OPERATION OF EXTENSION SERVICE Mr. WHITTEN. This committee has always been a strong supporter of the Extension Service, not only as individuals and as an organization, but in the belief that such an organization should be the basis of agricultural work at the county and State level. The Extension agents, as we know, have to get along with the local government because part of their salary comes from the local level. They have to get along with the State government because part of it comes from there. The Federal Government has a say-so, too. Periodically, we find folks in Government and out who don't particularly like that fact that Extension operates under a memorandum of agreement. Folks attack it from time to time. Some of those in Extension plus those closely associated with them take advantage of the fact that they are not under control. Other times folks in Government think they don't respond to their efforts to make use of the Extension Service. That is when controversies on farm programs arise. This committee has always taken the view that the present approach of operating on a memorandum of agreement is the proper one. We don't mean that we agree with all the charges and countercharges or actions or nonactions, but to have the Service under a direct line from the Secretary of Agriculture, I think, would be a mistake. By the same token, any time people in the Extension Service do not cooperate with the Federal Government they make things hard on themselves. Many things need to be done in the field of agriculture. The fewer the people, the bigger the problems. The fewer the farmers, the bigger the investment and the higher the risks. In view of all that, we need the help of all. Much attention has been given up to this point in the hearings about efforts at rural development and various and sundry new programs, all of which are good. I was glad to see the President's drive on poverty. More needs to be done. The important thing is to keep people from becoming poverty stricken, however. We also have surplus commodities. I don't know how much need there is for surplus commodities compared to the Government's need to get rid of the surplus. I don't know where the balance is. I made a 1-minute speech today pointing out that under AID we furnish capital and we furnish 50 percent of the cost of a group to go to South or Central America to see if they want to go in the cattle-raising business. If they don't go into business, they get half of their vacation paid by the Government. We have various governmental agencies that will guarantee against risk and various other things, and lend money, and then let the cattle come back into the United States without restriction. According to today's paper, the Government will buy meat. We now have on the Senate side a hard-fought battle over agricultural programs, wheat and cotton. From the press, and I have some figures of my own, apparently the argument is whether it will cost $318 million a year, or $500 million a year. I saw in today's paper that in Charlotte, N.C., the Government announced a $3 million loan for a mill to use synthetic fibers, right while the fight is going on to save cotton from synthetics. I don't know how we are going to resolve all of these things. What I am telling you, as Director of the Extension Service, is that, in the final analysis, the funds you get for your program have to come from Government. You have to run the "budget" gantlet-first the Department, then the Bureau of the Budget. I don't think you have to run a gantlet with this committee, but I assure you that this committee can't give you a dollar without being able to get the approval of the whole Appropriations Committee, the House, and the Senate, and if it is over the budget, it is 10 times harder for us to do it. 1 mention all this, not that you need a lecture but simply to point out that the wisdom with which you handle your programs, and the more you keep it in the field, instead of bringing it into Washington, and the more you cooperate with whomever is Secretary, the better chance you have of running through this myriad of problems. May I say that we are on your side but agriculture itself is getting harder to carry. I have to say to some of my friends in the Extension Service that they have been somewhat unrealistic in their requests before our subcommittee. They ask for things that they know are impossible. It puts us on a spot when they do it. You have not invited this speech that I have just made, and I recognize it. We are in the same fix you are. We are seeking all the help we can get. If there is anything in here that you think we should have in our record for our use in taking care of this very fine service, we would be glad to have it. First, let me say that this committee recommended to the committee and the Congress that the increase to the Extension Service be used to pay the Federal share of the extension workers' salary in line with increases that have been given to other Federal employees. Briefly discuss how you handle that, and again I invite you to show in the record anything that will help us to take care of this problem. EXTENSION AGENTS' SALARIES Dr. DAVIS. Mr. Chairman, the increased funds that were provided by the Congress in the 1964 budget were allocated to the States under the formula. We carefully called to the attention of the directors the expressions by the Congress of the purposes they had in mind as they were appropriating these funds. We have reviewed carefully the State reports. We find that approximately 84 percent of the increased funds provided for payments to States in 1964 are being applied to salary increases to provide the Federal share of salary increases to keep extension salaries competitive. Earlier we computed the amount of funds that would be required to provide for cooperative extension workers salary increases comparable to those being received by Federal employees. We determined also the proportion that would be the Federal share, based on current payment of salaries. It was determined that the Federal share, on that basis, would be about $6.4 million, of which the 1964 appropriation provided $3.7 million. You referred earlier to the nature of this cooperative relationship between the USDA and the State extension services. We think this has been and is a very fine cooperative arrangement. We think that the extension directors are demonstrating the manner in which they cooperate as they are applying 84 percent of this 1964 increase to salary increases. OBJECTIVES AND ORGANIZATION OF THE EXTENSION SERVICE your Mr. WHITTEN. At this point, I would like to have you, in own way, Dr. Davis, describe for the record what the Extension Service is, how it is organized, how it is set up, how the local agents are selected, who pays what, and what efforts, if any, are made to provide from your office an objective approach to these various problems that arise in agriculture. (The information requested follows:) THE EXTENSION SERVICE-ITS OBJECTIVES AND HOW IT IS ORGANIZED TO Cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics was inaugurated as a partnership undertaking between the land-grant colleges and universities and the U.S. Department of Agriculture with the passage 50 years ago of the Smith-Lever Act. Extension is a unique service of three levels of government-Federal, State, and county-permitting maximum flexibility and adaptation to local conditions and needs. The major function of the Cooperative Extension Service, as stated in the Smith-Lever Act, is: *** To aid in diffusing among the people of the United States useful and practical information on subjects relating to agriculture and home economics and to encourage the application of the same *** The Cooperative Extensive Service is an integral part of the land-grant colleges in the 50 States and Puerto Rico. Each land-grant college is responsible for organizing extension work in its State, the work to be done in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture. This cooperative relationship and operating arrangements are set forth in a memorandum of understanding between responsible officials of the land-grant colleges and the Secretary of Agriculture. (Copy of memorandum of understanding following this section.) Extension agents are recruited by the land-grant college or university. From the list of qualified candidates, one is presented to the county court, county commissioner, advisory board, extension council, or other official body within the county for their interview and concurrence when vacancies occur. If for some reason the candidate is not satisfactory to the county officials (a situation which is rare) the State extension service selects another qualified candidate. In all cases the State extension service determines the qualifications of candidates for positions as agents but both State extension services and county officials concur in the employment of such agents. For the most part, agent salaries are determined by the State land-grant college. Extension work is financed 38 percent from Federal funds and 39 percent from State appropriated funds and 23 percent by funds from within the counties. The Cooperative Extension Service frequently accomplishes its purpose of "helping people help themselves" by involving numerous organized groups of farmers such as crop and breed improvement associations or groups, general and specialized farm organizations, agribusiness organizations and associations, and other organizations or groups interested in the welfare of agriculture. Each county follows a plan of work and a program built cooperatively in the counties by extension agents and advisory councils or committees representing every area of the economy of the county. The Federal Extension Service maintains a staff of professional people who work closely with USDA research and service staff and have the responsibility of working with the States to assist them to develop effective extension programs. The State directors of extension, satisfactory to the Secretary of Agriculture, are selected by each land-grant college administration. These directors are responsible to both the land-grant college administration and the Secretary of Agriculture through the Administrator of the Federal Extension Service for accomplishing the purpose of Cooperative Extension as set forth in the SmithLever Act. The nature of the highly decentralized operation of the Cooperative Extension Service has many strengths as well as weaknesses. The great strength in this arrangement is that extension is administered close to the problems of people. This arrangement is essential to program success as history has demonstrated. Decentralized authority and responsibility can create problems of communication with the Secretary and his staff. To reduce this possibility to a minimum, the States are organized into four regions. The directors in each of the four regions exchange program ideas and share operating and administrative experiences between each other and with the Administrator of the Federal Extension Service. These directors elect two of their members from each region to serve on a national committee known as the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy. The Administrator of the Federal Extension Service is automatically a member of this committee. This committee meets four or more times each year with the Secretary or members of his staff and reviews operating policies and programs of mutual interest, including pending legislation as well as legislation which has been enacted into law. Understandings are arrived at and desirable objectives and directions freely exchanged. In addition to those continuing formalized arrangements, three meetings of all State directors have been held with the Administrator of the Federal Extension Service, the Secretary of Agriculture, and/or members of his staff during the past 3 years to achieve a better understanding of mutual problems, programs, and goals. These actions are communicated to the States by the "ECOP" through reports at regional meetings and through minutes of these deliberations. The Federal Extension Service staff in cooperation with the research and service agencies of the Department work with the State extension services in developing programs designed to objectively