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Capt. GIBBONS. A just thing for him, certainly, for his long and faithful experience on duty there.

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The CHAIRMAN. He has been in the service since 1866, I believe, at the academy.

Capt. GIBBONS. His is one of three cases-the swordmaster, Prof. Terry, and Prof. Johnson-that come up very often.

The CHAIRMAN. Now we will turn to page 104, an increase of $10,000 for maintenance of the Naval Academy. Please explain that. Capt. GIBBONS. We have asked for this increase each year, on the theory that by this expenditure now, a small increase each year, we will be able to carry on the maintenance and upkeep without having to call for a much larger appropriation later, as we would have to do if this increase is not granted now. The increase in maintenance is due to the deterioration of the buildings.

The CHAIRMAN. Well, it does not seem to be for repairs, in the sense in which you are speaking.

Capt. GIBBONS. Oh, I was grouping the whole, maintenance and repairs.

The CHAIRMAN. Yes; this is a $10,000 increase for maintenancebooks, periodicals, maps, models, drawings, fire engines, fire apparatus, and machinery.

Capt. GIBBONS. It does not come under this

The CHAIRMAN. You are asking for $10,000 increase there, and then under "Repairs," page 105, you are asking for an increase of $15,000, which would come under the items that you are now mentioning; but with reference to these maintenance items

Capt. GIBBONS (interposing). I will ask Commander Cole to explain that to the committee.

The CHAIRMAN. It takes up the case of the buildings, but not the repairs. What have you to say, Commander Cole?

Commander COLE. I have charge down there of the work of maintenance and repair of the buildings of the Naval Academy. This takes in the operation of the Naval Academy, as well as the work of repair. You will find in the latter part of that appropriation for maintenance, Mr. Chairman, that labor and operation are provided under that appropriation. The matter of the operation of the academy is becoming greater and greater as the years pass on, and you will find that the question of supply of material there for the academy

Mr. HOBSON (interposing). Musical instruments.

Commander COLE. Has materially increased. The question of maintenance and repair is difficult to separate. Where maintenance becomes repair is a hazy line; but because of the notation of the appropriation, the Treasury Department requires that we divide the moneys charged against this appropriation into maintenance and repairs. But, as a matter of fact. in our actual work down there at the Naval Academy we look at them as one appropriation, and the whole institution must be run on the money that is provided under those two appropriations.

The CHAIRMAN. Well, I was going to ask you why not consolidate those two paragraphs and put it "Maintenance and repair "?

Commander COLE. That would be excellent, and I should be glad if the committee would do it.

The CHAIRMAN. And consolidate the two appropriations.

Mr. GREGG. It would give you more latitude.

Commander COLE. It would help us in the upkeep part of it. We now keep separate ledgers and everything else. It would very much conserve clerical efficiency if we could combine the two. The question of the explanation of the reason for the increase in the

The CHAIRMAN (interposing). Now, while you are explaining, just explain both the repair sections.

Commander COLE. Yes, I will do so. I have endeavored to put down in this little pamphlet [indicating], which is in front of most of the members of the committee, I think, the reasons why it is necessary for us to have this money. You must remember, to begin with, that the Naval Academy is comparatively new throughout in its equipment of buildings and apparatus. As time has gone by, the first few years of the commissioning of these buildings the amount of money for their maintenance and upkeep was comparatively small. Now we are beginning to find natural deterioration, and in some cases defective workmanship, in those buildings down there; and as an instance, I may say that in the mason's gang it has been necessary to spend so far this year, in the work of repair, $30,000, and within the last month it has been necessary to discharge the greater portion of this particular gang, because we had not the money to go ahead with the work, although there was work enough to carry us on for 12 months longer if nothing else was to be done.

Mr. HOBSON. What buildings was that on; that masonry work? Commander COLE. I may say particularly on the library group, or the academic group, and on Bancroft Hall; most of it comes in on the terraces of Bancroft Hall. I may not make myself clear on the question of terraces.

The CHAIRMAN. Well, that covering of the dining room is a terrace, is it not?

Commander COLE. Yes, sir; and the older offices here at the Capitol Building are under what is called a terrace. They are under the extension on the first floor of the building. Now, it has always been considered in engineering work a very difficult matter to keep a flat roof of that character tight. In fact, at the time they were building the Bancroft Hall terraces the contractors practically threw up their hands, and said: "Here, if you will get anyone in New York who will do this work, why, employ him, and we will be glad to pay the bill." As a matter of fact, they did get somebody; but the place was never tight.

The CHAIRMAN. It never will be, will it?

that?

What is the length of

Commander COLE. Four hundred feet by seventy-five.

The CHAIRMAN. What is the inclination from the high point to the low, at the edge?

Commander COLE. Only a few inches: that is an artificial inclina

tion.

The CHAIRMAN. I know it does not amount to much.

Commander COLE. It does not amount to anything. But I was going to say, in connection with that, that we have gone ahead, as nearly on common-sense mechanical lines as we knew how, and have made what might be called a slip joint, which is 400 feet long and 75 feet wide. Now, we succeeded in making that roof tight last

August; it is still tight to-day. In other words, it has gone from heat to cold, but it has not gone from cold to heat yet. I feel fairly confident that we have gotten a tight roof down there; but when you asked me that question I did not care to answer it categorically, because time alone will show.

The CHAIRMAN. But up to the present it has not been tight under its original construction?

Commander COLE. But it is now.

Capt. GIBBONS. It is now. condition now is all right.

We worked on it last summer, and its

Commander COLE. I think it is all right now, but time will tell. The CHAIRMAN. Yes.

