SUPPLEMENTAL ESTIMATES OF APPROPRIATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

COMMUNICATION

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

TRANSMITTING

SUPPLEMENTAL ESTIMATES OF APPROPRIATION AMOUNTING TO $502,816.88 FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1929, TOGETHER WITH TWO PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AFFECTING ESTIMATES OF APPROPRIATION CONTAINED IN THE BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR

FEBRUARY 15, 1928.-Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed

THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, February 14, 1928.

The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith for the consideration of Congress, supplemental estimates of appropriation amounting to $502,816.88 for the Department of Agriculture for the fiscal year 1929, together with two proposed amendments affecting estimates of appropriation contained in the Budget for the fiscal year 1929.

The details of these estimates and amendments to the 1929 Budget, the necessity therefor, and the reasons for their transmission at this time, are set forth in the letter of the Director of the Bureau of the Budget transmitted herewith, with whose comments and observations thereon I concur. Respectfully,

CALVIN COOLIDGE.

BUREAU OF THE BUDGET,
Washington, February 14, 1928.

SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith for your consideration supplemental estimates of appropriation amounting to $502,816.88

for the Department of Agriculture for the fiscal year 1929, together with two proposed amendments affecting estimates of appropriations contained in the Budget for the fiscal year 1929, as follows:

Flood-devastated farm-area relief, 1929_._.

$450, 000

The object of this supplemental estimate of appropriation is to enable the Secretary of Agriculture to carry into effect the provisions of the act entitled "An act for the purpose of rehabilitating farm lands in the flood areas," approved January 26, 1928.

In submitting this estimate the Secretary of Agriculture advised the Bureau of the Budget as follows:

Salaries of county extension agents in agriculture and home economics usually are paid from Federal, State, and county funds, the major portion of the salary and all local expenses generally being paid from county or other local funds. In the regions devastated by flood during 1927, collections of county and local taxes have fallen off very severely because of inability of property owners to pay, and at the same time abnormal expenditures have of necessity been made for such items as road and bridge repairs, and poor relief. For these reasons many of the counties in the flood areas which have cooperated in the employment of county extension agents have been obliged to withdraw from such cooperation or have given notice that such withdrawal will be necessary in the very near future. Under present conditions the services of extension agents in agriculture and home economics, both white and colored, are especially necessary and desirable if farmers and their families are to rehabilitate themselves. Funds are urgently needed to take over the portions of salaries of extension agents normally paid by counties, and for the employment of additional agents in flooded counties in which such agents are not now employed.

The $500,000 authorization was based on the estimated expense for a period of approximately one and one-half years from January 1, 1928, to June 30, 1929. In view of the delay in passage of the authorization and the making of the appropriation it is not likely that the full amount will be required. In consequence, recommendation is made for an appropriation of $450,000, the major portion of which will be expended for salaries of cooperative extension employees.

Appointment of these employees will be made on recommendation of the directors of extension in the several States affected by the flood. Employment of these agents will be under the same conditions as the cooperative extension agents now employed, except that in the case of new agents the full salary will be paid from the emergency appropriation. In general, the counties will furnish office quarters, necessary stenographic help and local traveling expenses. The employment of a few agents to work in two or more counties may be desirable, in which case some travel expenditures may be charged against the appropriation. To provide for travel of such agents, $6,000 is estimated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1928, and $20,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1929. While definite statements as to the number and character of agents to be employed and the allotments of funds by States can not be made at this time, estimates submitted by the directors of extension in the several States indicate the needs shown in the following tables:

Number of extension agents now employed, for which emergency funds are needed to secure continuation of employment

Number of new extension agents which should be employed in flooded counties

The estimate of cost in the foregoing tables is on the basis of a 12-month period. Appropriations for the employment of extension agents in Vermont during the current year have already been made, and it is not likely that any assistance will be needed in that State before July 1, but funds may be required during the fiscal year 1929 to maintain agents in some of the counties seriously damaged by the flood of last November.

In view of the inability of many counties to continue their appropriations for the employment of extension agents, and the desirability of the uninterrupted service of such agents in order that they may assist farmers with spring-planting plans, it is hoped that the appropriation may be made in the very near future. For the same reason new agents to be employed should be brought into the service at the earliest possible date. It is therefore requested that $110,000 of the appropriation be made immediately available. The appropriation proposed will be administered by the extension service of the department, and this item may well be inserted following the extension-service item "Farmers' cooperative demonstration work."

