders should be made a regular bureau division. The Postmaster General asked it at the submission of estimates for the year 1913, but for some reason it was not done.

SUPERINTENDENT OF DIVISION OF FINANCE.

There is an estimate for the increase of the salary of the superintendent of the Division of Finance from $2,250 to $2,500, which I earnestly hope will be allowed. He is the head of the division that has immediate supervision of the receipts and expenditures of the department, a very important and responsible place, and I think the salary is not only too small but entirely inadequate.

The estimate of $3,000, instead of $2,750, for the superintendent of the classification of mail matter should, by all means, be allowed, as it is one of the most difficult, laborious, and responsible divisions in the department, involving hard work and many knotty problems.

OFFICE OF THE FOURTH ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL.

STATEMENT OF MR. W. J. SATTERFIELD, CHIEF CLERK.

Mr. JOHNSON. The first two items are with respect to increases in the salary of the Fourth Assistant Postmaster General and the chief clerk. Do you desire to add anything to the arguments that have been made on these propositions?

Mr. SATTERFIELD. Owing to the fact that one is my superior officer and the other is for the position occupied by myself, I have nothing to say, except I am heartily in accord with what has been previously said.

DIVISION OF DEAD LETTERS.

Mr. JOHNSON. I do not notice that your office is asking for any increase, except in the Division of Dead Letters you are asking for a slight increase in force.

Mr. SATTERFIELD. We are asking for an increase of eight in that division.

Mr. JOHNSON. Do you want to take them up separately or just in a general way state why you ask for that increase?

Mr. SATTERFIELD. I can give you a very short statement. The Division of Dead Letters will have considerable work in connection with the parcels, by reason of the proviso for use of distinctive parcelpost stamps. That is one instance only. The correspondence will be greatly increased. We have estimated for one clerk at $1,600, one at $1,400; and the examination of property returns-that is, undeliverable matter coming in-will be increased to a considerable extent. We have asked for increases for two at $1,200, two at $1,000, and two laborers at $660 to handle the stuff.

DIVISION OF SUPPLIES.

In the Division of Supplies we have asked for an additional clerk at $1,200, with the expectation that the correspondence and the work of freight shipments of supplies will be increased. Scales have or

will be furnished the service throughout, and we have asked for a mechanic at $1,000 to keep up repairs, which will be quite an item. Mr. JOHNSON. That is a new place, so far as your office is concerned?

Mr. SATTERFIELD. Yes, sir. Also an assistant messenger at $720, to assist in the actual labor attached to the shipment of supplies.

DIVISION OF TOPOGRAPHY.

The next is the Division of Topography, which, as has been previously explained, will have to do with the preparation and correction of parcel-post maps. We have asked there for three additional draftsmen at $1,400 each and one assistant map mounter at $720.

Mr. JOHNSON. The assistant map mounter is a laborer, is he not? Mr. SATTERFIELD. Practically so; but the reason for making the designation in that way is that we now have a map mounter and an assistant map mounter. The present assistant gets $720, and we merely thought we would need to increase the force by one. really the same as an assistant messenger.

It is

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1912.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.

STATEMENT OF MR. O. J. FIELD, CHIEF CLERK.

TRANSFERS.

Mr. FIELD. The Attorney General has not this year, Mr. Chairman, asked for any changes in positions or any changes in compensation. The only change asked for at all is the transfer of three clerks and one examiner from what is called the office of the Attorney General to the Division of Accounts. You will find the reductions on page 264 are carried over to the next page.

Mr. JOHNSON. That is a mere matter of administration.

Mr. FIELD. Yes, sir. Those persons are now actually working in that division on temporary detail, and have been for some time, and the work of that division will require them there permanently, and we thought it best to change it in the appropriation.

PURCHASE AND REPAIR OF BICYCLES.

Mr. JOHNSON. The first change in existing law is on page 268, where you have added the words "and purchase and repair of bicycles."

Mr. FIELD. We have had a good deal of trouble in the last two years with reference to bicycles which we use for our messengers. The Comptroller of the Treasury has made a decision to the effect they can not be paid from this appropriation because it does not specify them, and we can not pay it from any other appropriation for the same reason.

Mr. JOHNSON. And those words are put in to avoid trouble with the Comptroller of the Treasury?

Mr. FIELD. Yes, sir.

LAW BOOKS FOR SOLICITOR OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.