Commander COLE. Now, the other question was principally in connection with the roofing down there. In some cases, for instance, the copper portion of the roofing is defective. In other cases, the upper portion of the bricking of the walls has been put in in bricks which were porous, not properly burned; the moisture has gotten in, the frost has come and chipped off the bricks. I do not know how we would have gotten through the year down there, not only last year, but this, were it not for a rather large saving we were able to make in fuel. We saved $25,000 out of an expenditure of $57,000 for fuel for heat, light, and power for the Naval Academy. Mr. HOBSON. How did that come about; just briefly? The price of coal has gone up, has it not?

Commander COLE. The price of coal has gone up.

Mr. HOBSON. That is what I thought.

Commander COLE. It was in the economy of operation.
Capt. GIBBONS. We have a new system.

Mr. TALBOTT. Don't you think you would better have slate roofs than copper?

Commander COLE. I think, generally speaking, Mr. Talbott, that a slate roof is preferable: but under some circumstances you have got to use copper. In some other cases tin was used, and that proved truly a gold brick.

The CHAIRMAN. All of which goes to show that in the original construction the inspection and plans were faulty.

Commander COLE. Yes, Mr. Chairman; if I may mention right here, I think that had it been possible at that particular time for the officer in charge of buildings and grounds to have had under him seven or eight live young naval officers they would have been right there on the job. Now, it may be too much of an assumption for me to say that the faulty material would not have gone in; but if I had been the officer in charge of buildings and grounds at that time I would have felt very much more confident of the results had I known that I had those lads under me in whom I felt every confidence.

Mr. HOBSON. What force did you have under you in connection with that to help you in the duties of your office?

Commander COLE. We have at present on the roll of mechanics and laborers, those who are doing this work of maintenance and repairs. 375 men.

Mr. HOBSON. And for inspection what force do you have?

Commander COLE. I have at present one naval officer there, a lieutenant, who is in charge of placing those wires underground. Possibly you may remember that an appropriation was made last year for that purpose. It is a large job, and one that must be closely watched. Then, in addition to that

Mr. HOBSON (interposing). Is he a permanently assigned officer, who is able to help you in all the work of inspection?

Commander COLE. Yes; he is. In addition to that

Mr. HOESON (interposing). Have you any warrant officers to help you?

Commander COLE. I have not. The question of the necessity for the increase is set forth in detail in this little pamphlet, and if the committee will permit I should like to make that a portion of the record of the hearing.

The CHAIRMAN. Well, we might take such parts of it as were found desirable.

Commander COLE. Beginning at "Maintenance and repair."

The CHAIRMAN. Just take that part of it which relates to that and incorporate it in your answer.

The paper referred to is as follows:

MAINTENANCE AND REPAIK.

The amounts requested under these two items are the same as those requested of the department for the fiscal year 1913 and forwarded with the department's approval for the consideration of Congress. The appropriation bill for the fiscal year 1913 allows under maintenance $215,000 and under repairs $125,000. As will be shown later, the amount requested by the Naval Academy last year and this year, and the amount approved by the Navy Department in the estimates submitted to Congress last year, is not sufficient to care for the actual present needs of the Naval Academy. As a matter of fact, had it not been for the saving resulting from increased economy in the burning of fuel at the Naval Academy during the last two fiscal years a deficit in maintenance and repair must inevitably have resulted. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1910, the expenditures for fuel at the Naval Academy was $57,000. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1912, the expenditure for fuel was just under $32,000, a clear saving of $25,000. But it is hoped that if this appropriation for maintenance and repair at the Naval Academy is continued over a series of about seven years that, with strict economy, most of the items now on the list of necessary outstanding repairs and improvements, together with those that can not be foreseen in natural wear and deterioration, will be cleaned up.

The combined expenditure as laid out for the fiscal year 1913 is as follows:

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Additional expenditures proposed:

Showers and dressing rooms, grand stand.

Landing stage and house, foot Maryland Avenue__
Extension of fire and steam lines to eastward of

Bancroft Hall____

Furniture, Bancroft Hall_
Artesian well...

For emergencies.--

$8,000.00
12, 000. 00

5,000.00
1,000.00
6, 000. 00
5,000.00

Appropriation, maintenance_

Over the appropriation_

$37, 000.00

348, 500,00

340, 000. 00

8, 500.00

This proposed expenditure has been made out from the expenditure of the fiscal year 1912 just completed, as follows:

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It will be noted that the proposed expenditures for 1913 aggregate considerably more than the money available under the appropriations for 1913, and are only included in the plans of the year's work in hopes that increased economy in the expenditures based on the previous year will permit the taking up of the items as laid out. In the meantime, however, it will be practicable to do the paper work necessary in connection with the proposed additional items and have plans, bills of material, specifications, etc., so that the projects may be taken up without delay if. in the course of the fiscal year 1913, it becomes apparent that one or more of them may be taken up within the appropriation limit. In this connection there is submitted for the consideration of the department the following comparison to show that the present expenditures are really on a most economical basis:

The value of the property at the Naval Academy, excluding property on the hospital and Marine Corps reservations, which is maintained out of other than Naval Academy appropriations, and excluding the value of the land, is as follows:

New buildings (including equipment).

Old buildings..

New quay wall.

Old quay wall.

Distributing system.

Miscellaneous....

Artesian wells_

Reservoir--

$8, 816, 000. 00 41, 000. 00 446, 000. 00 24, 000. 00 374,000.00 148, 000. 00 10,000.00 60, 000. 00

9, 919, 000, 00

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