[General Services Administration Annual Report 1969] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov] ) BUSINESS MANAGER OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION ANNUAL REPORT 1969 administrator ^TEDSTcXad^ArAT'ON general ^GTONp.c2MOs f tke Senate _ president of the The Honorable of RepIe ule Speaker of tn The Honorahi sentatives , .he United States the ♦o the congress of teased to transmit to I am pleas reneral Services , Report of the Gene ig69 Annual R P Dear Sirs. orr,s and ac the major program The report descrtb accomplishments. ome of the importan tivities of GSA It also points out • ces Administration touch the .,ies of the General Servme ^t. This Thc acl'v ol0 both tteatw« change. Robert Adnainis SCIENCE & INDUSTRY JAN 31 19/0 Left to right: (seated) Rod Kreger, Assistant Administrator; Robert L. Kunzig, Administrator; John W. Chapman, Deputy Administrator; Daniel T. Kingsley, Commissioner PMDS; Hart T. Mankin, General Counsel; Arthur F. Sampson, Commissioner PBS; (standing) Robert M. O'Mahoney, Commissioner TCS; Joseph W. Daniels, Executive Director EEO; Evelyn Eppley, "Chief Judge," Board of Contract Appeals; Dr. James Rhoads, Archivist of the United States; W.L. Johnson, Assistant Administrator. RICHARD NIXON President of the United States of America SAN DIEGO PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1336 05725 9013 FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR During 1969 GSA turned the spotlight on people—those who work for the agency and those whom the agency serves. As this report is submitted to the Congress, GSA, under a new administration, has already launched many policies to implement this new direction. Discrimination in any form will not be tolerated. Minority groups, the handicapped, women, and others who frequently are the targets of discrimination were given prime attention in all matters in which the General Services Administration was involved. Equal employment opportunity is rapidly becoming a practiced reality throughout GSA. Housing and transportation needs of the low and middle income Federal employees now must be considered before sites are selected for Federal buildings. Needs of the handicapped get priority consideration in the design and construction of buildings so those persons are not denied employment or the opportunity to do business with the Government because of physical impediments. Federal Information Centers were expanded and increased in numbers, and were geared to receive constructive suggestions from the public as well as answer questions on all phases of the Federal complex. GSA launched a nationwide program to make it possible for more small and minority businesses to successfully bid on the hundreds of procurement contracts handled by the agency. The initial response and success was impressive. A study aimed at improving food quality and service in Federal facilities, launched by the new team at GSA, has resulted in a demand for sweeping reorganization of cafeteria operations. Perhaps the greatest step forward comes from the direct involvement of the public in the affairs of GSA through the creation of the new National General Services Public Advisory Council. The 16 members, serving without pay, are recognized authorities from the business sector, academic community, and other public areas. The Council is advising GSA on a full range of activities from product testing and Federal procurement to Federal building projects and property management. In a meeting in Washington the Council discussed Federal communications and transportation, disposal of surplus property, retention and disposal of Federal records, and the programs of equal employment opportunity and minority business enterprise. The Public Advisory Council promises to prove an invaluable asset as GSA moves to the future. What is past is truly prologue as the General Services Administration moves into the seventies with a firm commitment to be ever responsive to the Government it serves and the needs of the people. 2 BUSINESS SERVICE CENTERS Where does a small businessman go when he wants to get a Government contract? A GSA Business Service Center is a good place to start. GSA has stepped up efforts to involve more small contractors, particularly those owned by minority businessmen, in Government work. A program is under way through which the business services counselors will make regular field visits to tell the story of the benefits of working on Government contracts. Business Service Center counselors often encourage the small businessman to select from the Federal Supply Catalog an item he could manufacture. Items chosen from the catalog can often be profitably produced with commercial as well as Government contract possibilities. The products purchased by GSA, more than 750,000 items, range from soap and floor wax to sophisticated computers and heavy machinery and cost over $2.4 billion in the past fiscal year. The business service counselors must be familiar with this list of items in order to counsel those wishing to sell to the Government. GSA also is responsible for the disposal of surplus property having a replacement value exceeding $375.2 million in fiscal 1969. An information program administered by the Business Service Centers is instrumental in the success of this operation. More than 172,000 counseling interviews were given in fiscal 1969. More than 153,000 bids were received and kept in confidence until officially opened in the 11 centers. The market research and development activities and information efforts have resulted in an increased involvement by small and minority businessmen. This has also resulted in the savings of millions of dollars, good business for the Federal Government. Eleven GSA Business Service Centers offer counseling and information to businessmen who are interested in obtaining Government contracts. 3 General Services Administration-managed Federal Information Centers handled almost 1.5 million inquiries this past year. FEDERAL INFORMATION CENTERS A Mexican immigrant nervously fingered the paper in his hands and approached the information counter. “Quales papeles son necessario para triaer a mis parentes de Mexico a los Estados Unidos?” The young woman at the Federal Information Center in Los Angeles smiled and said in hesitant Spanish, “Un momento, por favor,” and turned to another in the booth, a Mexican-American. Within minutes the young immigrant was put at ease and directed to the Government agency which could best provide him with information concerning his family. The situation reflects the Government role as a servant of the public. The information centers, administered through 10 regional GSA Business Service Centers, help persons overcome one of the major obstacles in doing business with the Federal Government—finding the appropriate agency for the situation. Almost 1.5 million inquiries were handled by the nine information centers in major cities across the Nation in the past fiscal year. An additional 16 centers are planned to be in operation by the middle of 1971. Telephone tielines are planned from outlying cities to enable a person to contact a distant information center simply by dialing a local telephone number. The entire effort will be a significant step forward in the Federal Government’s goal of better service to the public. 4 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY The festering sore of discrimination is sensitive. Like a raw wound, it demands immediate and thorough care. No bandaid approach is acceptable. Lame rationalizations as to how long it has oozed pus or who inflicted it won’t help. Though the plight of the Negro is foremost in any discussion of discrimination, he does not pull the burden alone. In the harness with him are women and children, aged and handicapped, Mexican-Americans and, at various times, Jews, Catholics, and Irishmen. The practice as well as the policy of the General Services Administration is for early diagnosis of the ills of discrimination, regardless of origin, and painstaking treatment until a cure is effected. No excuses are offered for past performance. Here are some examples of recent progress: •Acting on President Nixon’s stated policy of providing equal employment opportunity to every employee without regard to race, creed, sex, age, or national origin, the Administrator has committed GSA to assuming a role of leadership in equal employment opportunity. •The Administrator vigorously emphasized this commitment through personal visits to each and every regional office across the country to be sure his views were clearly understood. •By direction of the Administrator, a study of the entire civil rights function within GSA has been recently completed. •The position of Deputy Assistant Administrator for Administration was filled by a highly qualified management expert who becomes the highest ranking Negro in GSA’s 20-year history. •A full-time position of Executive Director of Equal Employment Opportunity was named to the Administrator’s immediate staff and counter- Jobs given on a basis of aptitude and ability provide equal opportunities for all. 5 parts were placed on the staffs of each of the 10 Regional Administrators with responsibilities of promoting continued affirmative action. •In the field of minority business enterprises, GSA has established a tone of leadership, demanding action and charting results. In its role as “business manager for the Federal Government,” GSA is