amount appropriated for the fiscal year 1943 will not be sufficient to permit of the payment of the total amount authorized and it will be necessary to later submit a deficier cy estimate. The reason for the increase in travel expense is because of the increase in per diem rate and an increase in the railroad and Pullman fares. In order, however, to keep the deficiency to the lowest possible figure, we have reduced our estimates for other items by $1,350. This appropriation is for all authorized expenditures under the act of February 17, 1911, and amendments thereto; all of which refer to the promotion of safety of employees on railroads, by compelling carriers to equip their locomotives with safe and suitable boilers and appurtenances thereto, and applying with equal force to the tender and its appurtenances. Inspections are made of all locomotives used on the lines of common carrier railroads for the purpose of determining whether they are in proper condition to operate without unnecessary peril to life or limb, and are equipped and maintained in accordance with the established rules and regulations, and taking corrective action in connection with those not conforming to the requirements. Investigations are made of accidents caused by failure, from any cause, of locomotives or any of their appurtenances; evidence of violations is obtained and appropriate corrective action taken in connection therewith. Specifications covering design and construction of locomotives and major repairs applied thereto are checked to determine whether the design, construction, and repairs are safe and in compliance with the law, and corrective action taken where discrepancies are found. Inspection reports filed by the railroads and inspection and accident reports of the Bureau's inspectors are checked, analyzed, and coordinated so as to put the information contained therein in such form that the maximum use in the promotion of safety can be made of the information collected. Railroad officials are interviewed with respect to matters arising in connection with the work and correspondence is conducted with the railroad companies concerning the promotion of the safety of employees and travelers and the enforcement of the provisions of the locomotive inspection law. Due to the need of obtaining the maximum possible use of locomotives because of shortage thereof to handle the present traffic it has been found expedient to authorize the railroads to use locomotives for longer periods between thorough inspections of certain parts than provided for in the rules for inspection and testing. The applications filed by the railroads for these extensions concern many of the older locomotives and investigations and inspections of the locomotives involved are necessary on the part of the Bureau to determine their actual condition before final action is taken, to the end that such applications can be granted in instances where undue danger to life or limb may not occur as a result of the extensions. In the month of November 1942 a total of 234 such extensions were granted and applications are being received in an increasing number. The necessity for investigations and inspections in connection with these applications, together with the correspondence incident thereto and the necessity for the preparation of orders of the Commission on the matters involved, results in additional burden on the entire personnel of the Bureau over and above that occurring in peacetime. The salaries of the Director and the two Assistant Directors, together with the number and salaries of the district inspectors are fixed by law. Increased activities of the railroads, resulting in more intensive use of all motive power make it apparent that maximum activity on the part of the presently authorized personnel will be needed to carry out the provisions of the act if reasonable standards of safety are to be maintained. VALUATION OF PROPERTY OF CARRIERS Mr. WOODRUM. The next item is for valuation of property of carriers, as follows: Valuation of property of carriers: To enable the Interstate Commerce Commission to carry out the objects of the Act entitled "An Act to amend an Act entitled 'An Act to regulate commerce', approved February 4, 1887, and all Acts amendatory thereof, by providing for a valuation of the several classes of property of carriers subject thereto and securing information concerning their stocks, bonds, and other securities," approved March 1, 1913, as amended by the Act of June 7, 1922 (49 U. S. C. 19a), and by the "Emergency Railroad Transportation Act, 1933" (49 U. S. C. 19a), including one director of valuation at $10,000 per annum, one valuation engineer at $7,500 per annum, and traveling expenses, $649,000. Mr. WOODRUM. Your estimate for 1944 is $649,000 as against an appropriation for the fiscal year 1943 of $649,927. JUSTIFICATION OF ESTIMATE Mr. BARTEL. Yes, sir. Our justification of that item follows: This appropriation is to enable the Commission to carry out the objects of the act approved March 1, 1913, and amendments thereto. Though its Bureau of Valuation has been drawn heavily into war activity, the primary function performed by the Commission under section 19a of the act is the investigation, ascertainment, and reporting of the value and use of all property owned or used by every common carrier subject to the provisions of the act. The original valuations having generally been completed, the Bureau's activities are mainly centered in keeping informed, as required by the act, of all new construction, extensions and improvements, retirements of other changes in the condition, quantity, use and classification, and investment in, and cost and value of the properties, and in having "available at all times" the information necessary to revise its inventories, classification and values; also responding to calls for valuation exhibits and testimony in various investigations and litigations. Among such calls are requests for consultation, exhibits, and expert witness in cases involving the fixing of rates; cost-of-service analyses as a basis for just and reasonable rates; division of line-haul and switching rates and terminal charges; joint rate and barge-rate adjustments; reorganization of carriers in bankruptcy proceedings; providing the basis for opening books of reorganized or new companies; adjusting deficit settlements with carriers under section 204; studies of maintenance, depreciation, and service; adjusting oil gathering charges and trunk-line transportation rates by pipe lines; furnishing valuation basis for analyses of earnings of carriers; and responding under the provisions of the United States Code, title 31, section 686, to calls of various Government departments-now, more particularly, from the Army, Navy, Maritime Commission, Office of Defense Transportation, and other agencies in connection with the war effort; and from the Department of Justice in litigation and adjustments arising over the taking of property for such purposes. MOTOR TRANSPORT REGULATION Mr. WOODRUM. The next item is motor transport regulation, as follows: Motor transport regulation: For all authorized expenditures necessary to enable the Interstate Commerce Commission to carry out the provisions of part II of the Interstate Commerce Act and section 5, part I, of the Interstate Commerce Act insofar as applicable to common carriers subject to part II (Transportation Act of 1940), including one director at $10,000 per annum and other personal services in the District of Columbia and elsewhere; traveling expenses; supplies; services and equipment; not to exceed $1,000 for purchase and exchange of books, reports, newspapers, and periodicals; contract stenographic reporting services, purchase (not to exceed eight), maintenance, repair, and operation of motor-propelled passenger-carrying vehicles; not to exceed $5,000 for the purchase of evidence in connection with investigations of apparent violations of said Act, $3,545,000: Provided, That Joint Board members may use Government transportation requests when traveling in connection with their duties as Joint Board members. Mr. WOODRUM. Your estimate for 1944 is $3,545,000 as against an appropriation for the current fiscal year of $3,565,240. JUSTIFICATION OF ESTIMATE Mr. BARTEL. That is correct, sir. Our justification of this item is as follows: This appropriation is for all authorized expenditures under part II of the Interstate Commerce Act, and section 5, part I, of the Interstate Commerce Act insofar as it applies to common carriers subject to part II, providing for the regulation of the transportation of passengers and property by motor carriers operating in interstate or foreign commerce. The act is to be administered by the Interstate Commerce Commission, in cooperation with State commissions, and is generally applicable to upward of 29,000 separate carriers and brokers and to more than 250,000 vehicles operating throughout the country. The regulation embraces (1) certificates, permits, and licenses of public convenience and necessity, (2) standards for safety of operation and equipment, including hours of service of employees, (3) surety bonds and insurance policies, (4) service requirements, (5) uniform system of accounts and reports, (6) tariffs and charges, (7) consolidations or mergers and issuance of securities, (8) investigations as to size and weight of vehicles as related to safety of highway operation. The safety provisions of the act apply also to privately operated trucks, as well as to common and contract carriers. It is estimated that there are in excess of 750,000 of these privately operated trucks. The item for The Budget estimates are $3,545,000, a reduction of $20,240. contract reporting has been reduced from $100,000 to $81,500 or $18,550. item for equipment has been reduced from $35,000 to $19,000 or $16,000, and the item for special and miscellaneous expenses has been eliminated in its entirety. The total reductions are $48,450. There are increases in several items as reflected in the above statement the aggregate of which total $28,210. TOTAL SALARIES AND EXPENSES Mr. WOODRUM. Your total for salaries and expenses in $9,009,000 for 1944 as against $9,068,677 for 1943? Mr. BARTEL. Yes, sir. PRINTING AND BINDING Mr. WOODRUM. Your item for printing and binding is as follows: For all printing and binding for the Interstate Commerce Commission, including reports in all cases proposing general changes in transportation rates and not to exceed $17,000 to print and furnish to the States, at cost, report form blanks, and the receipts from such reports and blanks shall be credited to this appropriation, $173,000. Mr. WOODRUM. The estimate for 1944 is $173,000 as against an appropriation for this current year of $203,200. JUSTIFICATION OF ESTIMATE Mr. BARTEL. Yes, sir. Our justification of this item follows: This appropriation covers all printing and binding for all the activities of the Commission. The amount allowed in the Budget estimates is $30,200 less than the appropriation for the current fiscal year. During the past year a considerable saving in the volume of the permanent series of reports was accomplished by the device of printing abstracts of routine cases of minor importance as appendixes instead of setting out the decisions in full as issued previously in temporary form, and by rearrangement and condensation of the index digests and auxiliary tables in the respective bound volumes of reports. We have also carefully scrutinized the different kinds of publications printed with the view to curtailment both in size of context and in the number of copies issued. We hope that by reason of the savings thus effected that we will be able to carry on with a reduction in the amount of the appropriation for printing and binding. SALARIES AND EXPENSES, EMERGENCY Mr. WOODRUM. You have an item, "Salaries and expenses, emergency," as follows: Salaries and expenses, emergency: For necessary expenses, including traveling expenses, to enable the Interstate Commerce Commission, for the purpose of promoting the national security and defense, to adopt measures for preventing shortages of railroad equipment and congestion of traffic, and expediting the movement of cars by railroads through terminals, and related activities, $299,000. JUSTIFICATION OF ESTIMATE Mr. BARTEL. Our justification of this item follows: This appropriation is to cover the additional needs of the Commission's Bureau of Service for the 1944 fiscal year of those objects included in the supplemental appropriation for the 1942 fiscal year relating to the promotion of national security and defense insofar as they relate to the adoption of measures for preventing shortages of railroad equipment and congestion of traffic, etc. This activity of the Commission is centered upon the enforcement of the provisions of section 1 (10) to (17) of the Interstate Commerce Act, and the necessity for additional funds for carrying on the work under these subsections may be summarized as follows: The war program has thrown a heavy burden upon the carriers by railroad; and their facilities will be taxed to the utmost. It will be necessary, therefore, that necessary precaution be taken to see that the facilities of the carriers are used to the best advantage in the interest of national defense. Under section 1 (15), (16), and (17) of the Interstate Commerce Act, the Commission is granted emergency powers with respect to car service. Division 3 has issued numerous service orders under these emergency powers. Some of the more important service orders have been issued by the entire Commission. These orders have been issued in emergency situations to avoid congestion of traffic, particularly at the ports and at shipyards and at other war industries and to prevent shortages of cars, locomotives, and other types of railroad equipment and to facilitate the free flow of traffic. These emergencies have arisen in part from the dislocation of traffic caused by the conversion of industrial machinery to the production of war materials, construction of new industries at points where no industries previously existed, construction of Army and Navy bases, transportation of troops, discontinuance of water transportation, and the |