OFFWE OF THE ArrORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Depertment of Agrioulture 

Austin, Texee 

Gentlemen: Attention of Charlee E. Beughman 

Opinion Ho. Q-1911 

,’ 

Rer Kay the Department of~:‘&&culture 

en6 other neon of this depertment 

n rsoeived. 

n of Artiole 5695 

81 Aote ai the 

ature, ths Conmiserged riCh the 

y’and aoourately 

8, .beama and meaera, bputy publio 

pectione and inveetigetiona 

the enforoement of said acte. 

ee of $5.00 aon3Otea from publio 

deputy pbm ~8ie;h8rs it3 t0 pay 

for the inspeotion and test of said eaale0, 

weights and meesurea and the fete muat be oolleotsd by the Commissioner before the required Certificate of Authorfty is delivered to 

the public weigher or deputy publio weigher; 
502 

Department of Agrioulture, Fag4 2 

therefore, the inepeotion and test 'of the 

scales, weighta and measure8 must come 

rirat, then t&e collection or the tee and 

lster the irrauanoe of the required Oertiiloate of Authority, whiah must be obtained 

by all public weighers and deputy pub110 

weighers in this State1 likewise a ocmplete 

examination end teat of the equipment uaed 

by liaenaed milk and cream testers must k, 

made during the oourse of the inveetlgatfon. 

"In order bo make the above mentioned 

tests, heavy tset welghts and oumbersoem 

equipment is esaentlal; ln.faat, a large 

number or 50 pound, 500 pound and f%OO pound 

teat weights are employed In tests, lpaklng 

the use of two large g-l/S ton trucks and 

ssreral oars and trailers, neoessary for 

the traneportatfon of these heavy test 

weights and 4quipment;~alao the two large 

frtmlm~are equipped with .lndiv~dual'porrer 

plants, driven by gasoline motora, whloh 

furnlah the parrer ior unloading and loading 

the weight.8 ipd noving'them about tin th4 

platform ot the scale. The transportation, 

maintenance and care &this equipmeat ie 

abaoluteJy neoesaary in the p~fora~~e of 

these duties, other&as it would be iaposelble for a-person to comply with the law. 

%tnrally, there le an 4xp4nse inourred 

in the transportation, lgaintenanae arxl oar4 

of this 4qulIuaalst; suoh as, gasollna, oil, 

trek, tr6iler and oar repalre, parts and 

repair8 to the tssting 4qulpment proper, 

and rocrms and meals ror the drivers of thla 

equipment.: 

YPhe canpleted. appropriation bill doe8 

not provide a epeoiflo~item Sor defraying 

this nea4ssary 4xp4n#e, .and ,ths ,onZy proviaion In the bilLfor ita payment is in the 

special rider plaaed at the end of the appropriation for this Department whiuh makes a 

lump eum appropxlation of ali fees aolleote& 
Department 0r Agrioulture, Page 5 

by virtue of the above mentioned Aots, for 

the enforaement of sam4. Therefore you will 

pleaae edrise if the Department of Agriculture, 

in meetiog the reaponeibilltiea imposed upon 

the Colamissioner by the provisions of Article 

5695 R. C. g. 1925 and Oha er 257 Acts of the 

42nd Iagielature, haa the cthoritg to use a 

portion of the lump Bum approprtition made 

in the apeoial rider OS the apgropriabon bill 

to meet the aboY mentioned and similar neoe& 

ary expenses. * 

In the aPpropriatlon mad4 by the Legislature in 

z&m&e Bill No. 427, A4tS Regular 54asion, 46th Legislature for the Agricultural Departnmnt under the general 

hea&g Weight4 and tiaEm46 Di~islon~ appears the Sollmingr 

“36, ~Xlhi4~ of Ditieioni . . . . ..I......... ~2;700.00 X,700.00 

37. Inepedtor of weighta and a~asares..1;8OO.OO 1;800.00 

38. Imqeotcr of weights and meaeur4&.1;8OO.OO 1,800.OO 

39. Inspector of w4bhte and m4asur4e..1;8O0.00 1,8OO,Oo 

40. Inqaatar Of mighte and m4asur48..1;8O0.00 1,8OO.OO 

41. Inspector of weight.6 and measularrr~~l;EKUL# 1;800.00 

42, uapeotor of weights and ~qasures.. 