seeking out minority businessmen and counseling them on how to bid for Government contracts. This program is guided by the philosophy that all people must be given the opportunity to succeed. A Region 3 pilot project in Baltimore has succeeded in identifying 75 minority businessmen who will be offered on-the-site advice and guidance. •In its role of providing Government-owned or leased facilities for various Federal agencies, GSA has a firm policy of avoiding locations that work a hardship on employees because of a lack of housing for low and middle income employees or for lack of transportation from other areas of the urban center. •Many jobs throughout the agency were restructured under the MUST (maximum utilization skills training) program to increase the supply of potential candidates and to aid disadvantaged persons who might not otherwise qualify for Federal employment. In the first quarter of 1969 alone, 53 general schedule and 75 wage graded positions were restructured to provide basic job opportunity and promotion ladders for minority group employees. •In a 15-month period covering most of fiscal 1969, Negroes won 993 of the 1,723 promotions made in white-collar occupations. In the same period, Negroes were appointed to 596 of 904 vacancies. In the trade and crafts, 694 Negroes were promoted compared to 338 employees of other races. •Training programs are providing experience for operating engineers, electricians and elevator repair mechanics specialties. The 30-month program advances employees from the helper level through journeyman. Of 63 currently enrolled, 47 are Negro. •Significant progress has been made in providing proper recognition for women. During a yearlong period encompassing most of fiscal year 1969, some 56 women were appointed or promoted to grade GS-12 through 15. A Negro woman received the GS-15 rating. •Recruiting programs are being carried out at some 30 Negro colleges and universities, in some cases by Negro recruiting officers. It is anticipated that 16 graduating seniors from these schools will be placed in professional positions with GSA. •GSA provided responsible work experience and training for 1,245 disadvantaged youth, most of them Negro, in support of the President’s Youth Opportunity Campaign. •Increased emphasis was given to the GSA commitment to help train and to employ native Alaskans in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. •The agency participated in Project MEN (Male Employment Network), sponsored by the District of Columbia Citizens for Better Public Education. Eighth-grade Negro boys from three junior high schools spent a day on the job with successful Negro men in GSA. They received counseling in the value of continuing their education and were shown firsthand the opportunities available to those who are willing to put forth the effort. •Recruiting efforts at predominantly Negro schools were intensified and job opportunities were widely publicized in newspapers reaching minority groups. HIRING THE HANDICAPPED It’s good business to hire the handicapped. That’s a fact, not just a slogan. Without a doubt, society is best served when a family becomes self-sufficient through the gainful employment of a mentally retarded or physically handicapped member. The extra pride of accomplishment is a significant incentive for the handicapped to perform better— sometimes even better than nonhandicapped. Two examples of outstanding achievement by the handicapped the past year within General Services Administration are the cases of an industrially blind carpenter who is especially adept at training nonhandicapped men, and a multipleamputee dispatcher who refuses to let his injuries deter his career. Working closely with State and local vocational rehabilitation organizations, GSA has maintained a position of leadership among Federal agencies in employing the handicapped. The past year, 203 or 2.26 percent of its new employees were physically handicapped, a record surpassed by only one of 24 agencies of Government. GSA employed 104 mental retardates during the year, more than any other Federal agency of comparable size. 6 Greedy earth movers chew at the lot across the street. Soon a foundation takes shape. A passer-by stops and gazes, wondering what form the structure eventually will take. He is unable to fathom the details of planning that have already gone into the building, especially in light of the seemingly minute progress. Only when the building is completed does he fully realize the many details that had to be worked out to realize such an impressive structure. In the case of Government buildings, these details of planning, design, and construction are carefully worked out and administered by the Public Buildings Service of General Services Administration. Far more than the space needs in an individual community are weighed. This building has taken shape on this site only after waiting its turn in a nationwide system of priorities. Just one of the many details given consideration before the decision was made to build on this site was its location with respect to low and middle income housing and its availability to low-cost public transportation. This change in regulations was taken by the new team at GSA in implementing the desire of the Nixon administration to make the Federal Government more responsive to the people who work for it and who are PUBLIC BUILDING SERVICE 7 served by it. The new GSA will continue to be concerned that Federal buildings be located within easy access of Federal employees in the lower and middle income levels. Obviously the needs of the community are weighed against the economics of erecting a new structure. Many times several agencies that are paying high leasing fees can be housed in a central Government-owned building at a considerable savings. In some cases, a community survey may point to the need to lease commercial space when the need to upgrade existing space is extremely urgent, where there is a considerable quantity of commercial space available at a reasonable rate, and where the construction of a Federal building might result in the cancellation of leases to the extent of adversely affecting the local economy. Local officials, civic leaders, and city planners are consulted to determine the most efficient utilization of funds available for construction of the new Federal building. The need of space for postal activities, courts, and general governmental business is weighed. New Federal buildings, such as this office complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, are thoroughly planned to make them useful corporate parts of the community and readily available to the public. This includes general office buildings, like this, and post offices, courthouses, customhouses, and appraisers stores, border stations, warehouses, records centers, and presidential libraries. The community survey is considerably more than a collection of statistics: it is a people-oriented planning tool focused on the community being served and on the Federal agencies and employees who live, work, and serve in the community. GSA planners look firsthand at the social and economic characteristics of the community, the trends in population growth and community development, the availability and convenience of housing and public transportation, and the feeling in a community toward construction of a new Federal building. The design of new Federal buildings takes into consideration accessibility to the physically handicapped as citizens doing business with their Government and the removal of architectural barriers to their participation in the Federal work force. Particular attention also is being given to the use of air rights to minimize the loss of urban areas through freeway and parking proliferation and even for construction of residential housing by interested segments of the private sector. Other considerations are the encouragement of equal opportunity in Federally supported construction programs, and the reservation for small business of many of the dollars spent on supplies and services. Curtailment of air and water pollution, an alarming problem in the Nation, is of keen interest to GSA, which has taken a leadership role in designing structures that do not add to the problem. Existing Federal buildings are being converted to the use of fuels least likely to pollute the air we breathe. The expanded use of regional architectural review panels, made up of outstanding private professionals who review proposed Federal projects, has resulted in reducing the tendency toward a repetitive style which easily could dominate a program as wide as the one carried on by GSA. Once the building is completed, GSA takes over operation and maintenance, using its own full-time personnel who are specially trained in this work. Sometimes private contractors are employed when it is more economical. This responsibility also falls under the Public Buildings Service. In fact, the operation of more than 9,900 Government-owned or leased buildings is a principal function of GSA. During fiscal 1969 the operation, maintenance, and management of these facilities involved some 21,000 GSA employees at a cost of over $400 million. The Government-owned buildings, 5,366 of them, have a replacement value of $4.5 billion. They include general office buildings, post offices, courthouses, customhouses and appraisers stores, border stations, warehouses, record centers, and presidential libraries. The austerity