S A BILL MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT 26012 Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations WASHINGTON 1923 AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATION BILL, 1924. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1922. UNITED STATES SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m. Present: Senators McNary (chairman), Warren, Jones of Washington, Lenroot, McKinley, Capper, and Harris. The subcommittee thereupon proceeded to the consideration of the bill (H. R. 13481) making appropriations for the Department of Agriculture for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1924, and for other purposes. STATEMENT OF W. A. JUMP, BUDGET OFFICER AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. The CHAIRMAN (Senator McNary). The committee will come to order. I have requested the Secretary of Agriculture to be present, or others to represent him, to consider certain suggestions in the way of changes he wants to make in the annual agricultural appropriation bill. Mr. Jump, I believe you are with the Budget division of the bureau. Mr. JUMP. That is correct, I am the department Budget officer. Senator MCNARY. And you desire to speak to the committee with regard to these suggested amendments? Mr. JUMP. The Secretary regrets that he is not able to be present this morning because of an important meeting of the National Forest Reservation Commission, but he does desire to come before you before the hearings are concluded, and to discuss some things which are of particular importance. GENERAL STATEMENT. If I may be permitted, I would like to make a brief general statement. Senator MCNARY. Very well. Mr. JUMP. The total of the estimates for the work of the Department of Agriculture, as transmitted in the Budget for 1924, was $69,031,613, exclusive of permanent annual appropriations. However, $33,000,000 of this amount was for road construction, both Federal aid to the States and forest-road construction. These items were not heretofore carried in the annual Agricultural act, but have been so included this year in harmony with the general plan of the Budget. Deducting these road items, $36,031,613 was left as the amount included in the Budget for what may be termed the regular work of the department, as compared with $36,929,173 available for similar purposes during the current or 1923 fiscal year, or a decrease of $897,660 under the 1923 appropriations. The total of all decreases proposed in the Budget was $1,561,640; but these decreases were offset by increases allowed by the Bureau of the Budget amounting to $664,080, and in this way the net decrease proposed of $897,560 was arrived at. The bill as reported by the House Committee on Appropria tions showed a reduction of $250,060 below the estimates, considering them in their entirety. A reduction of $700,000 was made in the amount actually to be appropriated at this time for Federal aid in road construction; but, as indicated by Chairman Anderson of the subcommittee, $449,940 was allowed by the House committee in excess of the amount carried in the Budget for the regular work of the department. This has the effect of reducing by that amount the decrease of $897,560 which had been made concerning the regular items, but still leaves a reduction of $440,620 below the appropriations this year for the regular work of the department. You understand, of course, that the reduction in the road item does not have any effect whatever on the rate at which road construction will progress, or at which payments will be made to the States. As you have seen, the action of the House committee restored about $450,000 of the decreases proposed in the Budget for the regular departmental work. The principal items affected in this way were tick eradication, barberry eradication, predatory animal control, frost-warning service, agricultural extension fund, New Iberia demonstration farm, and the soil survey work, which were restored to the amount carried in the act for this fiscal year. As the committee undoubtedly has observed, during the detailed consideration of the bill by the Committee of the Whole House amendments have been adopted thus far resulting in the following additions: Making public the discussions of the World's Dairy Congress. Silvical investigations__ Market news service on fruits and vegetables_. Woodward, Okla., field station- Reprinting horse and cattle disease book. Total $30,000 25,000 25, 000 6, 500 200, 000 286, 500 The estimates contain provision for work of great importance to the agricultural industry of the Nation. Provision especially is made for certain items of scientific research which the Secretary regards as of fundamental importance to continued progress in this basic field. Bearing in mind the pressing necessity at this time for economy in governmental expenditures, only the most urgent and important of these projects have been included in the Budget. All of these items, together with other facts bearing on the department work, have been explained fully in the printed hearings before the House committee, with which Senators are familiar, and I take it no repetition of these hearings is desired. At the same time, the department desires to be helpful in any way the committee may wish, and we are here to follow any plan you may indicate. The department has several amendments which we would like to submit for your consideration; and, unless the committee prefers that some other plan be followed, we shall be glad to present them in the order in which we are asking that they be inserted in the bill. If this is agreeable, we have arranged this morning for representatives of some of the department organizations to be present to give the committee any further information which may be desired on these suggested amendments, and also to discuss any other items concerning their work which the committee may desire. Now, Mr. Chairman, I have the amendments here which the department desires to recommend. There are about a dozen of them; and, if you desire, I will take them up in the regular order, and then I understand the members of the committee have some inquiries that they desire to make about other matters in the bill. There will be people here from the department to answer those inquiries as we come to them. Senator MCNARY. Very well. That is a satisfactory way to proceed. Senator LENROOT. May I ask a general question? Senator MCNARY. Certainly. Senator LENROOT. Are there any items in the bill as reported to the House that are in excess of the Budget estimates? Mr. JUMP. Yes, sir. The list I included in my general statement covered most of them. You will recall I mentioned tick eradication, barberry eradication, etc. Senator LENROOT. And you will, in proper order, tell us about those excesses, especially? Mr. JUMP. We shall be glad to take those up if the committee so desires. We did not have that in mind, however. Senator LENROOT. I should like to have it. Mr. JUMP. As I say, we are here to give whatever information the committee may desire. Senator MCNARY. What is your first proposed amendment? Mr. JUMP. Proceeding along the line indicated by Senator Lenroot, the first action that the House committee took in going above the amount provided by the Bureau of the Budget was in relation to the printing fund of the department. Senator MCNARY. What page is that? Mr. JUMP. It is found on page 6. Senator JONES of Washington. So you are going into these increases first? Senator LENROOT. I suppose you will take them in the order of the bill? Mr. JUMP. Since the Senator desires that these increases be discussed, I imagine that would be the best way. Senator MCNARY. Have you any amendment to propose prior to page 6? Mr. JUMP. No, sir. We have one on page 6, however, and it is in reference to this same item. |
