REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL BUILDING AND GROUNDS. OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT, UNITED STATES CAPITOL BUILDING AND GROUNDS, October 21, 1913. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of work done under my direction during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1913: CAPITOL. HALL OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The most important work done in the Capitol during the last fiscal year was the changing of the seating of the Hall of the House of Representatives. Desks have given way to roomy chairs arranged in sections but without writing facilities. In a resolution adopted by the House on January 10, 1913, the Superintendent, United States Capitol Building and Grounds, was instructed as follows: Resolved, That the Superintendent of the Capitol Building and Grounds is hereby authorized, under the direction and supervision of the commission, to rearrange and reconstruct the Hall of the House of Representatives and, within a total expenditure not exceeding $25,000, to procure and install the necessary furniture and furnishings in the Hall of Representatives for accommodating and seating the Members of the House of the Sixty-third Congress, and to do all such other things, under said direction and supervision and within said limit of cost, as may be necessary in the preparation of the Hall of Representatives for the assembling of the Sixty-third Congress. In conformity with the above resolution this office entered into contract with the Francis H. Bacon Co., of Boston, Mass., for the production of the furniture, and between the dates of February 1 and April 1, 1913, they had their work completed, ready for legislative service. The change involved the entire rearrangement of the divisions or risers of the old floor, and this work was almost equivalent to the building of an entire new floor in the Hall. The reconstruction of the floor and risers and all final details necessary to bring the Hall into shape after the installation of the furniture was done by this office. It is unnecessary to enter into a minute description of the new seating, except to say that in its present form it gives 450 seats arranged in semicircular form with suitable aisles. The segmental sections consist of large, roomy chairs arranged in each case in the form of a "bench" construction. There are no writing facilities at present. The space between the individual rows is greater than formerly and allows the membership to pass in and out in front of their seat without discomfort to other seated Members. In the fourth row back and to the right and left of the aisles east and west of the center aisle are placed pairs of large mahogany tables which are generally used as the working tables of the majority and minority. In addition to this, provision has been made for movable tables to be placed in the area in front of the Speaker's desk. It is noticeable that this rearrangement has invited the delivery of more addresses from this point, and judging from reports there is now much less confusion in the Hall. I think this is due somewhat to the absence of the desks and revolving chairs. It is judged that the coming winter session of Congress, which will have to deal with inore general legislation, will determine whether the present method and arrangement will be satisfactory. In dealing with the general repairs to the Capitol, which are more or less of a routine character each year, and which during the present fiscal year amounted to 1,032 in number, I shall omit the usual lengthy statements as to the care of the heating, ventilating, and lighting apparatus and simply say that all these matters have been attended to and the results have been all that can be desired. So far as operation is concerned a large measure of success has been attained owing to the efficiency of the employees in all departments and the successful operation of the new heating, lighting, and power plant, which furnishes all the heat, light, and power for the Capitol, Senate and House Office Buildings, and Library of Congress. I shall attempt to further abbreviate the report by listing the more important repairs in brief paragraphs so as to make them matters of record. All the details connected with these repairs, such as cost of operation, personal services, and the materials involved, are in the files of this office. The latter part of the report will show the costs of the work under the various appropriations. SENATE WING. In the act approved August 24, 1912, provision was made for the purchase of marble pedestals to take the places of the wooden pedestals supporting the busts of Vice Presidents in the Senate wing. A contract has been entered into and this work has been partly completed, so that the final installation will not be made until about September next. Mahogany and white wood partitions were erected in the rooms of the Senate Committee on Naval Affairs and Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads. The rooms of the Senate Committees on Transportation of Meat Products; Naval Affairs; Revision of Laws; Additional Accommodations, Library of Congress; and Five Civilized Tribes were painted and decorated. General painting was done in the following rooms: Senate Chamber; cloakrooms and lobby; Senate restaurant; office of Sergeant at Arms; reporters' gallery; private stairways leading from the Senate Chamber and lobby; and several other small rooms, as well as general work in corridors in the Senate wing. New toilet rooms were installed adjacent to the room of the Senate Committees on Rules, Appropriations, Naval Affairs, and Post |