Rent of buildings, District of Columbia, 1929_

$52,816. 88

The question as to the right of the Department of Agriculture to renew its lease on the premises known as the Beiber Building, located at 1358 B Street SW., Washington, D. C., at a certain price has been a subject of controversy between the owners of the building and the department since July 1, 1925. The question has now been satisfactorily adjusted to cover the period beginning July 1, 1925, on the basis of $55,000 per annum. This amount has been approved by the act entitled "An act to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to pay for the use and occupancy by the Department of Agriculture of the Beiber Building, 1358 B Street SW., Washington, D. C., and for other purposes," approved February 4, 1928. As the owners of the building refused to accept any rental payments during the period of the controversy, the department has some unexpended balances in its appropriations providing for rent of buildings in the District of Columbia for the fiscal years 1926 and 1927 which it can use in meeting this obligation. The amounts available and the amounts required to be appropriated to enable the department to pay the rental of this building on the basis of $55,000 per annum from July 1, 1925, to June 30, 1929, are as follows:

Proposed amendment affecting estimates contained in the Budget for the fiscal year 1929:

The Secretary of Agriculture is hereby authorized to expend during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1929, from any appropriation for planting trees on national

forests or from any appropriation for cooperation with States under the provisions of section 4 of the act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. 653) as amended, such amounts as may be necessary to acquire by purchase or condemnation, lands necessary and suitable, in his judgment, for forest-tree nurseries and for additions to existing forest-tree nurseries, and upon acquisition such lands shall become part of the nearest national forest: Provided, That the total expenditure under this authorization shall not exceed $10,000.

The purpose of this proposed legislation is to enable the Secretary of Agriculture to grow nursery stock required to plant denuded national forests and to supply such stocks to States which do not have nurseries of their own. In submitting the proposed legislation the Secretary of Agriculture advised the Bureau of the Budget as follows:

The Budget for the fiscal year 1929 includes $200,000 for the work of planting trees on national forests, an increase of $50,000 over the appropriation for the present fiscal year. The appropriation of the amount given in the Budget would enable this department to undertake urgently needed planting operations on national forests in California, Wyoming, and several Eastern States, and to increase the scale of its planting work on the national forests in the Lake States, where the present appropriation limits the work to a scale disproportionate to the size of the job.

The work of planting involves the growing of trees in nurseries for from one to four years before planting them in the field. Investigations by the department show that a suitable nursery site is available on national forest land for the proposed project in Wyoming, but that none is available for the proposed project in California, and that the existing nursery at East Tawas, Mich., which now utilizes all the land previously purchased for the purpose, must be enlarged if additional trees are to be produced. The wording of the item in the Budget would not make the appropriation available for purchasing lands for nurseries.

The department also needs to enlarge the nursery on the Nebraska National Forest, chiefly to produce in this nursery trees for distribution by the State of Nebraska as part of the cooperation between this department and the State under the provisions of section 4 of the act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. 653), as amended. The enlargement of the nursery area will also result in economies in the production of trees for planting on the Nebraska National Forest, but this alone would not justify enlargement of the nursery area. The cost of acquiring the necessary additional land should, therefore, be met, at least in part, from the appropriation for cooperation with States under section 4 of the act of June 7, 1924, supra. This appropriation will not be available for purchasing land needed for nursery purposes without additional legislation.

The department, after careful investigation, has determined the specific areas which should be acquired as additions to the nurseries at East Tawas, Mich., and at Halsey, Nebr., but has not yet decided what area it will be most advantageous and economical, considering both original cost and operating expenses, to obtain for a nursery site in Northern California. The total cost for all three purchases should not exceed $10,000 and every effort will be made to get the lands at a lower total expenditure. Condemnation may be necessary, since the present owner at Halsey, Nebr., is not anxious to sell his land, and the area necessary for an enlargement of the nursery at East Tawas is held by at least five different owners. The total of $10,000 may be roughly divided into $3,000 for the necessary land at East Tawas, Mich., $5,000 for the necessary land at Halsey, Nebr, and $2,000 for the land needed for the nursery in California, but this division is only approximate. It will aid the department in negotiating purchases if a total limitation for all these projects is established rather than a limitation on each.

The Budget for the fiscal year 1929, carries on page 315, the following:

Plant quarantine and control administration, $2,771,050, of which amount not to exceed $196,500 may be expended for personal services in the District of Columbia.

In view of the supplemental estimate of $400,000 for eradication of the pink bollworm of cotton, fiscal year 1929, which was transmitted to Congress January 30, 1928, as shown by House Document No. 153, it is now requested that the limitation of the amount which may be expended for personal services for the plant quarantine and control administration in the District of Columbia, be increased from $196,500 to $205,400.