28 OCEANOGRAPHY 



we make exception to the basic civil service law that there is a good 

 reason. 



On page 2 of S. 2483, 1 see here : 



conduct of meteorological investigations in the Arctic region without regard to 

 the civil-service laws and fix their compensation without regard to the Classi- 

 fication Act of 1949, * * * at base rates not to exceed the maximum scheduled 

 rate for GS-12— 



How many people did you intend to have in these categories? Why 

 should we make this exempt from the civil-service laws ? 



Admiral Karo. Mr. Congressman, that concerns the Weather Bu- 

 reau and not the Coast and Geodetic Survey. 



Mr. Grubb, from the Weather Bureau, is here and, with your 

 permission, I will ask him to answer that. 



STATEMENT OF R. C. GRUBB, ASSISTANT CHIEF, WEATHER 

 BUREAU, FOR ADMINISTRATION 



Mr. Grubb. My name is R. C. Grubb. I am Assistant Chief of 

 the Weather Bureau for Administration. 



Shortly after World War II, the Weather Bureau, in cooperation 

 with the Meteorological Department of Canada, established five 

 weather stations in the north regions of the Arctic near the Arctic 

 Circle. These five stations are operated on a cooperative basis be- 

 tween Canada and the United States. The duties of our employees 

 at these Arctic stations include not only the taking of meteorological 

 observations but the transmission of the observations. In other 

 words, they are communicators. Some of them act as cooks : some of 

 them act as mechanics ; some of them act as laborers ; so that it is im- 

 possible from a strictly civil service classification point of view to 

 write appropriate job descriptions for the work that these employees 

 would do or are doing. 



As a result, shortly after World War II, a public law was enacted, 

 an act of June 2, 1948 (45 U.S.C. 327), which authorizes payment 

 of employees in the Arctic regions at rates outside of the Classi- 

 fication Act, and in the Appropriations Act each year is tabbed a dol- 

 lar limitation which may be paid these employees. 



To answer your specific question regarding the number of employees 

 involved, we have about 5 employees at each of the 5 stations for a 

 total of 25. What is being proposed in section 2 of H.R. 8612 is, 

 rather than naming a maximum dollar amount, to tie the pay rate to 

 an established GS grade so that it will not be necessary for the Bureau 

 to submit to the Congress a request for change in the appropriations 

 language in the Weather Bureau's Appropriations Act when classified 

 rates change. 



Mr. DiNGELL. Why should we not see to it that the Appropriations 

 Committee has an opportunity to scrutinize these each year ? Is there 

 any cogent reason for that ? 



Mr. Grubb. No; except that for the type of work being done by 

 these employees in the Arctic, it is generally recognized by the Civil 

 Service Commission that the rates that are being paid there are. rea- 

 sonable and realistic in accordance with the established Government 

 pay scale. 



