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(The information referred to follows:)

There have been 81,536 interments made in the Arlington National Cemetery as of December 31, 1953, and there are 16,179 grave sites reserved for members. of families of deceased, authorized in accordance with Public Law 526, 80th Congress, chapter 289, second session, approved May 14, 1948.

FUND FOR RETURN OF WORLD WAR II DEAD

Senator DWORSHAK. Last year we recinded $5,568,000, of the funds. previously appropriated, which left $287,048 in the fund for returned World War II dead. What is the present status of this fund?

Colonel MARTZ. Approximately $5 million of that amount was carried to the surplus of the Treasury by Public Law 153, which was the appropriation act of last year. During the present year, some additional money has been recovered which brings the balance to. approximately half a million dollars at the present time.

Senator KNOWLAND (presiding). I just wanted to say I regret very much that I was not here when the meeting opened today. I had our usual White House conference or otherwise I would have been here. I have asked Senator Dworshak to carry on for me for the balance of this morning's session.

Senator DWORSHAK. Had you completed that?

Colonel MARTZ. The balance of approximately half a million dollars. is also available for return to the Treasury, and can be done by administrative action. It is not required to be included in our appropria

tions act.

Senator DwORSHAK. Are you planning to return that to the Treasury?

Colonel MARTZ. Those funds are in the hands of the Comptroller of the Army, and the Bureau of the Budget, and beyond the control of the Quartermaster General. But we understand that they will be turned back.

Senator DwORSHAK. Are you still returning any bodies of World' War II veterans?

Colonel MARTZ. Yes, sir. During last year we returned 125 World War II casualties. Most of those were new cases recovered during that calendar year. We anticipate an average of 7 to 10 recoveries. per month will continue for probably the next 3 or 4 years.

PERSONAL SERVICES

Senator DWORSHAK. Colonel, in your personal services you are asking for an increase of $126,435 over the current fiscal year which would provide, I think, 24 new permanent positions. Is that correct? Colonel MARTZ. Yes, sir. This amount of money will allow us to realize 24 permanent field positions and in addition, the equivalent of 5 full-time positions of temporary labor.

Senator DWORSHAK. New ones?

Colonel MARTZ. Yes, sir. These 29 positions plus 7 which were included in our fiscal year 1954 authorization but not realized,. primarily because of wage increases over which we had no control,. will give us the equivalent of 36 additional man-years of labor in. fiscal year 1955 under project 412.

Senator DWORSHAK. What is the justification for that?

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Colonel MARTZ. Of those 36 man-years of labor, 16 are required on the basis of the additional 2,447 interments which we anticipate. This is based on an experience factor that 1 man normally can take care of 157 interments per year. That is an increase over the average of 140 per man-year we have had previously. In other words, we have been increasing the efficiency of our employees. We also need 4 additional men to care for the increase in developed acreage of 43 acres, which has been added during the past year. It takes 1 manyear to care for 10 acres of developed land. We will require 9 additional man-years of labor to take care of the acreage which is now filled with burials. In other words, in a burial area, we find that 1 man can take care of approximately 5 acres because the headstones are in place, and additional work is required. For this overall group, we require 2 additional labor foremen based on 1 foreman for each 10 men, and an additional 5 man-years for part time labor positions for seasonal work in order to assist us in some of the seasonal work which we had to let go undone last year. This makes a total of 36 man-years indicated in the budget justification.

COMMUNICATION SERVICES

Senator DwORSHAK. You also have 14 percent increase in communications services, amounting to $4,400. Can you justify that?

Colonel MARTZ. Yes, sir. That basically goes back to our original reason. The increased number of burials require increased communications. Every individual burial must be verified by our office here in Washington to insure that the individual is eligible for burial.

TAXES AND ASSESSMENTS

Senator DwORSHAK. Under the heading of "Taxes and assessments" you have an increase of 512 percent, amounting to $9,565. Can you explain that?

Colonel MARTZ. Yes, sir. That is entirely due to the change in rate of the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. That is our portion of the Social Security Act payments for our employees.

MOTOR VEHICLES

Senator DwORSHAK. On cars, for the past 3 or 4 years the appropriation act permitted the purchase for replacement only of one passenger carrying motor vehicle. This year you requested authority to replace two passenger carrying motor vehicles. What is the explanation for that?