programs of recent years have resulted in a decline in new construction at the Federal level. Predictably, however, the need for space has continued to increase, causing GSA to turn more frequently to leased facilities to take care of the expanding needs of some 66 agencies of the Federal Government. The meticulous attention to detail in helping house these public employees has resulted in the most effective service at the least cost. 8 PROTECTION DIVISION Protection of the multibillion dollar property investment of the Federal Government is a task equal to the police force of a large city. The mission is ably carried out by the General Services Administration with its specially trained protection force. Working on a round-the-clock basis, the Protection Division, a branch of the Public Buildings Service, helps to assure the continued functioning of the many Government agencies housed by GSA in the face of the hazards of fire, accidents, illegal acts, natural disaster, and civil disorder. It stands ready to perform valuable functions in the event of a civil defense emergency. The Protection Division, in many respects, functions like a large city police force in the area of protection and crime prevention. Though it has no investigative authority, its men function with the same power as a constable on Federal property. The day-to-day problems of protecting employees and property from illegal acts continues to present a conflict between the expanding GSA responsibilities and the increased cost of manpower. Therefore, to the maximum extent possible, intrusion prevention and detection devices are used to minimize the strain on limited manpower resources. The Protection Division is actively and continuously engaged in a comprehensive fire prevention program that emphasizes the elimination of unsafe conditions and development of safe working habits among employees. Sound principles of safety and fire protection engineering, inspection, education, training, motivation, and promotion are the tools and foundations of the individual efforts in this area. A significant result of these continuing endeavors is that since 1949, when Congress established GSA, there has been a 78 percent decrease in the number of disabling injuries per million man hours worked. GSA maintains the reference library of the Federal Fire Council established by Executive Order to act as a focal point for Government agencies in matters of fire prevention. In the Washington, D.C., area, GSA has a comprehensive emergency operations setup which in time of need is operated from a well-equipped and secure center featuring the latest in communications equipment. During an actual emergency, GSA officials responsible for making decisions concerning the protection of the many Government buildings in the area gather in the center. Technicians monitor radio broadcasts of the local police and fire agencies and civil defense and feed the information to the men in charge. In addition to protection, many Government agencies rely on GSA for information as to whether to remain open for business during an emergency. Some send representatives to the GSA control center to assess firsthand the conditions existing during the emergency. Building security becomes the work of men and machines, saving manpower and speeding results. 9 An arrangement for "office landscaping" such as this is the result of an intense analysis of communications patterns and work flow. THE WALLS COME TUMBLING DOWN If GSA’s modern-day Gabriels in its Public Buildings Service succeed in hitting the right notes on their design horns, the traditional walls in Federal office buildings will indeed come tumbling down. Known by the nonprosaic name of “office landscaping”, a pilot project in the General Accounting Office building conducted by GSA may revolutionize office building planning. Instead of the traditional long hallway with a multitude of rectangular offices flanking it, the office landscape system is a management concept which places all personnel— clerks through executives—in an open environment. Instead of fixed walls there are movable screens and planters giving visual and acoustical protection to designated areas of work stations. Wall-to-wall carpeting, sound-absorbing material at core and window walls, and a ceiling baffle system all contribute to an acoustically balanced environment and single-room conditions without fixed partitions. The office landscape concept is not a system of merely grouping people who perform similar functions, as is presently done with secretarial pools, key punch operators, accountants, and other types of operations where the personnel in open areas perform the same tasks. The primary considerations are communications and work flow. These involve the interactions of individuals and groups and the frequency and importance of these interactions. For any given project or problem a fresh analysis is necessary, bringing together management analysts, architects, sociologists, psychologists, decorators, graphic designers, and representatives of the organization to be accommodated. It is necessary that all members of the team be represented in this process from the beginning. The role of every employee from secretary to executive is carefully analyzed. The final arrangement should produce increased efficiency, better working conditions, and a flexibility to future change. Preliminary studies in dicate that a significant savings in office space can be achieved by utilizing the office landscape concept. The pilot project will continue for a year before the final analysis is made. It concerns 235 people who will work in 25,000 square feet of landscaped office space. GSA hopes the project will answer the question as to whether executives, secretaries, and specialists can work in an open plan and maintain the privacy, efficiency, and comfort necessary to perform their tasks. An affirmative answer will lead to considerable future savings of money and space, factors always uppermost when GSA’s crack team of architects, engineers, and building specialists consider the innovations that will make the Federal complex of tomorrow more responsive to the needs of the people. 10 One of the most widely publicized real estate transactions of recent years involved a tract on Konyushkovskaya Street and another on Spasopeskov-skaya Place. If you spoke Russian, the street names wouldn’t be such jawbreakers. They are streets in Moscow. The United States traded an 85-year lease on the 12.5 acre former Mount Alto Veterans Administration Hospital site in northwest Washington, D.C. to the U.S.S.R. for leases on the two Moscow sites, amounting to 12 acres. Each country will build a new embassy on the site it acquired. U.S. negotiations for the exchange were carried out by the State Department. Prior to that, General Services Administration negotiated the transfer of the land from the Veterans Administration to the State Department. Completion of the transaction solved a long-standing diplomatic problem for each nation. Though the exchange of property for the embassies drew nationwide attention, the participation of General Services Administration was a behind-the-scenes role and somewhat routine. Its Property Management and Disposal Service is engaged full time in such operations. PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND DISPOSAL SERVICE 11 The transfer of excess property from one agency to fill the needs of another is facilitated by PMDS. Shown is a plant in Lynn, Mass. PMDS provides for maximum utilization of excess property within the Federal Government in lieu of new acquisitions. Real property that is no longer needed by a Federal agency is reported to GSA for disposition. Its availability is announced to other Federal agencies. If one has a use for the property, considerable savings can be realized by avoiding cost of acquisition of land from private sources. If no further Federal requirement is found for a property, it is then declared surplus and made available to local public bodies for parks and recreation, historical sites, airports, highways, and wildlife conservation. Local communities often purchase surplus property for conversion to commercial development. When Olmsted Air Force Base near Harrisburg, Pa., was vacated by the military, GSA was left with a complex problem of property disposal in volving 1,100 acres of land and 341 structures. PMDS parceled out a portion of the property for industrial development to soften the economic impact of the base closing. A housing project was sold to Penn State University, a large parcel was assigned to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare for conveyance to Penn State University for educational use, a tract was conveyed to the town for park and recreation, a portion was designated for airport use and one parcel was set aside for wildlife conservation. Surplus property not transferred for public purposes generally is offered for public sale by sealed bids or auction. Many times local communities benefit when property is returned to the tax rolls. Proceeds from property sales are diverted to use in the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Federal agencies report to GSA supplies and equipment which are ex- 12 Disposal of excess Federal property like the plant in Burbank, Cal., is carried out by PMDS. cess to their needs. The material may include hand and machine tools, office machines and supplies, furniture, vehicles, aircraft, or