Part IV. Worldwide recapitulation of United States Government realty as Reconciliation of costs between GSA and Department of Defense: Part V. Realty inventory of (1) executive agencies, offices, and establish- Page 141 141 141 141 143 Realty inventory, executive agencies, offices, and establishments of the United States Government, including the Department of Defense, in continental United States.. 145 Authority and scope_ 146 Table 1. Federal real property throughout the world, as of June 30, 1958. 147 Table 2. Federal real property in the United States, as of June 30, 1958__ 150 Table 3. Federal real property outside the United States, as of June 30, 1958. 151 General Services Administration regulations and instructions_ 152 Part VI. Investments in related areas (realty) of the executive agencies, offices, and establishments of the United States Government, including the Department of Defense, covering investments not included in overall report, as of June 30, 1958... Summary, worldwide related realty inventory of the executive agencies, offices, and establishments of the United States Government, including the Department of Defense, covering investments in (related) areas not included in overall report, as of June 30, 1958. Related real property of selected agencies and departments, other than the Department of Defense, as of June 30, 1958. Breakdown tables covering related real property by department, agency, and office.. Part VII. Realty inventory of executive agencies, offices, and establishments of the United States Government, including the Department of Defense, located in the Territories and possessions of the United States and in foreign countries, as of June 30, 1958. Summary, realty inventory of executive agencies, offices, and establishments of the United States Government, including the Department of Defense, located in Territories and possessions of the United States, and in foreign countries, as of June 30, 1958. Recapitulation, estimated evaluations of Federal public domain realty, including mineral resources. 193 Tables and summaries covering estimated value of Federal public 194 Public domain properties, Department of Agriculture. 196 Public domain properties, Department of Commerce, Civil Aero- 198 Public domain properties, Department of Commerce, Coast and 203 Public domain properties, Department of Commerce, Bureau of 204 Public domain properties, Department of Defense, including Corps of 206 Public domain properties, Department of the Interior. 208 212 Public domain properties, Department of Health, Education, and 213 Public domain properties, Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons- 230 231 Public domain properties, Department of the Treasury, United States 232 Public domain properties, General Services Administration_. 259 260 Public domain properties, Atomic Energy Commission.. 261 Public domain properties, International Boundary and Water Com- 267 FEDERAL REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY INVENTORY REPORT (CIVILIAN AND MILITARY) OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, COVERING ITS PROPERTIES LOCATED IN CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES, IN THE TERRITORIES, AND OVERSEAS AS OF JUNE 30, 1958 PART I INTRODUCTION This compilation of Federal real and personal property assets, in report form, represents a fourth attempt by the House Committee on Government Operations to present, in a comprehensive and understandable manner, an inventory of Federal real and personal assets located in the continental United States, in the Territories and at overseas bases, as of June 30, 1958. The committee has compiled Federal property inventory reports as of June 30, 1955 (12th Intermediate Report, Rept. No. 1930, 84th Cong., 2d sess.), June 30, 1956, and June 30, 1957. Each year the committee staff, assigned this project, together with Government department and agency representatives, has attempted to delve further into the inventory accounting systems employed throughout the Federal Government, endeavoring to include assets heretofore not included because of incomplete records or due to their not being under accounting inventory control. One needs only to compare the inventory reports to realize that much progress has been made in the improved accounting and recordkeeping of the gigantic amounts of real and personal property owned by the Federal Government. Up-to-date accounting systems have greatly assisted the Government departments and agencies in their endeavor to bring inventories under accounting control. An awareness of this progress, which is being constantly observed, has been stimulated within the departments and agencies due to the interest in and the scrutiny of these inventories by Members of Congress and particularly the membership of this committee. Again this year, additional refinements are reflected within this Federal property inventory report. Concentrated efforts will continue, in working with Government department and agency representatives, to improve and broaden the scope of property inventory reports. It is the desire of the Committee eventually to present an inventory report which will furnish the members of the House Committee on Government Operations, the Congress, and the public a complete and comprehensive listing of Federal personalty at acquisition cost and all Federal realty at acquisition cost and estimated present-day evaluations. This objective has been partially realized in that public domain and Capitol Hill realty is, and has been previously recorded, at estimated present-day evaluations. Again, in this report, these properties are listed at those values. Progress is 1 continuing in the right direction of fulfilling the ultimate objective of the committee. FEDERAL PERSONALTY Most Federal personalty figures in this report are furnished the committee by the Department of the Treasury. The Department of Defense reports direct to the committee all its inventories, real and personal, for the three military departments and the Corps of Engineers, civil functions. Personalty inventories of the Architect of the Capitol, the Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, the Librarian of Congress, the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States courts of appeals, United States district courts, and the special United States courts are reported to the committee direct. Federal personalty (exclusive of cash and related cash items) is reported herein at acquisition cost. This manner of reporting these assets has been discussed with representatives of the General Accounting Office and the Department of the Treasury. It is the consensus that this approach represents a realistic method of recording personalty items, especially in light of replacement costs and in considering amounts received for such items when they are declared surplus and offered for sale. In recording values of items such as paintings, portraits, statues, numerous publications and volumes of books where records are unavailable or the acquisition cost is unknown, an estimated or known value has been used. Numerous personalty assets of the Federal Government are listed on its inventory records at "no value" inasmuch as such items were donated to the Federal Government at no cost and in many instances it is impossible to place a realistic valuation on these properties because of their priceless value. Such is the case of many items located in the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Archives, and in other storehouses of the Nation. For example, the famous Hope diamond was recently donated to the United States Government. Even though it is valued at figures from something like $200,000 ranging to $2,000,000, it is quite apparent that this asset is