1941: Increase was due to increase in personnel and other increases in maintenance, equipment, and supplies, resulting from public criticism dating from Mrs. Roosevelt's visit in January 1940. 1943: Increase due to larger personnel increase. WPA workers had been assigned since 1941 to dining room and kitchen. They were withdrawn and were replaced in 1943. 1944: This increase was due largely to general reclassification of any lowpaid positions. 1945-46: Decreases due to drafting of some positions, and positions left vacant account of lower population. The increase in 1946 was due to Pay Act increase. The decrease in 1939 was due to decreased requirement. 17.277 Year National Library for the Blind Year Personnel Amount appropriated $5.000 1942. 5.000 1944. 5,000 1945. 5,000 1946. Year Personnel Amount appropriated $5,000 5,000 5,000 7,500 7,500 The increase in 1945 was granted in response to the appeal to Congress by the Library. 1941: New personnel, transfer of teachers from Board of Education to the Board of Public Welfare. 1943: Assistant Superintendent added and position reclassified. 1944: Overtime provided by congressional action. 1945: Additional positions to give better supervision to children. 1946: Number of positions decreased because of inability to recruit personnel under war conditions. 1 Carried under "Public assistance, but not named separately. Later years included in assistance appropriation either by language of act or carried for summary purposes. 1943: Due to new positions, $4,000 for boiler house. 1944: Increase due to new positions and overtime and repairs. 1945: Increase due to pay act. 1946: New positions. The new positions in 1943, 1944, and 1946 were to give better supervision to the children. 9953847- -14 1944: Overtime and increased population. 1945: Increase due to Pay Act; remodeling buildings (Shaw & Dunbar). 1946: Increase due to pay increase. 1938: Population increase; also increase in personnel. 1940: Increased personnel; new hospital building opened (one-half year). 1941: Increased personnel; full-year hospital operation. 1942: Personnel and operation two new cottages. い BUDGET REQUIREMENTS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1947 JOINT SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISCAL AFFAIRS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C. The joint subcommittee met at 10 a. m., pursuant to adjournment, in the Senate District Committee room, Capitol, Washington, D. C., Senator Cain (chairman of the joint subcommittee) presiding. Present: Senators Cain (chairman of the joint subcommittee), McGrath; Representatives Bates (cochairman of the joint subcommittee), Smith, and Klein. Present also: Parker L. Jackson, special adviser to the House Committee on the District of Columbia. Senator CAIN. I will call this meeting to order. We shall adjourn at a quarter of 12 this morning. We shall hear first from the Recreation Department, then from the Alcoholic Control Board, and then from the correctional institutions. Subject to Mr. Bates' willingness, he being the cochairman, as you know, on the House side, we will probably recess our meeting at a quarter of 12 until next Tuesday at 10 o'clock. But that decision will be held subject to Mr. Bates' intentions. We now have, as our first witness, Mr. Christiansen, who is the Superintendent of Recreation of the District of Columbia Recreation Board, and he will proceed as he sees fit. STATEMENT OF MILO F. CHRISTIANSEN, SUPERINTENDENT OF RECREATION, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA RECREATION BOARD, WASHINGTON, D. C. Mr. CHRISTIANSEN. Mr. Chairman, I would like to say briefly, in order to understand the present situation, it is well to take a few seconds to give a little of the background for the present situation. Our Recreation Board was created in 1942 by act of Congress. The legislation resulted from several years of effort on the part of the citizens and the District officials, the park officials, and the planning officials to unify what previously had been a rather far-flung recreation system. There had been three separate budgets, three separate departments, three separate sets of officials. Thus many deficiencies existed in providing adequate recreation in the District of Columbia. There was a community center department under the Board of Education, a playground department under the District Commissioners, and a recreation division under the office of the National Capital Parks. Senator CAIN. And the consolidation took place when? Mr. CHRISTIANSEN. In 1942. Most of our records and reports really are for the 5-year period, although we have some figures that go back to 1937, which will be referred to later. Therefore, the budget and the increases on which I will report a little later will reflect on the responsibilities which were assumed by our Board in 1942. After exhaustive hearings in both the House and the Senate which pointed up the many deficiencies in providing recreation for our children, youth, and adults in the District, legisla tion was enacted by Congress creating this Board. The Board has the same independent authority as the Board of Education. It has seven members, four of whom are citizen members appointed by the District Commissioners. There are in addition three official members. Senator CAIN. If you do not mind my stopping you occasionally, you say it is an independent board. What is the relationship of your Board to the Board of District Commissioners? Mr. CHRISTIANSEN. I will be very glad to answer that question. The Board makes its own rules and regulations, appoints its own personnel, spends its own funds. We have to go to the Commissioners for our appropriations. The four citizen members are appointed to our Board by the District Commissioners. Of the three official members, one is a representative of the District Commissioners who is the budget officer, one is a representative of the Board of Education, and one is the Superintendent of the Office of National Capital Parks. The reason for putting these three officials on the Board is because they previously had the responsibility for operating recreation. In other words, it involved the use of their properties. Much of the difficulty which existed in the past was due to the mixed property jurisdictions and unmet recreation needs. Senator CAIN. Well, you design, therefore, your own budget. But before the Congress considers those budgets, they have been approved by the Board of Commissioners. Mr. CHRISTIANSEN. Oh, absolutely. We.have very excellent working relations with the District Commissioners from the word "go.” I might say that they have been very helpful and understanding in recognizing that we had a difficult problem when we were created. increases in appropriations are a reflection of that understanding, and the requests on the part of the citizens that adequate care had not been taken in the past. Our Senator CAIN. This reminds me of an independent question. Before we get through I should like to know, Mr. Commissioner, what boards, if any, act within your city jurisdiction, but over which you do not have any control. Commissioner YOUNG. What we call independent agencies. Senator CAIN. Yes. And if you would bear in mind a rather full discussion on that, I think it would be helpful to every one on our two committees. Commissioner YOUNG. Yes, sir. |