43. fnspeotor of weight@ and~meaauree.. 

yloo*oo l;t300.00 

,iKK).OO ~;eOO.OO 

44. hepeetor Of weights end lD448W4S..1,880.~ 1;8OO.OO 

45. Inspector of weights and nmasures.~l;&nLOO 1;8OO.OO 

45. Inapeator of weights and meaaur4e,~1,800.tM 1,8OO.o0 

47. xmpeotor for teeing butter rat 

.. in milk and ozeam . . . . . . . . ..~.....1.800.00 

48. fnspctor for testing butte? fat 

1,800.00 

b milk and 4ree.m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

49. Inepeetor for testing butter fat 

1,mo.oo 1,8cO.o0 

in milk and oxwu . . ..~....~........1.800.00 

50. &laries and other 41pen~es in th4 

1,8OO.o0 

weights and meaInire8 .fas fund 

&tic18 5695,.Rsvisdd tXv%l S&atl&sa, 1925, Chap..: 

Session Forty-se40 

50a,Rent, heat, light, Po+g4. telephone, telegrap$iprinting supplies and Contingent . . . ..L * . . . . . . . 1;500.00 

50b.Roomeeper ana offip deputy.......l;6oO.00 

1;~00.00 

1j500.00 

5Qc.Traveling expensee~.~.........;.....5,000,00 S,OOO.OOe 
Departlilent of 

(The oo~ernor 

The 

vetoed Items Sob and BOO)- 

speoial rider appended to the Appropriation r0r the L)epartm%nt of &rknllt.ure reads in part 

a8 follows: 

Agriculture, Page 4 

aFor.eaoh of the fiaoal years sading 

August 31, 1940 and &sgust 91, 1941, all. fees 

and/or unexpended balanoes whloh have been 

reoelved and,whsoh may be.reoeived by vivtm 

OS Chapter 7, &Wale 153, Revised Civll"%aiuztee, 1925; Chapter 3 of Title 4,;Bevlsed 

Civil Statutes; lQ35; Article 5964; Revised 

Civil &dUteB; 1933; Article 5695, Revised 

Civil Statutea, 1923; Chapter 887, Rsg~ular 

868B~OU, Forty-Bsoond Lr3@8htUTe f chptat 

304, Rsgule'r Seeaion Forty-first bgi8btttm 

and &use~Bill Xo. 12, First Called ~hssion, 

Forty-iiith ~gislatura and any aslsndnaant8 

to any of Bald aot8 arkhereby appropriated, 

after they ohall have been depo8ited in the 

Stat8 ~%aeury, to the Deptirtment~of Agriculture to be wedby Said ~partmentier 

the enSoresapent at the abwe-nmntionsd Aots 

and for the operation end nmintemanoe of said 

aotiVitb8 a8 hereinabwe 8peai?iOblly itemized 

and in no event ehall any of theae fees be 

we6 OthZtiBe." 

The aSW3wer to yOUr qUe8?ifCKi 18 crontrolled bar 

what we have already said to you conoernlng 8iI8ilar appkoprlations and vefO%8 Of the hveX?IIOr, in'OtE OpiniOn8 

O-954 and O-1687, 

ferred to 

also 

We quote fmm our opinion I6o. O-1689, above 

88 sollows 

"The speelal rider quoted in your le8ter, 

quoted above, doe8 not purport to nvlke . 

these fee8 available to the Uep8r6ment of Agrlculture generallp to bs~3med for the enforoeaant 

of the Aota under uhiah they are colleaa8ed end 

for the operation and mainSenanoe or such aotiViti48, but apprOpriatie8 8eid i%eB XW8trictiVelf, 

-f708. 
IIeparta6ntor AgrlOtilture,P%ge 6 

with the lbnltation that they may be used by 

the DepartaMnt 0r Agrioulture for the opentlon and nmlntenanoe of srid eotlvltiee end 

the enforcement otthd Aots under rhioh they 

are aolleoted l aB h%r%inabova %peoi?iO%lly 

ft@m&ad and in no erent 8hal.l any of the%% 

fee8 be, a%ed OthsnriBO.* It fO1bW8 that 

bbe8e fee8 ar%'not available to the D%p%rtment generally, but are areUable only to defray the it8m8 of expbnses to nhloh they are 

appmpriet8d a8 8peOifiOally itemieed in the 

Afst a8 lt eppeered.wben it bfmeam the law ,of 

the state of Texn8, whlah rae n& until it 

bad been approved by the Qovemor. The GovdrlloF*B TetO of euoh 8p6O%ftO item8 lndloated 

ebove w8 fully eifeatire to ellmlnate theee 

ltem%~fram the epproprietion bill, and thereion to Plait the authorityti expend th6%% 

taPd8 %OoQrdi~&." 

It r0il0rs mm what we hare said abov8~:thet yfmr 

questiontrmt be ansremd in the nrgatlve. 

wueting that *he rOreg0fi.g ially anmOr8 yOaz 

iaquiry, we remain 

COMMITTEL