other types of personal property. While the equipment may be in used condition, or require repair, it many times is needed by another agency. GSA has a Government-wide reutilization program to make such property available for use by the agency that needs it, thereby avoiding new procurement. Many times, through PMDS, an agency can acquire by transfer excess equipment for which funds would not otherwise be available. In fiscal 1969, excess personal property with an acquisition cost of $595.8 million was transferred among Federal agencies. Personal property which is unneeded within the Federal Government is determined surplus and made available to fill the needs of educational and medical institutions, civil defense organizations and public airports. Surplus personal property with an acquisition cost of $320.2 million was approved for donation by GSA for these purposes in fiscal 1969. In education, donated surplus property has contributed immeasurably to the improvement of facilities in every State. Classrooms and other educational facilities have been equipped through the use of Federal surplus property, easing the financial burden on local school systems. In one instance, GSA located furniture, dining room equipment, typewriters, and other equipment to relieve an area whose school was razed by fire. It considerably lessened the educational and economic impact of the disaster on the local community. During the coming year, excess and surplus equipment and supplies will provide increased benefits to Federal agencies and eligible donees, respectively. Excess property no longer needed by the Department of Defense already is being returned from Germany and a study is being conducted to determine if material can be economically returned from Pacific area installations to the United States for further Federal use or donation. GSA is working closely with the Department of Defense in each of these areas. The Property Management and Disposal Service administers a Government-wide program of maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, and reclamation of personal property. Services are provided either by contract with more than 2,000 small business establishments or through existing Government facilities. 13 Systematized stockpiles of essential materials and products are vital to Federal preparedness. THE STRATEGIC STOCKPILE The bitter experience of two world wars has shown that the United States can be isolated from supplies of certain essential raw materials and goods. Therefore, it maintains a multi-billion dollar stockpile of these essential materials. General Services Administration is responsible for management of the stockpile through its Property Management and Disposal Service. Policy guidance is provided by the Office of Emergency Preparedness. Management includes acquisition, upgrading and other processing, rotation to prevent deterioration of perishable materials, storage, inspection, qualitative maintenance, security, and sale of materials excess to requirements. The disposal of excess materials resulted in sales in fiscal 1969 of $252 million. Projected sales for the current year are $240.3 million. Most significant past year sales were of aluminum, $63.8 million; tungsten, $33.1 million; and rubber, $28.8 million. Silver sales during the year amounted to $184.8 million, of which $56.4 million was credited to the Treasury as the amount in excess of the silver costs. GSA continues to hold weekly competitive sales of silver to dispose of reserves previously required for redemption of silver certificates. Since GSA began the sales on August 4, 1967, about 197 million fine troy ounces have been sold with proceeds of $373.6 million. Strategic and critical materials for use in time of emergency are protected in warehouses, depots, and open-air locations across the Nation. In fiscal 1969 some 46.5 million tons of materials were stored in 140 locations, including 36 military depots, 30 GSA depots, 18 other Government-owned sites, 13 leased commercial sites, 39 industrial plant sites, and four commercial warehouses. 14 JEWEL BEARINGS A small, Government-owned manufacturing plant in Rolla, N. Dak., plays a vital role in the Nation’s industrial mobilization base. At the same time, it serves as a prime example to private industry of the potential which exists adjacent to Indian reservations. The William Langer Jewel Bearing Plant, the only facility of its kind in the Nation, employes more than 100 Chippewas from the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation. They make up more than 70 percent of the work force. The plant, named after the late North Dakota Senator, was developed by the Department of Defense in 1953 and turned over to General Services Administration in 1957. Now it is operated by Bulova Watch Co. under a GSA contract. The operation of the plant, besides fulfilling a vital defense role, has provided an outstanding example for private industry of the development potential which exists adjacent to Indian reservations. Employee records show absenteeism and turnover is far below average and productivity is exceptionally high. The majority of the Indians are women who by heritage possess a high degree of manual dexterity, muscular coordination, good eyesight, and patience, all highly desirable characteristics for the work. The employment of Indians has had a progressively favorable impact on the economy around Rolla and has been an important stabilizing factor for Indian families. It has demonstrated the capability of Indians to compete favorably with others in precision machine operations. Jewel bearings are tiny disks used primarily in precision instruments such as watches, altimeters, gyroscopes, computers, guidance control devices, and other instruments vital to the Nation’s defenses. The strategic importance of jewel bearings and the need to provide an adequate domestic supply first came to the attention of the Government during World War II. Pressures brought to bear on Switzerland, then the only source of bearings for the United States, caused our supply to become extremely critical and vulnerable. The situation again presented itself during the Korean conflict. The William Langer plant is equipped with the latest specialized Swiss production equipment and high precision inspection apparatus. It produces more than 2.6 million jewel bearings a year for the national stockpile and for Department of Defense contractors. A young Chippewa woman inspects tiny jewel bearings in a unique GSA manufacturing venture. 15 COPPER PROGRAM During fiscal 1969, GSA moved ahead in a program to encourage additional domestic production of copper in the interest of national security. Two-thirds of GSA’s $83 million investment has already been advanced to a well known mining company to develop an open pit copper mine near Tucson, Ariz., under terms of a contract supervised by GSA’s Property Management and Disposal Service. Total cost of the mine development is estimated at $166 million, with the additional funds coming from private sources. The Government will begin to recover its investment, with interest, when the mine goes into production in the spring of 1970. The copper will be added to the national stockpile at a firm rate of 38 cents a pound. Domestic production of copper has been encouraged by GSA to add to the national stockpile. 16 SELF-SERVICE STORES How many times it has been said: “If only the paperwork could be eliminated, tremendous savings in time and money could be realized.’ With this goal in mind, GSA has developed a chain of 52 self-service stores where authorized employees of Federal agencies, grantees, and contractors can make direct purchases of frequently used items. There are no requisitions to fill out and no long waits for orders to be filled. Tons of paperwork are avoided. The stores are operated by GSA’s Federal Supply Service. Though the idea is more than 10 years old, it reached its pinnacle of utilization with the implementation of modern supermarket methods and innovations ranging from shopping carts to charge cards. Items on the shelves of the stores range from administrative supplies such as standard Federal forms to janitorial maintenance items. The customer’s need is the controlling factor. The stores are located in Federal and leased buildings and supplement the wholesale distribution system of GSA supply depots. They are located FEDERAL SUPPLY SERVICE 17 The use of modern supermarketing methods has updated supplying of Federal agencies. in areas of dense Federal employment after feasibility studies have determined that potential service is consistent with good operating economies. Prior to inception of the self-service store idea, stockrooms were being maintained in almost every Federal building with costly duplication of inventory and many items going out-of-date on the shelf. Formal requisitioning practices between GSA and the agency user were creating questionable volumes of paperwork, operating personnel often were not skilled in effective supply techniques and valuable space was being utilized for stockrooms. Operation of the self-service stores has been kept simple and virtually devoid of paperwork to expedite service. The shopper needs only his charge plate or a cash purchase authorization card. He may bring an informal shopping list or just browse until he finds what he needs. Items selected are recorded on a cash register which produces a tape record of the transaction and a