Evening star., 1921-01-19
AGR|CUL LTURE BILL
TOTALS @,5l7,459
Appropriation, Measure for
Fiscal Year 1922 Is Re-
ported to House.

Inc annual APPROPRIATION Dill Cow
ering the fiscal year 1922 for the De-
rartment of Agriculture, which en-
ploys more clerks in Washington than
any other government establishment,
was reported to the House today. It
carried f33.517 ,459. This Is $19,511,-
925 less than the amount requested
in the departmental estimates, and
is $1,804,675 more than the appropri-
alton for the current fiscal year.
With a view to increasing efficiency
the bill as reported from committee
carries an increase in the number of
positions and salaries in higher
grades, while eliminating a larger
number of employees in the lower
grades.
A feature Of the bill is the omission
of $239,416 for the purchase and dis
tribution of seed This item has been
a bone of contention in Congress for
many years, and has frequently been
referred to on the floor as free seed
graft"
The sum of $1.0o0.00o is appropri-
ated for national forests reservation
commission for the acquisition of ad-
ditional land at headwaters of navi-
gable streams.
Salary lncreases Discussed.
Representative Sidney Y. Anderson,
chairman of the subcommittee which
handled this bill. in his report re-
garding the salary increases says:
I'm general. in considering the stat
utory rolls Of the several bureaus. it
was not the policy Of the committee
to allow increases in salary. but in
some cases the committee did allow
an additional number of persons in
the higher grades, at the same time
in these cases reducing the number Of
persons in the lower grades of the
in the number Of employees as well as
a reduction in the amount appro-
priated for the given class of en-
ployment In all of these cases the
committee undertook to provide only
for such grades as were authorized
ion of the bureau chiefs who ap-
peared before this committee that
this policy would result in higher
degree of efficiency"
In the $19,511.925 reductions from
the departmental estimates. $10,511,-
s25 Represents a reduction in the esti-
mates submitted by the Department
of Agriculture, and 100000 rep
iresents a reduction in the estimates
submitted by the national forests
reservation commission. OF. the ST.
SO4.675 increase over the appropria-
ton for the current fiscal year. $780,
675 represents a net increase in the
appropriations for the department
and 81 100000 is recommended for the
national forests reservation commits
sion.
Mr.. Anderson Explains.
Representative Anderson explained
that in considering the large in
creases in current appropriation es-
mated for by the Secretary of Agri-
culture, it was impossible for the
committee to lay down any general
rules. but it was in every case mat
ter Of the committees best judgment,
taking into consideration the neces-
sity Of exercising the most rigid
In considering the lump sum ap-
propriations. Representative Ander-
son explained that it was the policy
Of the committee not to allow in
creased appropriations representing
only increased investigational or ex-
tension work of the same kind as
was being done under the appropria-
ton. It was the belief OF the COM
mittee that the present financial con-
dition of the government did not
Justify increased activities along lines
which presented no particular or un-
usual emergency. Notable exceptions
to this rule are made in the case OF
an increase of $6O0.000 for the ap.
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