worth a considerable sum which will not be reflected in Federal property inventory reports of this committee. Last year's report indicated that personalty figures were increased as a result of refinements brought about by improved accounting procedures being used within the Government and as a result of some Department of Defense inventories being brought under inventory accounting control. The Treasury Department has been instrumental in furnishing the committee data which reflects refinements in many areas of accounting throughout the Government departments and agencies. Further refinements are noticeable in the inventories of the Department of Defense, listed herein, where much effort and time have been spent in reporting areas of personalty and realty this year which have not been under accounting control. FEDERAL REALTY (EXCLUDING PUBLIC DOMAIN) Federal realty is listed herein, for the most part, at acquisition cost with usage categories and number of acres noted. In many cases where realty has been donated or obtained by the Government at no cost, the land is listed at "no value"-the same as it is recorded on the books of the Federal Government. In keeping with the desires of the committee, the Architect of the Capitol has again furnished realty figures for inclusion in this Federal property inventory report which reflect estimated present-day evaluations on properties under his control. Construction work in progress figures, for all Government departments and agencies including the Department of Defense, are recorded in the realty portion of this report. The accounting of these assets as work on projects progresses is a realistic manner of recording billions of dollars worth of Federal assets which have not always been recorded. The usual procedure is to await the completion of a project when the title to a property passes from a contractor to the Federal Government before the value of said project is recorded on the books of the Federal Government. Our present manner of recording construction-inprogress figures reflects the ultimate objective of a comprehensive and complete listing of all Federal assets in all areas rather than limited reporting in selected areas. It should be pointed out that Federal realty is of great concern to the Committee on Government Operations. There is, at the present time, much acreage listed on the books of the Federal Government at "no value" simply because it was received by the Government at no output of moneys. These properties are valuable and are definitely an asset of the Federal Government and should be listed at some realistic value rather than continue to be listed on the balance sheets of our Nation's Government as of no value. Good bookkeeping practices demand that this situation be corrected. It should be borne in mind that the acquisition costs recorded for some buildings and facilities are representative of present-day evaluation. This is true when considering the value of buildings and facilities which have been constructed or purchased recently. FEDERAL REAL ESTATE-FUTURE PRESENT-DAY ESTIMATED EVALUATION In this report, again this year, Federal realty under the jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol, as well as public-domain acreage, is listed at estimated present-day evaluation. Other realty is recorded at acquisition cost and in some instances at "no value." In most instances the acquisition cost figures in no way represent present-day value. In many instances values have increased tremendously and in others the property has decreased in value. As pointed out previously, assistance has been pledged the Committee on Government Operations and the Government departments and agencies, on a pro bono publico basis, by the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers, to assist and advise in this undertaking. Efforts are continuing and various avenues are being explored in an endeavor to reach agreement between Government representatives as to a suitable approach to this undertaking. It has been concluded that an honest approach to the evaluation of Federal realty is to use a formula of "estimated replacement cost, less depreciation." From this formula, it is expected that reevaluation criteria will be developed and put into practice. The committee feels that a continuation of the present practice of evaluation by governmental authorities who are aware that such present practices result in misleading and antiquated evaluations demands a more convincing defense than has been made of them. It is the intent of the committee that during the next few months renewed efforts will be made in the direction of seeking standards of improved evaluation procedures and practices. The committee feels that an inventory report such as this should reflect realistic figures on Federal real estate, based on approved evaluation procedures and practices, rather than including figures which, in many instances, are antiquated and present a misleading picture of the Government's investment. PUBLIC DOMAIN PROPERTIES Public domain acreage is listed again in this report at estimated present-day evaluations. In some instances, Federal departments and agencies have been able to place an estimated present-day evaluation on buildings, structures, and facilities located on public-domain lands. These estimates are included for information purposes only in the public domain summary table. To avoid duplication and for the sake of clarity, all buildings, structures, and facilities are recorded in the realty section of the inventory report at acquisition cost. As and when "yardstick" evaluation criteria have been established and it is possible to list all improvements on Federal real estate at an estimated present-day evaluation, it will then be possible to have all realty tables reflect current up-to-date figures. The method used in this report has been utilized so as not to confuse the reader of the report and not to have an overlapping of figures and properties. In many cases, because of the nature of the property and the installation itself, it has not been possible to determine, because of intermingling, whether some structures are located on public domain property or regular Federal property. The estimated present-day evaluations have been determined by qualified field representatives employed in the real property field offices of the departments. As a result of this skill and assistance, evaluations have been determined without having to engage the services of private professional appraisers. The Department of the Interior is responsible for determining overall values of mineral, oil, and ore deposits for all Government departments and agencies, and the Department of Agriculture is responsible for furnishing the committee with estimated overall values of timberlands, grazing lands, grazing rights, etc. All public-domain data are furnished the committee direct and are not furnished through the General Services Administration. In its Federal Property Inventory Report, as of June 30, 1956, the Committee on Government Operations listed therein public domain lands at a realistic estimated present-day evaluation. Theretofore those lands had been listed at "no value." An attempt was made in 1937 to evaluate public domain acreage by representatives of the Federal Government. After considerable time, effort, and funds had been expended, the resultant declared value of these lands was placed at $1.25 an acre. Such an unrealistic overall figure in no way reflects the true value of these lands either in 1937 or today. One of the objectives of this committee inventory undertaking has been to face this situation realistically and to investigate these property areas and encourage improved accounting of known Federal assets. |