purchase receipt for the customer. The customer’s agency is periodically billed for charge purchases. Emphasis is directed to developing more efficient operating methods and utilization of the latest equipment and systems to improve the service. Consideration is being given to implementation of a dataphone system to eliminate mailing of requisition cards and expedite stock replenishment. The self-service stores are just one example of how Federal Supply Service carries out its mission of maintaining a national supply system to meet requirements of Federal agencies, including the defense establishment. PROCUREMENT In fiscal 1969, Federal Supply Service procured $2.44 billion in items for Government use, an increase of $389 million or 19 percent over the previous year. Some $381 million of this volume was purchased from small businesses. Items ordered from the Federal supply schedules at favorable masspurchase prices amounted to $1.44 billion; purchases of stores stock, which GSA furnishes Government agencies on demand through its supply distribution system amounted to $558.4 million, and buying for direct delivery under GSA contracts which allow direct shipment to the user agency amounted to $443.7 million. SUPPLY MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE Supply management studies have helped various agencies effect savings. Reductions in inventories by the Department of Commerce, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Post Office Department amounted to $822,000. Negotiation with the National Maritime Administration to utilize GSA sources of supply resulted in a 38.5 percent saving in 5 months for 10 New Orleans-based ships. Projecting this percentage to the 90 ships in the fleet during the same period, it is estimated that approximately $87,000 was saved. As a result of GSA-Post Office Department negotiations, a Washington, D.C., warehouse was consolidated with a Belle Mead, N.J., warehouse realizing an operations cost reduction of $225,000. 18 REGULATORY DUTIES In carrying out its regulatory responsibilities, Federal Supply Service develops directives known as Federal Property Management Regulations (FPMR) aimed at increased efficiency through uniformity in purchasing by Government agencies. Significant Government-wide policies promulgated in FPMR’s issued in fiscal 1969 include: • Regulations governing purchase, lease, and maintenance of automatic data processing equipment and related items. • Participation by the Department of Defense in the GSA motor vehicle program and the requirements that executive agencies procure compact sedans and station wagons unless larger vehicles are justified. • Procedures on notification to manufacturers of vehicle defects. • Requirements that agencies procure a lower-cost item if it will adequately serve the purpose of a higher-cost item currently being used. • The requirement that desks without locks be used to the exclusion of more expensive ones with locks unless otherwise justified. Federal Supply Service has helped considerably in GSA’s effort to assist programs for the disadvantaged, particularly the ones aimed at improving the lot of minority groups and ghetto residents. It has provided supplies, equipment, educational and training aids, medical items, clothing, food, and furnishings for facilities to agencies particularly responsible for such programs. Specifically, logistical support has been furnished to Job Corps training centers, community action programs, the concentrated employment program, the Neighborhood Youth Corps and Head Start. QUALITY CONTROL AND STANDARDIZATION Quality control and standardization go hand in hand. Reducing the number, types, sizes, colors, and varieties of items procured makes quality control simpler. The Federal Supply Service has its own staff of commodity specialists, engineers, and chemists qualified in quality control technology. Eight of the General Services Administration regions have acceptance testing laboratories and FSS operates a material evaluation and development laboratory and a magnetic surfaces laboratory from its Washington, D.C., headquarters. Services of other Government agencies and commercial testing facilities are used when an unusual specialization is required. The ballpoint pen offers a prime example of cost reductions that can be realized through standardization. At one time nearly 2 dozen different refills ranging in price from 38 cents a dozen to $3.36 a dozen, with no control of quality, were required for the pens in use by Government. Now Federal specifications require one size refill for all ballpoint pens. They are acquired now for 27 cents per dozen under strict quality control standards. The estimated annual cost reduction is $165,000. Where past performance and a survey of a contractor’s quality control system proves that a high degree of confidence can be placed in his production controls, GSA enters into a quality assurance agreement which allows the contractor to make shipments based on his own inspection and testing. This has achieved cost reductions of thousands of dollars in inspection costs. Chemist in a Materials Evaluation and Development Laboratory examines paint pigment particles. 19 AUTOMATED DATA PROCESSING Patients in an industrial rehabilitation program in a Massachusetts Veterans Administration hospital were being paid up to 5 weeks late. Their morale was crushed and the program was faltering. When hospital authorities recognized the dilemma and called for help, GSA’s Federal Supply Service data processing facilities were made available to prepare checks by computer. GSA makes the benefits of computer technology available to other U.S. agencies through 12 data processing centers and eight other sharing resources located strategically in major cities across the Nation. While large agencies with heavy computer workloads most often acquire their own equipment, economics dictates that smaller agencies share the expensive equipment with other agencies or with GSA. An effort is made to keep these machines operating at full potential to get the best return for the dollar. The effect of GSA’s role in data processing has resulted in significant cost reductions to the government. Under provisions of a bill introduced in Congress by Representative Brooks, GSA was given the responsibility for developing and operating a Government-wide program to provide for the economic and efficient procurement, maintenance, operation, and utilization of automatic data processing equipment, related supplies and services in the Federal Government. Standardization of equipment and supplies, a constant effort by Federal Supply, has affected the Government’s data processing field. As an example, tape and tape seals for computers have been standardized, resulting in a substantial cost reduction. By centralizing basic management services in this agency, developments in the industry are evaluated from an overall standpoint rather than by each specialized interest. These resources are then made available for use by all agencies in the interest of promoting economical use of data processing. GSA is using its expertise in improving inventory control, speeding information retrieval, increasing ease of gaining management information, and transmitting data. Continual GSA study of data processing systems and procedures promises continuing economy in this area by the Federal Government. GSA shares the benefits of its computer technology with many other agencies. 20 COMMUNICATIONS A 73-year-old Chicago woman complains that her social security allotment, always in her mailbox the first of the month, did not arrive. The cupboard is almost empty and there’s no reserve in her typically tight retirement budget. A war veteran, extremely ill and in need of hospitalization, questions the Veterans Administration in San Francisco as to what benefits he is entitled to receive based on his record of service. Obviously, each case calls for immediate and swift action. In each case, the Intercity Voice Network or the Advanced Record System of the Federal Telecommunications System (FTS) was utilized for quick retrieval of the appropriate documents and necessary information needed to help alleviate each problem. The mating of computers and a communications system by people in the Transportation and Communications Service (TCS) of the General Services Administration is a giant step in keeping the Government in pace with private industry in the use TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE 21 Sophisticated computerized methods are essential in coordinating people and equipment. of sophisticated equipment to serve the public efficiently and expeditiously. FTS, which is in its sixth year of operation, promises to provide a strong bond for broader Federal-State cooperation as the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968 is implemented. Under its provisions, the widest possible use will be made of federally leased circuits with the public benefiting from the savings realized from this efficiency. An outstanding example of the potential of a Federal-State communications compact is the law enforcement teletype system, an interstate police information network. Placed in operation, it put considerable extra muscle in the long arm of the law. During the past year, afterhours FTS service was installed at the Capitol for 63 Senators and 430 Congressmen. In addition, many of their district and State offices have been connected to the FTS network, on a full-time basis, allowing better service to their constituents. Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico were drawn closer, as FTS was extended beyond the 48 contiguous States for the first time. Now that FTS has developed into a mature, viable system, GSA personnel are in a position to provide technical and engineering assistance to other Government agencies interested in sharing the benefits of the dynamically expanding communications field. GSA is widely represented on other Federal Government telecommunications bodies. The agency provides full-time representation to the National Communications System (NCS) which is responsible for compatible interconnect of Federal communications equipment. GSA also supplies technicians as needed for special NCS task forces. During disasters such as floods or hurricanes, FTS circuitry receives priority restoration under the Federal priority system. GSA has been instrumental in assisting in restoration of essential communications for communities affected by disasters. SPECIAL PROGRAMS Certain Federal agencies charged with specialized and many times sensitive assignments require secure communications equipment especially tailored to help them carry out their mission. To meet these needs, General Services Administration has within its Transportation and Communications Service a section dealing exclusively with security communications. During the past year, the Atomic Energy Commission requested a switchboard with secure voice capability. GSA’s communications security section developed the system which can serve a number of users through use of a single cryptographic device. The switchboard allows various combinations of secure voice conference and simultaneous secure calls among local and distant users. TCS personnel who developed the system estimate a savings to the Government of about $250,000 in research and development costs and additional savings through multiple use of the single cryptographic terminal. GSA’s communications and security program makes installation and maintenance of cryptographic and associated electronic equipment available to all civil agencies on a contractual basis. GSA communications security provides the economics inherent in consolidation of common programing, procurement, and technical support services. Currently, communications security service is provided for 13 Federal agencies and departments, the largest user being the Atomic Energy Commission. 22 NETWORK ANALYSIS “Cheaper by the dozen” is an age-old adage. But it has important implications and usage for General Services Administration in its acquisitions of communications circuits. Like anything else bought or sold, they are cheaper when procured by volume. The only limitation to the principle is the ability to utilize to full extent the quantity of circuits procured. One of GSA’s operations research analysts, employed to constantly evaluate utilization of its communications facilities, made an important discovery the past year that is expected to realize considerable savings to the Government in mass procurement of communications circuits. She was attending a seminar on network analysis, sponsored by the Office of Emergency Preparedness. She was aware that for years GSA had sought ways to optimize circuit procurement and had been unable to do so by standard mathematics. Confronted by a mathematical breakthrough she immediately saw its application to the GSA network. She discussed the complex network problem with instructors from OEP and sought their help. After informal talks on applying the advanced techniques to the GSA problem, the Administrator of GSA formally requested OEP to furnish consultants to work on the problem. The two agencies have been engaged since 1968 in developing new mathematical techniques to group circuits into better procurement arrangements. When the techniques arc automated, savings to the Government are anticipated. RAPID DATA TRANSMISSION On a typical Government workday, the massive Federal communications system is literally humming with thousands of voices. The talking stops abruptly when the workers quit for the day, but the communications lines in the GSA system do not rest. That’s when the computers start to talk to each other across the Nation. Atlanta may be talking to the other regional offices of GSA in an effort to discover the closest available supply of hospital equipment for hurricane victims. The computers relay the answer in seconds. San Francisco is looking for firefighting equipment, and pinpoints it with ease. Computers and rapid data transmission are used to constantly update the inventories of GSA. Used principally by the Federal Supply Service (FSS), an arm of the GSA, the system was established by the Transportation and Communications Service, working with FSS. The initial mission was to meet priority needs of the Department of Defense. Each evening, using circuits that during the day are carrying voice communications, FSS takes inventory of its supply depots so it can refill its shelves and guarantee its ability to meet the demands of customer agen Rapid data transmission through the nighttime phone lines speeds urgent supply shipments. cies anywhere in the Federal system. GSA processes more than 8 million requisitions annually and maintains some 220,000 stock records for the inventory in its nationwide depot system. The capability to immediately locate needed goods enables each of the 10 GSA regional offices to draw on stocks anywhere in the system if necessary. Therefore the nationwide inventory of goods can be kept at a minimum. Through an interconnect with the Department of Defense Automatic Digital Network (AUTODIN), requisitions can be electronically transmitted from any military facility through the appropriate GSA region in a matter of hours. This system is estimated to be operating at only 50 percent of its capacity, though it handled 30 million transactions last year. 23 MOTOR EQUIPMENT The air we breathe is receiving the full share of GSA’s attention in plans developed to eliminate the choking pollution that engulfs major cities. A dozen vehicles operated by the agency’s interagency motor pool system in smog-plagued Los Angeles have been equipped with devices which permit the use of natural gas as well as gasoline. When the vehicles operate on natural gas, virtually no pollutants are expelled into the already thick atmosphere. GSA Administrator Robert L. Kunzig and Senator George Murphy inspect a vehicle equipped for dual-fuel usage in a recent anti-smog experiment in Los Angeles. Designed to combat air pollution and cut operating and maintenance costs, the dual-fuel system shown above allows natural gas to move from pressurized cylinders in the bed of the vehicle to a standard carburetor, thus allowing natural gas and gasoline to be used alternately through the same carburetor. This system is now being tested in an anti-smog campaign in Los Angeles. If the experiment is successful, the antismog dual-fuel system could be expanded to many of the 51,000-plus vehicles in GSA’s fleets and possibly to all of the approximately 325,000 vehicles operated by the Federal Government that are mainly purchased by GSA and are currently on the roads and streets of the United States. So, again, GSA’s Transportation and Communications Service, which has pioneered a wide range of safety devices in the past, is setting the pace in motoring improvements that even tually will result in wide public benefit. Besides operating centralized motor pools that include sedans, buses, trucks, and special-purpose vehicles, GSA transportation experts provide other Government agencies with counseling in the management of their individual vehicle fleets, helping to reduce Government-wide transportation costs. Additional economy is gained by sharing motor vehicle fuel and oil dispensing facilities with Other Government agencies operating motor vehicle fleets. TCS also offers driver training, including courses in defensive driving techniques, which have helped trim collision costs and provided increased safety for operators and passengers in Government vehicles. GSA studies of motor pool equipment managerial and operational policies have resulted in reduced equipment investment by almost $4 million and diminished operating costs by more than $5 million annually. Parts inventories have been reduced and manpower and materials required are in favorable balance with industry practices. PUBLIC UTILITIES The Federal Government is a major consumer of electricity, gas, and water and a user of other public services. In order to procure these services at the lowest possible cost to the taxpayer, General Services Administration has a small staff of experts who assist agencies in the negotiation of contracts with public utilities. In addition, this staff represents the Federal Government as a consumer in regulatory proceedings before Federal and State utility commissions. During fiscal year 1969 savings and cost avoidance amounted to approximately $2.6 million of which approximately $1.1 million was recurring in nature. 