Colonel MARTZ. That is based on the fact that the vehicles which we have are getting older every year, and have reached the stage of age and mileage when they must be replaced. That is, it is more economical to replace them than to try to repair and maintain them. One of these is located at the Long Island Cemetery and one at Arlington.

Senator DwORSHAK. What is the criteria on that?

Colonel MARTZ. In this particular case, the mileage on both of these vehicles is over 70,000 miles. One is a 1939 Plymouth, while the other one is a 1947 Plymouth, which has over 74,000 miles on it, and is beyond economical repair and maintenance.

Senator DwORSHAK. How many of these vehicles do you have now?
Colonel MARTZ. We have a total of eight altogether.
Senator DwORSHAK. Where are they located?

Colonel MARTZ. One at Golden Gate National Cemetery, 1 at Long Island, and 6 at Arlington. We are contemplating transferring 1 of those from Arlington to Long Island, because of the increased activity at Long Island, and make our superintendent over here at Arlington get along with 1 less.

Senator DWORSHAK. Do you have any other comments you would like to make at this time to complete the testimony?

Colonel MARTZ. No, sir. I believe we have covered the essential points in presenting the reasons for our request. We are very happy to furnish the committee with this information.

Senator DWORSHAK. We also have a series of questions which we will want cleared up for the record, and I will have the clerk submit those to you, and you can furnish the answers for the record. (The information referred to follows:)

PROJECT 111-PROCUREMENT OF HEADSTONES

Question. On page 7 of the justifications you show the basis for your request for this item. You indicate that you carried forward into 1953 11,739 applications due to normal processing time. Last year you explained that you had streamlined your organization so as to reduce the processing time. The effect of this is shown in 1954 when you carried over 5,746 applications due to normal processing time. In 1955 you expect to carry over 6,937 applications and in 1956, 7,278 applications due to normal processing time. How do you arrive at this figure for the normal carryover?

Answer. The increases in numbers of applications for headstones, due to normal processing time, carried forward from one fiscal year to the next is due to estimated increases in receipts of applications during each succeeding year. The 5,746 applications carried forward to fiscal year 1954 from fiscal year 1953 is an actual figure which represents 25/365 of the year's workload and indicates a 25-day processing time. The 6,937 and 7,278 shown as carried forward to fiscal years 1955 and 1956, respectively are one-twelfth of the estimated receipts during each preceding year. Thus, these estimates are based on a 30-day processing time which makes a slight allowance for any undue delays in receiving verification of the decendent's military service.

Question. On page 9 of the justifications you show the average cost of headstones. An examination of these figures shows that the average cost is about $20.91 compared with an average cost last year of about $19.60. What is the reason for this increase?

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The increase of approximately 6.7 percent is due to the continued upward economic trend for this period; i. e., increased labor costs, material costs, maintenance costs, etc., which are reflected in contractors' bids.

Question. Supply for the record your average price for each type of headstone in 1953, 1954, and 1955.

Answer.

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QUESTION: On page 13 you have an estimate for $37,300 for overseas. What is this to be used for?

ANSWER: The $37,300 will be utilized to defray operating and maintenance costs at the three national cemeteries in overseas territories and possessions of the United States, under the jurisdiction of the Department of Army, as follows: Sitka, Alaska National Cemetery

Puerto Rico National Cemetery, Hato Tejas, P. R..
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, T. H...

Total_

PROJECT 412-PERSONAL SERVICES

$3,574 6, 157 27, 569

37,300

QUESTION: Furnish for the record a breakdown of the increase in personal services, showing what funds are required for the new positions, for ingrade promotions, and for changes in grades.

ANSWER: The additional 36 man-years of labor in the budget request will be paid at the prevailing rates for such ungraded labor or at the average rate of $3,337 per man-year. Provisions for ingrade promotions, changes in grade, or possible wage board actions have not been included.

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Question. What is the reason for the $13,600 increase in maintenance and operation of overseas cemeteries over the estimate of $23,700 for the current year?

Answer. Funds required for maintenance and operation of these cemeteries were included in the estimate for the current fiscal year 1954, in the amount of $29,207. This amount has been proportionately reduced to $23,700 by reason of the amount made available in the reduced appropriation.

The increase in the fiscal year 1955 budget over the amount available in fiscal year 1954 ($13,600) is attributable to the following:

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Senator DWORSHAK. Thank you, Colonel, and General. We will recess until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning.

(Thereupon at 12: 25 p. m., Monday, January 25, 1954, a recess was taken until Tuesday, January 26, 1954, at 10 a. m.)

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