dusts and toxic gases to which workers in mines and metallurgical plants are exposed. It seeks to identify health hazards and devise means to minimize or eliminate them. The Safety Division instructs operators and miners in mine-safety methods, accident prevention, and mine-rescue and recovery work. It studies the causes of mine accidents and the methods of preventing them and teaches first-aid to alleviate the results of accidental injuries. It supervises the operation of the Bureau's mine-rescue cars and stations. In normal years approximately 100,000 miners are trained in first-aid and minerescue methods. The cumulative result is seen in a marked reduction in the number and severity of accidents. The administrative branch handles administrative and fiscal matters for the Bureau as a whole. It comprises the office administration and information divisions. The Office Administration Division has charge of routine administrative work including purchasing, accounts, contracts for service or construction, personnel, clerical assignments, legal matters, multigraphing, mails and files, and property. The Information Division reviews and edits approximately 600 manuscripts each year describing the results of the Bureau's technologic and economic investigations; supervises the distribution of the resulting publications-about 750,000 copies annually--summarizes the Bureau's findings to make them available to the technical, trade, and daily press; prepares and conducts exhibits for industrial and technical conventions and for expositions; answers approximately 100,000 communications yearly requesting publications or information about the widely diverse matters in the field of the Bureau's activities; and supervises the preparation and circulation of motion-picture films depicting safety methods, technical investigations, and processes used in the mineral industries. Mr. SCRUGHAM. Has there been any discussion of removing this motion-picture department from your Bureau, and putting it into the Motion Picture Division under the Secretary's Office? Mr. HEDGES. In view of the long-established organization in the Bureau for handling motion-picture production and distribution, and the specialized character of the pictures, the Bureau of Mines was specifically exempted when the new division was created in the - Department. Mr. SCRUGHAM. That was by order of the Secretary? Mr. HEDGES. Yes. Mr. JOHNSON. Does the gentleman know of any particular reason why it should be exempted? Dr. FINCH. It covers a very special field. The direction of those pictures has to be by technical men, generally; also the arrangements under which the pictures are made differ considerably from the arrangement in the Interior Department as a whole. Mr. O'NEAL. Have you concluded your statement, Doctor? BUDGETARY METHODS OF THE BUREAU AND USE OF UNEXPENDED FUNDS Mr. O'NEAL. I see that the appropriation in 1936 was $1,970,311, the appropriation for 1937, $2,093,200, and that the estimate for 1938 is $2,227,170, which is an increase over the 1937 appropriation of $133,970, which I understand includes $40,000 for investigation of lignite and other matters, and $65,000 for College Park station, and numerous smaller items. I believe that is correct, is it not? Dr. FINCH. Yes, sir. Mr. O'NEAL. May I ask you this? You have operated now for about two-thirds of 1937. About what amount of the appropriation for 1937 has been spent? Mr. HEDGES. In general, it is expended at the rate of one-twelfth each month. Mr. O'NEAL. That is just a general statement. Mr. HEDGES. Funds are apportioned at the beginning of the year on that basis, and there is no deviation allowed by the Bureau of the Budget unless some particular circumstance calls for an unusua expenditure. For example, we had an item this year for establishing an electro-metallurgical laboratory at Boulder City, Nev. expenditure for heavy equipment at the beginning of the year was greater than the apportioned amount. Except for some such circumstance, expenditures are not permitted to exceed the sum of monthly apportionments, and actual obligations follow this amount closely. Mr. O'NEAL. But you have no definite figures with you on that? Mr. HEDGES. No. Mr. O'NEAL. As a general statement, that is the policy? Mr. HEDGES. As a general statement, that is the policy, and it is followed very closely. There is very little deviation from it. Mr. O'NEAL. You do not have any unexpended balances in any of your departments? Mr. HEDGES. There is always a little at the end of the year that is unexpended. It amounts to very little. It is due largely to the fact that you never can tell the exact amount of obligations, because of outstanding items such as travel accounts, that cannot be estimated until statements are received. Mr. O'NEAL. But you could tell to the 1st of January? Mr. HEDGES. Yes, sir; I can tell you the unencumbered balances. except for outstanding items, the total amount of which we do not know, such as travel accounts and bills for freight and telegrams. Mr. O'NEAL. But you would not be 2 months behind on those, would you? Mr. HEDGES. We are worse off than that sometimes, especially on freight accounts, because of the delay on the part of the railroads in sending in their bills. Bills of lading go through the railroad accounting offices and it is sometimes 3 or 4 months before we know the exact amounts. Mr. JOHNSON. Do you ever have any deficiency at the end of the year? Mr. HEDGES. We never have had. Mr. O'NEAL. What is your policy with reference to amounts not expended under one appropriation being used by other departments" Mr. HEDGES. We have not had any surplus funds. Mr. O'NEAL. You have not had any situation where an amount was appropriated and not used, and that amount was turned over to another department? Mr. HEDGES. No, sir. Mr. O'NEAL. I understood from reading last year's hearings that that had occurred. Mr. HEDGES. We did receive some money from another bureau in the Department. We never had a surplus ourselves that could be devoted to some other use. We had something like $16,000, if I remember correctly-and I think that is the item you refer to as being in the hearings-that was transferred to the Bureau of Mines by the Indian Service, I believe. INCREASE IN ESTIMATES FOR 1938 Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. I See here that the total increased appropriation for the Bureau of Mines is $133,970. I am just wondering if the witness can explain why the total increase is that large? Mr. SCRUGHAM. Will you make a statement on that, Dr. Finch? Dr. FINCH. We will prepare one for you. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. Yes; I would like to have it. I am going to ask that also of the other departments. I see that the Bureau of Indian Affairs is asking for an increase of $2,365,000, and that the National Park Service is asking for an increase of $1,354,000. Mr. FINCH. Would you like to have that explained item by item? Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. Yes; I would like to know why all of those unusual increases are requested. Dr. FINCH. Yes, sir. The following table shows expenditures by the Bureau of Mines in the fiscal year 1936, appropriations for 1937, and the estimate of appropriations for 1938. (The table referred to is as follows:) 1 $22,635 accidents statistics transferred to Economics of Mineral Industries. SALARIES AND GENERAL EXPENSES Mr. O'NEAL. I notice under the heading of "Salaries and general expenses, Bureau of Mines", there is an increase from $65,000 to $68,380, a total increase of $3,380. Will you be good enough to explain that? Dr. FINCH. That is shown in the justification, at the bottom of page 11, which is as follows: 1. Books and publications: Technical and scientific books and periodicals for reference are among the most essential tools of research workers in technical, scientific, and economic fields. About half of the Bureau's employees are thus directly engaged and the majority of these workers are scattered in small groups at field stations and laboratories all over the United States. Each of these groups must be independently supplied with books and technical journals to aid in their work. This multiplicity of small stations, required for local contacts and direct service on local problems, materially increases the annual expense of maintaining suitable library facilities. The inadequacy of the present appropriation of $2,5K, of which $500 is allotted to the Department law library, imposes a handicap out of all proportion to the small amount of money involved. The limitation for the purchase of books and periodicals for the Bureau d Mines, under the appropriation for Department contingent expenses, has be increased from $2,500 to $3,000, and the increase of $500 in this appropriatica is for this purpose. 2. Junior clerk-stenographer, $1,440, for the Accounts Section: The establish ment of new offices and stations and increased personnel resulting from a substan tial recovery in Bureau appropriations have added materially to the work of the bookkeeping and auditing staff. More help is urgently needed to keep the paper work current. 3. Junior clerk-stenographer, $1,440, for the administrative offices: Enlarged activities of the Bureau are reflected in heavier demands on the staff of the Administrative offices. Additional clerical help is needed to avoid delays in handling correspondence and other administrative matters. Mr. O'NEAL. I notice that you provide for two new junior clerkstenographers. Dr. FINCH. Yes, sir; and our justification explains the necessity for that increase. ACCOUNTING AND OFFICE ADMINISTRATION Mr. O'NEAL. I notice that under "Accounting and office administration", there is an increase of $3,000. What is that for? Dr. FINCH. That is an item of $2,880 for the two stenographers. Mr. O'NEAL. May I ask what is the necessity for these two new positions at $1,440? Mr. HEDGES. One of them is in the Accounts Section, and one of them is in the administrative offices, merely to keep current the paper work of the office, which has increased considerably. Mr. O'NEAL. Are those men who are working there now, or are they additional employees? Mr. HEDGES. We need two additional clerks to help keep the work current. In the last couple of years we have had quite an increase in appropriations, and the Bureau's activities have expanded proportionately. Of course, all those things are reflected in additional work for the Accounting Section and in additional correspondence in the administrative offices. At the present time we are short of clerical help. Mr. O'NEAL. Are you behind in your work now, Mr. Hedges? Mr. HEDGES. We are behind to the extent of having to work overtime considerably and having correspondence delayed often for several days or a week. STATIONERY FOR FIELD OFFICES Mr. O'NEAL. May I ask you to explain this item, "Transferred for stationery to 'Contingent expenses, Department of the Interior'", an increase for 1938 of $9,000. Will you explain that item, please? Dr. FINCH. It is the same as last year. Mr. HEDGES. That money is appropriated directly to the Bureau for purchase of stationery for field offices, and then at the beginning of the year it is transferred to the Department contingent fund. Our purchases are charged against the Department's fund for contingent expenses. e 、 ic Τ ΟΙ f 0 BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS Mr. O'NEAL. I notice in the justification: "Books and publications. Technical and scientific books and periodicals are among the most ssential tools of research workers in technical, scientific, and ecoomic fields." Is there any charge for any of those services? I preume it goes to private companies as well as to public agencies? 1 Mr. HEDGES. Yes. Mr. O'NEAL. Is any charge made to them for periodicals, and servces of that character? Dr. FINCH. No; those are not publications prepared by the Bureau. This item is to cover technical publications which are needed for eference by our scientific men. Mr. O'NEAL. This is for no distribution other than for use right in your own office? Dr. FINCH. No, sir. Those are periodicals for use in our own field offices and stations. REIMBURSABLE SERVICES TO PUBLIC Mr. O'NEAL. Have you any facilities in your Department whereby he public is served, where the public pays for that service in the way of information which you furnish to them? Dr. FINCH. Many of our publications are distributed to the public ree of charge, but most of them are also sold by the Superintendent of Documents. Mr. O'NEAL. You have no service then that the public generally receives the benefit of? I mean by that private corporations and nining companies and others where there is a charge made to them? Dr. FINCH. No, sir. Mr. O'NEAL. Does anything come into the Treasury from that service? Dr. FINCH. Yes; but nothing comes to the Bureau of Mines. Mr. HEDGES. Speaking of services for which the Bureau does make a charge, we have certain testing services at Pittsburgh, for which a regular scheduled charge is made. Dr. FINCH. Yes; that is for scientific testing of apparatus, and those funds go to the Treasury. Mr. HEDGES. For the testing of electrical equipment for use underground, and the testing of gas masks and oxygen breathing apparatus for use in the coal fields Dr. FINCH. And for the testing of explosives. PERSONAL SERVICES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Mr. O'NEAL. I notice a statement here on page 340 of the bill that an amount not to exceed $54,900 may be expended for personal services in the District of Columbia. Are any of those services used at this College Park, Md., plant? Or is that entirely for services within the District? Mr. HEDGES. For services in the District of Columbia. |