24 For a century and a half the records of the Federal Government were neglected or, at best, received only haphazard attention. Then, in 1934, Congress enacted legislation establishing the National Archives and giving it the responsibility for preserving the documentary heritage of the U.S. Government. Designated a charter element of the new General Services Administration in 1949, it was renamed the “National Archives and Records Service.” In 1969, the National Archives and Records Service not only was preserving the records of our Nation’s past and making them available for use by Government agencies, scholars and other interested citizens, but it also was engaged in numerous other records-related activities. In the year past, NARS also made special efforts to encourage increased use of the records in the National Archives, to stimulate productive discussion about archival problems and to involve the academic community more intimately in its operations. Among these actions were the sponsorship of scholarly conferences on various types of records, the publication of a new Archives’ journal “Prologue” and the holding of the first two meetings of the newly established Archives Advisory Council. NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE 25 ARCHIVAL SERVICES Use of the Nation’s permanently valuable Federal records, the 918,000 cubic feet of records which constitute the National Archives, increased sharply during the year. Some 635,000 reference services were provided, 11 percent more than in the previous year. There were significant increases in requests for records relating to Negro history and civil rights. Among important acquisitions during the year were records of the U.S. Supreme Court, 1915-34; patent application files, 1900-18; records of the Territorial Governors of Alaska; microfilm copies of German Naval Archives, 1850-1922; and records of field offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and of several Federal District Courts. Work was intensified on the com To preserve historic documents, all incoming materials must be sterilized. This prevents the possibility of deterioration by paper mites and other insects. pilation of a general guide to the records in the National Archives with a view toward publication within 18 months. A specialized guide to the records of the Confederate government was published and guides to cartographic archives and to the Ford film collection were completed and sent to the printer. Twenty-six new retention plans, identifying permanently valuable records of Government agencies, were prepared. Increased emphasis was given to the evaluation of machine-readable records. The second year of a 2-year automation project being undertaken cooperatively by the National Archives and nine other institutions—Federal, State, and private—saw the attainment of original goals in applying automated techniques to archival control problems. Specific applications now are being made within the National Archives. Sales of microfilm increased to more than 125,000 rolls. Under this program, the equivalent of nearly 650 million pages of the most valuable documentary holdings of our Nation has been distributed to individuals, research institutions, and libraries since 1940. In anticipation of the American Revolution bicentennial, many of the pre-Federal archives, as well as later records relating to the Revolutionary period, are being published on microfilm. Among these are some 80,000 Revolutionary War pension files which are referred to hundreds of times weekly, particularly by genealogists. Reference requests for these early records continue to increase as the bicentennial approaches. The National Audiovisual Center began operations and by year’s end was handling 2,000 requests a month for information or services. It was established as a central information, sales, and distribution point for most Government motion pictures, filmstrips, audio tapes and other audiovisual materials. 26 PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES When he was President of the United States, Harry S. Truman occasionally would entertain White House guests with a few bars of “The Missouri Waltz” on his favorite piano. Though many fond memories were associated with the piano, it remained in the White House when Mr. Truman retired to Independence, Mo. Just 2 months after his inauguration, President Richard Nixon visited Mr. Truman at his Independence home and returned the piano to the former President’s care and custody for placement in the Harry S. Truman Library. The incident called to the attention of the Nation a growing activity of the National Archives and Records Service: the Presidential Library system. In 1969 NARS was operating four Presidential libraries: The first such institution, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library at Hyde Park, N.Y.; the Herbert Hoover Library at West Branch, Iowa; the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kans.; and the Truman Library. Construction was in progress on the Lyndon B. Johnson Library at Austin, Tex., and the John F. Kennedy Library was approaching the construction stage at Cambridge, Mass. Soon after he took the oath of office, friends of President Nixon established the Richard Nixon Foundation for general educational and charitable purposes including the formation and construction of a Richard Nixon Library and Museum. The death of President Eisenhower took President Nixon and many other prominent personages to the Eisenhower Library at Abilene on April 2, 1969, for the burial there of the soldier-statesman. Following his death, many of his papers which had been in his office at Gettysburg, Pa., were transferred to the library where plans were underway for additions and improvements to the physical facilities. The Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, Mo. (top), and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kansas (bottom), are two new presidential libraries, a part of the continuing preservation of the Nation's heritage and history. 27 The storage of non-permanent records, such easy-access filing system. as Federal tax returns, is organized by this FEDERAL REGISTER Presidential Proclamation No. 3907, issued upon the death of President Eisenhower, illustrates the publication system of the Office of the Federal Register in NARS. President Nixon’s proclamation was first published in the daily FEDERAL REGISTER on March 29, 1969, the day following the death of the World War II hero. It then was published in the March 31 WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS. Proofs of the Federal Register later will be used for photographic reproduction of the document in the CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS along with other Presidential documents issued during 1969. Photographic reproduction also will guarantee accurate publication of Presidential Proclamation No. 3907 in volume 83 of the UNITED STATES STATUTES AT LARGE. The document subsequently will be printed in a Nixon volume of the series PUBLIC PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENT. All of these are regular publications of the Office of the Federal Register which has responsibility for the legal promulgation of the statutes, administrative regulations, and similar official documents issued by the Federal Government. RECORDS MANAGEMENT Each year after it processes millions of individual tax returns, the Internal Revenue Service transfers the forms to Federal Records Centers where they are held for 6 years. While in the centers, each year’s returns will be referred to more than 3 million times by IRS. The special staff required to service these and other records is provided by the National Archives and Records Service. The Federal Records Centers operated by GSA combine the advantages of low-cost storage and rapid reference service. By the end of the fiscal year they held nearly 10 million cubic feet of records, approximately 35 percent of all Federal records. Transferring records to the Centers enabled the Government to save an estimated $7.6 million by clearing for reuse 476,000 square feet of office space, 284,000 square feet of storage space, 80,000 filing cabinets, 13,000 transfer cases and 819,000 linear feet of shelving. In the 12 month period the Records Centers handled 8.7 million reference inquiries, more than one-half of them involving Federal tax returns. In addition to operating these immense facilities for nonpermanent records, NARS performs other records management functions. Its paperwork management specialists provide technical assistance, at the request of Federal agencies, on mechanizing and automating paperwork handling systems, establishing information retrieval systems, and improving reporting and information management systems. During the year, NARS undertook more than 100 assistance projects at the request of various agencies. NATIONAL HISTORICAL PUBLICATIONS COMMISSION The National Historical Publications Commission, of which the Archivist is Chairman and whose secretariat is part of the National Archives and Records Service, stimulates and assists projects for collecting, editing, and publishing the basic documents needed by scholars for the writing and teaching of authentic American history. During the year, upon recommendations by the Commission and from funds appropriated by the Congress, 30 grants totaling $350,670 were made by the Administrator to 22 universities, historical societies and other nonprofit organizations to help support 16 letterpress and 10 microfilm publication projects. 28 COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION (IN MILLIONS) JUNE 30, 1969 JUNE 30,1968 INCREASE OR DECREASE ASSETS Cash $574. 3 $695. 6 $-121. 