explain the provisions of legislation. The Secretary of Agriculture has consistently supported and is in complete accord with the policies of the land-grant colleges that the place of education is to aid in helping producers understand the provisions of various programs and provide them with necessary information to make an intelligent decision on their application. The objective work of the Extension Service in the wheat program and the referendum associated with it, the feed grain program, cotton program, as well as work on many other programs is clear evidence that Extension can and does conduct objective educational programs in keeping with the intent of the framers of the Smith-Lever Act. The Cooperative Extension Service maintains effective working relationships with all USDA agencies, helping farmers, homemakers, and youth make effective use of the programs of the Department as well as services of other departments of Government. The Federal Extension Service performs a key role in maintaining this effective working relationship. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN (LAND-GRANT INSTITU TION) (Land-Grant Institution) Whereas has under its control Federal and State funds for extension work in agriculture and home economics which are and may be supplemented by funds contributed for similar purposes by counties and other organizations and individuals within said State, and the United States Department of Agriculture has funds appropriated directly to it by Congress which can be spent for extension work in the State of Therefore, with a view to securing economy and efficiency in the conduct of extension work in the State of the president of the (LandGrant Institution) acting subject to the approval of the Board of of the said (Land-Grant Institution) and the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States, hereby execute the following memorandum of understanding with reference to cooperative relations between 1 As approved by the Senate of the Association of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities and the United States Department of Agriculture. said (Land-Grant Institution) and the United States Department of Agriculture for the organization and conduct of extension work in agriculture and home economics in the State of I. The (Land-Grant Institution) ----- agrees: (a) To organize and maintain at said institution a definite and distinct administrative division for the management and conduct of all cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics, with a director selected by the institution and satisfactory to the Department; (b) To administer through such division thus organized, known as the2 (Agricultural Extension Service), any and all funds it has or may hereafter receive for such work from appropriations made by Congress or the State Legislature, by allotment from its Board of or from any other sources; (c) To accept the responsibility for conducting all educational work in the fields of agriculture and home economics and subjects related thereto as authorized by the Smith-Lever Act as amended and other Acts supporting cooperative extension work, and such phases of other programs of the Department as are primarily educational, which the Department has been authorized to carry on within the State. II. The United States Department of Agriculture agrees: (a) To maintain in the Department a Federal Extension Service which, under the direction of the Secretary, (1) shall be charged with the administration of the Smith-Lever Act as amended and other Acts supporting cooperative extension work insofar as such administration is vested in the Department; (2) shall have primary responsibility for and leadership in all educational programs under the jurisdiction of the Department (except the graduate school); (3) shall be responsible for coordination of all educational phases of other programs of the Department, except the graduate school; and (4) shall act as the liaison between the Department and officials of the Land-Grant Colleges and Universities on all matters relating to cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics and educational activities relating thereto. (Land-Grant Institution) all (b) To conduct through extension work in agriculture and home economics and subjects relating thereto authorized by Congress to be carried on within the State except those activities which by mutual agreement it is determined can most appropriately and effectively be carried out directly by the Department. III. The (Land-Grant Institution) States Department of Agriculture mutually agree: and the United (a) That, subject to the approval of the President of the (LandGrant Institution) and the Secretary of Agriculture, or their duly appointed representatives, all cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics in the State of Federal funds shall be planned under the joint of (Agricultural Extension Service) of the Federal Extension Service; and that tive extension work in the State of the (Agricultural Extension Service) of terms of individual project agreements involving the use of supervision of the director and the administrator of approved plans for such cooperashall be carried out through ----- in accordance with the (b) That all State and county personnel appointed by the Department as cooperative agents for extension work in agriculture and home economics in the State of shall be joint representatives of the (Land-Grant Institution) and the United States Department of Agriculture, unless otherwise expressly provided in the project agreement. Such personnel shall be deemed governed by the requirements of Federal Civil Service Rule No. IV relating to political activity. (c) That the cooperation between the (Land-Grant Institution) and the United States Department of Agriculture shall be plainly set forth in all publications or other printed matter issued and used in connection with said cooperative extension work by either the (Land-Grant Institution) Agriculture. or the United States Department of 2 Title used in many states, when not applicable the appropriate title will be inserted. 30-087-64-pt. 2-25 |