The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-06-27
Fun.ton's Appropriation Bill.

In laying the appropriation bill for
the Agricultural Department before
Congress the other day, Hon f. HI.
Funston, chairman of the committee,
offered the following explanatory re-
marks which we take from the Con-
gressiOndl Record:
Mr.. Chairman, the brief report
which has been read sets forth the
work of the committee, and nothing
which I might say this afternoon
could more fully express 1t. 1 beg the
attention of members for only q few
moments i'm order to give an outline of
this work.
1t is with a great degree of relief
that the committee make this report,
for it has involved a great amount of
labor. All the members of the COM
mittee have taken personal interest
in the department. we have gone from
one division to another giving it q
thorough examination. There has been
complete sympathy and cooperation
of the members of the committee one
with another i'm this whole affair.
Each member has endeavored to work
for the good of the Department, and
has kept down all questions of polit-
ical or local character.
Our task has been made more oner-
Gus by reason of the fact that this De-
partment has been lifted from the
grade of bureau to that of an Execu-
tive Department. Every man famil-
lar with the history of this Depart
ment knows that D few years ago Ii
was only the nucleus ola Department;
but year by year new divisions have
been added to it, new work has been
undertaken by it, until to-day the De-
partment, have been lifted from the
rank of a bureau to that of an eXecu-
tive department, embraces almost all
the vast industries of this country.
1t would be impossible for me to
dwell i'm detail upon the work of this
Department. Suffice It to say that
where there was once discord, where
there was once confusion, where
there was once congestion of
business, we have now, under the adj
ministration of the present Secretary
and with the present facilities given
him, harmony, order and efficiency;
and with the machinery which has
|
vast department is carried on to the
satisfaction of the whole country. In
this work the Secretary of Agriculture
has added his efforts to those of the
committee i'm the endeavor to CONSOLE
date branches of work which were
performed formerly by various depart
ments. For instance, at one time each
division did its own engraving and
printing; and the whole work was I'm a
measure defective We have taken
this special branch of duty and consol-
idated it into one division, placing 1t in
the hands of experts, so that i'm place
of inferior work we shall have the very
best work.
There is nothing, 1 believe, that I
need add save this, that the committee
have had i'm view from the beginning
to the end economy. AS the report
states, leaving out one additional sta
ton, and leaving out $4,000 absolute
ly required for moving the eX-
perimental station across the riv-
er upon the Arlington estate,
our appropriations in this bill
amount to 81 900 less than those made
last year. The committee have felt 1t
their duty upon every occasion to cut
down expenses where 1t could be done.
The committee have also graded the
clerks, giving them appropriate rank.
But few of these clerks draw the same
salary. We grade them from top to
bottom. so that there may be q sort of
military rank, and that a discipline
may be inaugurated which will be
satisfactory to the Secretary.
I now yield to the gentleman from
Missouri [Mr. Hatch