3 Accounts receivable—private debtors 120.2 36.0 84.2 Accounts receivable—Government agencies 229.8 209.4 20.4 Inventories 7,119.2 7,319.0 -199.8 Prepayments and deferred items 1.4 1.6 -.2 Mortgages and bonds—private debtors 178.0 172.0 6.0 Investment in U.S. securities 2. 3 1.7 .6 Equipment 177.5 161.2 16. 3 Land and buildings 2, 558. 5 2,206.0 352.5 Construction in progress 784.6 1,023.8 -239.2 Surplus property 61.8 62.5 -. 7 Total assets 11,807. 6 11,888. 8 -81.2 LIABILITIES Accounts payable 325.2 394. 1 -68.9 Advanced payments to GSA 370.5 386.0 -15.5 Trust and deposit liabilities 1.6 11.8 -10. 2 Deferred credits 114. 7 126.0 -11.3 Liabilities for purchase-contract program 20.2 21. 1 -.9 Employees leave liability 26. 1 25. 2 .9 Total liabilities 858. 3 964. 2 -105.9 INVESTMENT U.S. GOVERNMENT Investment of U.S. Government 10,949. 3 10, 924.6 24. 7 Total liabilities and investment U.S. Government . 11,807. 6 11,888. 8 -81.2 29 SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS FISCAL YEAR 1969 FISCAL YEAR 1968 FISCAL YEAR 1959 FEDERAL SUPPLY 1. Store sales (thousands of dollars) 585, 754 594,489 167,565 2. Nonstore sales (thousands of dollars) 222,041 211, 131 102,338 3. Stores line items shipped (thousands) 8,765. 2 8, 098. 1 3,685.2 4. Number of supply distribution points 87 79 22 5. Total procurement (millions of dollars) 2, 443. 2 2,054. 3 834.3 PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND DISPOSAL 1. Personal property (acquisition cost—millions of dollars): a, Transfers to other Federal agencies 595.8 644.5 141.4 b. Donations 320.2 290. 1 361.0 c. Sales 72.2 62.7 19.2 Total 988.2 997. 3 521.6 2. Real property (acquisition cost—millions of dollars): a. Further utilization of Federal agencies .... 174.0 198.8 21.0 b. Other surplus disposals (donations, etc.) .... 290.0 209.7 38.0 c. Sales 303.0 375.5 80.6 Total 767.0 784.0 139.6 3. Defense materials service: a. Strategic and critical materials in inventory (acquisition cost— millions of dollars) .... 6, 730. 3 6, 962. 0 8, 296. 5 b. Sales commitments (millions) 252.0 207.4 4.9 30 FISCAL YEAR 1969 FISCAL YEAR 1968 FISCAL YEAR 1959 PUBLIC BUILDINGS 1. New construction program : a. Design starts (millions of dollars) 48.8 152. 1 209.9 b. Design completions (millions of dollars) .... 214.2 201.5 97.0 c. Construction awards (millions of dollars) . . . 86. 1 86.8 58.0 d. Construction completions (millions of dollars) 2. Buildings management: 167. 3 251.2 2. 1 a. Average net square feet managed (millions) . . 3. Repair and improvement: a. Repair and improvement appropriation : (1) Net square feet of R. & I. responsibility 198. 2 195.7 114. 5 (millions) 187.2 181.9 114.4 (2) Obligations incurred (millions of dollars) 72.9 87. 1 75.9 b. Reimbursable costs (millions of dollars) .... TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS 1. Interagency motor pools: 43.4 60.2 NA a. Number of pools in operation 97 99 44 b. Mileage (thousands) 557,257 552,376 129,612 c. Number of vehicles in pool (June 30) NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS 54, 959 52, 381 13,847 1. Number of records centers 14 14 16 2. Records in inventory (thousands cubic feet—June 30) 11,119 10,435 5, 134 3. Inquiries handled (thousands) 9,324 6,737 3, 151 31 MISCELLANY ACCENT ON YOUTH—The Administrator of General Services has taken positive steps to assure continuity in top management positions and improve the quality of staffing of the General Services Administration. Key personnel changes made by him during this calendar year have resulted in a reduction of 14 years in the average age of his top staff—a drop from an average of 55 years to 41 years. HEY THERE—GSA’S YOUR BAG! GSA’s college recruiters are busy the year round. The Employment Branch of the Central Office Operations Division conducts regular recruiting drives at colleges and universities to inform students of the career opportunities in GSA. CAR 54, WHERE ARE YOU? GSA’s Transportation and Communications Service not only operates motor pools all over the country, but recently assisted American Samoa establish a motor pool. THE PAPERWORK JUNGLE— At the request of the Federal Judicial Center, the National Archives and Records Service undertook a nationwide study of paperwork in the U.S. courts. Substantial paperwork improvements should result from the study. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION REGIONAL OFFICES WALTZING MATILDA! Noontime lunchers in the vicinity of the Chicago Federal Building get an extra dividend in the form of carillon music. If residents of the windy city seem to have an extra lilt in their step, thank GSA. THE LADDER OF SUCCESS— The Office of Administration’s training programs are not limited to U.S. Federal employees. Recently three officials of the Indonesian Government were given a briefing on the GSA training program. WOULD YOU BELIEVE TRAINS TOO? GSA is assisting the government of Indonesia in procuring five diesel-electric locomotives for use by the Indonesian State Railways. Because of the greater capacity of the newer engines 20 obsolete steam locomotives can be retired when the new units are placed into service. LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION! A GSA supply depot is hardly a sound stage, but it took on that role recently when a New York City television station did an “Eye Witness Report.” The program featured the various actions in a typical drawdown of material consigned to public fallout shelter locations in New York City. It proves again that many of the activities within GSA are indeed dramatic. WHERE IN THE WORLD? GSA’s Federal Supply Service delivers almost anywhere. They recently received requests for 10,000 drums of paving asphalt for the 76th Engineers in Bupyong, Korea; aluminum windows for Missawa Air Force Base in Japan, and lumber for the Alaskan Railroad. SIGN OF THE TIMES—The General Services Administration is cooperating with the German Television Network, which is studying protest demonstrations in Government buildings in the United States. GSA SUPERSLEUTHS—Searching old records is nothing new to the National Archives and Records Service, but a recent project is unusual. A specialist from Archives visited Berlin, Germany, where he analyzed the highly sensitive biographic collections, including the master membership file of the Nazi Party and the personnel records of SS officers. Some of the collections will be microfilmed for the National Archives. YOUR SLIP IS SHOWING! Under a new “challenge procedure” regional Federal Supply Service offices of GSA have managed to cancel over a million dollars in purchases that were not needed. Under the procedure, FSS challenges a requisition if the quantity ordered seems suspiciously high. As an example, an order for 30,000 units of mailing envelopes was challenged. The agency had intended to order only 300 units. PHONEY MEDICARE CLAIMS? GSA computer experts are weeding them out in San Francisco. Cooperating with the General Accounting Office’s investigation into misrepresentation of Medicare claims, GSA’s Automated Data Management Services Division on the coast is busy at work. HELP FOR SMOKEY THE BEAR—While not specifically charged with the responsibility of fighting forest fires, GSA nonetheless has been called upon for many emergency shipments of equipment to support firefighting crews. It’s another example of the far-flung activities of the multi-billion dollar business arm of the Federal Government. 32 U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1969 O - 369-161 LEGISLATION The General Services Administration, constantly aware of its responsibility to both the executive and legislative branches of the Government, continually reviews past and present legislative proposals that affect its functions and basic responsibilities. GSA is currently in the midst of a comprehensive study of future suggestions that Congress will be asked to implement as the agency strives to grow and become more responsive to the public. These reviews and studies go far beyond the necessary and beneficial appearances by GSA officials before the committees of Congress. As the new team at GSA moves ahead, there will be frequent requests for Congressional approval of bills that seek to improve the agency’s present programs and create new ones. The underlying motivation for all requests to come before Congress lies in the realm of better performing the responsibilities of functioning as the multi-billion dollar business manager of the U.S. Government. Economy and efficiency are of prime importance in the consideration of legislative proposals to improve GSA. In addition, a stepped-up congressional liaison program keeps individual Members and committees, plus their staffs, supplied with necessary current data on GSA functions and capabilities. THE NEW MANAGEMENT OF GSA ROBERT L. KUNZIG Administrator of General Services JOHN W. CHAPMAN Deputy Administrator ROD KREGER Assistant Administrator W.L. JOHNSON Assistant Administrator JOSEPH W. DANIELS Executive Director Office of Equal Employment Opportunity EVELYN EPPLEY "Chief Judge" Board of Contract Appeals L.E. SPANGLER Act'g Commissioner Federal Supply Service DR. JAMES B. RHOADS Archivist of the United States DANIELT. KINGSLEY Commissioner Property Management and Disposal Service ARTHUR F. SAMPSON Commissioner Public Building Service ROBERT M. O'MAHONEY Commissioner Transportation and Communications Service HART T. MANKIN General Counsel GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 18th & F STREETS • W ASH IN GTON, D .C. 20405 SAN DIEGO PUBLIC UBRARY 3 1336 05725 9013