The Solicitor of Commerce and Labor, on page 267, asks for an increase of $200 in the appropriation for law books.

Mr. JOHNSON. What have you to say about that?

Mr. FIELD. That is for the purpose of enabling him to have in his library a set of the National Reporter system, which includes the Northwestern Reporter, the Southwestern Reporter, the Pacific Reporter, and the reports of the State and Federal courts, which is called the National Reporter system.

Mr. JOHNSON. Under an appropriation in the sundry civil bill have we not bought an enormous number of libraries?

Mr. FIELD. There is an appropriation in the sundry civil bill of $16,000 for law books for the United States courts, for judges and judicial officers, but that is not used for the purchase of law books for any officer in Washington.

CHANGE IN TITLE OF DOCKET CLERK.

On page 269 the Solicitor of the Treasury asks for a change in title of a docket clerk to that of law and docket clerk.

Mr. JOHNSON. You propose to call one of them law and docket clerk and the other docket clerk?

Mr. FIELD. You notice he now has two docket clerks, and he proposes to change the title of one of those clerks to law and docket clerk, for the reason that the position really has more law work than what you might call docket work attached to it.

Mr. JOHNSON. There is no change in compensation?

Mr. FIELD. No, sir.

REBINDING.

On page 304, under "Books for judicial officers," last year that appropriation, I think, was changed to read "For the purchase and rebinding of law books," and I notice it is proposed to strike out the words" and rebinding." That was a mistake.

Mr. JOHNSON. Probably they have had all the rebinding necessary done.

Mr. FIELD. No, sir; this matter comes up all the time-the rebinding of these books which are furnished-and the department thought it better to pay for them out of this fund, and we put that in last year. If it was not in the estimates it was a clerical mistake on our part.

Mr. JOHNSON. You think you ought to have those words in the law?

Mr. FIELD. Yes, sir.

COURT OF CUSTOMS APPEALS.

STATEMENT OF MR. FRANK H. BRIGGS, MARSHAL.

Mr. BRIGGS. The only change made in this estimate is a reduction for traveling expenses of the members of the court's clerks from $330 to $150 and a reduction of $500 in the item for books, periodicals, stationery, supplies, freight, telephone and telegraph, heat,

light and power service, drugs, chemicals, and cleansers, furniture, and printing; for pay of bailiffs and all other necessary employees not otherwise specifically provided for; and for such other miscellaneous expenses as may be approved by the presiding judge. We have reduced that from $8,000 to $7,500.

Mr. JOHNSON. I notice that every year you have reduced your expenses.

Mr. BRIGGS. Yes, sir. When the court was established I do not suppose they really knew how much it was going to take to run it, and there is a disposition to run it as economically as possible, and, when they find they can do so, they return the money back to the Treasury and reduce the estimates.

Mr. JOHNSON. You have reduced your expenses in every appropriation?

Mr. BRIGGS. Yes; that is true.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1912.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.

STATEMENTS OF MR. BENJAMIN S CABLE, ASSISTANT SECRE-
TARY, MR. ROBERT M. PINDELL, JR., CHIEF CLERK, AND MR.
GEORGE JOHANNES, DISBURSING CLERK.

SECRETARY'S OFFICE.

CHIEF CLERK.

Mr. JOHNSON. You want to increase the pay of the chief clerk and superintendent from $3,000 to $4,000. That is yourself, is it not?

Mr. PINDELL. Yes, sir; at the present moment.

Mr. JOHNSON. You feel very much interested in the item, although, perhaps, somewhat embarrassed.

Mr. PINDELL. Of course, there is really nothing I can say as to that. The Assistant Secretary last year explained the reason for that estimate, and, with your permission, I will pass on to those that follow.

Mr. CABLE. About the position of chief clerk, as I stated last year, we thought and still think that the place itself and the individual filling the place are worth this salary as compared with the salaries in other departments. We hope very earnestly that the increase will be granted. That is the Secretary's wish and mine.

Mr. JOHNSON. The chief clerk is in the classified service?

Mr. CABLE. Yes, sir.

Mr. JOHNSON. And he has worked his way through the various stages?

Mr. CABLE. Yes, sir.

Mr. JOHNSON. How long has he been in the classified service?

Mr. PINDELL. About 15 years.

Mr. JOHNSON. How long have you been chief clerk?