Senator WARREN. The one with regard to livery hire and stage fare, on page 75?

Secretary WILSON. That gives me more trouble than anything in the bill. It says: .

That hereafter when employees of the Department of Agriculture, either on lump fund or statutory rolls, are traveling on official business in the United States, they may be allowed necessary railroad and steamboat fares, parlor car, sleeping berth, and stateroom on steamboats, livery hire and stage fare, and other means of conveyance between points not accessible by railroad, but in lieu of the subsistence and all other traveling expenses they may receive a per diem allowance, to be fixed by the Secretary, in addition to their regular salaries, subject to such rules and regulations as the Secretary of Agriculture may prescribe.

in undertaking a You know the per They vary, but not amount in mind to

Senator WARREN. Now, the two weak points thing like that on the floor is first the per diem. diems in all the other departments are stated. exceeding a certain amount. Have you any insert?

Secretary WILSON. No; and I will tell you why. In traveling in some parts of our country the expenses per diem are down as low as $2.50, and in some places up as high as $6.

Senator WARREN. Then, the other point that generally creates a lively opposition is parlor car. They will stand for a sleeping berth but they will not stand for a parlor car. I think with the parlor car out and the $3.50 maximum we could get it through.

Senator GUGGENHEIM. In other words, if you leave the words "parlor car" out they could travel in a parlor car anyway?

Secretary WILSON. It is a matter that I have been thinking of all these years in the department. The actual expenses will be from $2.50 to $6 a day.

Senator WARREN. In the Interior Department I think the land inspectors have a certain per diem, and I think it is about $3.50. Secretary WILSON. What we do now is to pay the man's actual

expenses.

Senator WARREN. That is really, if it were not so troublesome, the better way, but it is troublesome always. If you could differentiate and add, say, a small number, if you please-of high-priced men, because that class covers a great deal of ground-and designate maybe one or two or three, you could cover it.

The CHAIRMAN. Perhaps it would be of interest to the committee if you would designate a maximum.

Senator GUGGENHEIM. If it was made the maximum they would generally get it.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, the second proposed amendment is:

That hereafter officials and employees of the Department of Agriculture, either on lump-fund or statutory rolls, may, when authorized by the Secretary of Agriculture, receive reimbursement for moneys expended for street car fares at their official headquarters when expended in the transaction of official business.

Senator WARREN. That is simply car fare?

The CHAIRMAN. Street car fare.

Secretary WILSON. At one time we gave street car tickets to our people who were required to travel, doing errands in town, etc. I do not know whether we need that very extensively now.

Senator WARREN. Can you not get that out of your contingent fund? You buy tickets and give them to them?

Secretary WILSON. We pay them out of the fund of the bureau in which they work.

Senator WARREN. That is what I mean-out of the contingent fund. The CHAIRMAN. Has there been any particular inconvenience from that?

Secretary WILSON. There has been a great deal of extra work on Mr. Zappone, but we never hesitate to put extra work on him.

Mr. ZAPPONE. The greatest inconvenience is to the food and drug employees of the service. Naturally, in going over town collecting samples at their official headquarters they are subjected to expense for car fare, and under the decisions of the comptroller it can not be allowed.

The CHAIRMAN. Does the comptroller give a reason for this decision if they are sent on official business?

Mr. ZAPPONE. The comptroller has ruled invariably that no expenses can be allowed to a man at his official headquarters. For instance, a man on the statutory roll in Washington, no matter what expense he may be put to in going around the city on official business, could not be reimbursed for it.

The CHAIRMAN. If you name the different expenses, including street-car tickets on official business, would that not be satisfactory?

Mr. ZAPPONE. The contingent fund pertains to the District_of Columbia solely, and you could not purchase tickets for use in other cities out of that fund, while you could purchase them for use in the city of Washington. While the field employees suffer a personal loss, it is small, and I am quite sure the Secretary will not hold out very strong for this provision.

Senator WARREN. It is hardly worth quarreling about.

Mr. ZAPPONE. It passed the House committee and went out on the floor.

Secretary WILSON. There would be no loss if you dropped it out altogether.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, as to the third proposed amendment. Secretary WILSON. The last one is continuing the appropriation for the Appalachian fund-the Weeks law.

And in order to carry out the purposes mentioned in section 3 of the act of March 1, 1911, entitled "An act to enable any State to cooperate with any other State or States, or with the United States, for the protection of the watersheds of navigable streams, and to appoint a commission for the acquisition of lands for the purpose of conserving the navigability of navigable rivers," there is hereby appropriated and made available until expended so much of the maximum sums mentioned in said section for the fiscal years 1912 to 1915, inclusive, as shall remain unexpended at the close of each of said fiscal years.

The CHAIRMAN. I think my colleague introduced an amendment in regard to that.

Secretary WILSON. We have stated some reasons here in writing, and I can leave them with the committee.

The CHAIRMAN. They may be inserted in the record.

The paper referred to is as follows:

AMENDMENT MAKING APPROPRIATION FOR THE WEEKS LAW AVAILABLE UNTIL

EXPENDED.

The act of March 1, 1911, appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1910, the sum of $1,000,000, and for each fiscal year thereafter until and including the fiscal year 1915 a sum not to exceed $2,000,000, for use in the examination, survey, and acquire

ment of lands located on the headwaters of navigable streams or those which are being and may be developed for navigable purposes.

The Comptroller of the Treasury held that the appropriations thus made are annual appropriations and lapse at the close of the fiscal year for which they were made. The appropriation for the fiscal year 1910 had therefore lapsed before the bill passed. The four months available in the fiscal year 1911 to make use of the $2,000,000 appropriated for that year was insufficient to examine and negotiate for enough lands to take up the available funds. Certain lands were contracted for, but the time was too short for the examination of titles, and consequently the purchase contracts became invalid because the titles to the lands were found defective by the Attorney General. During the fiscal year 1912 lands have been examined which would far more than consume the money available from the appropriation, but, owing to the fact that the titles of mountain lands are much complicated in all of the southern Appalachian States, it appears that it will be impossible to utilize before June 30 next the $2,000,000 appropriated for this fiscal year. The work of negotiating with the owners, of surveying the lands, and of straightening out of the problems of involved titles is exceedingly difficult, requires much time, and can not be advantageously hurried. The appropriations made in the act ought to be available until expended, and the amendment is proposed for that purpose.

Secretary WILSON. We firmly believe in it.

MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS PROPOSED BY VARIOUS SENATORS.

The CHAIRMAN. We have a number of proposed amendments, 19, I think, to this appropriation bill. We will first take up Calendar No. 69. Mr. Zappone, your attention has been called to these amendments, has it not?

Secretary WILSON. We have looked them over; yes.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, if you, Mr. Secretary, or Mr. Zappone will inform us with regard to Calendar No. 69 we will be glad to have you do it.

Mr. ZAPPONE. The Secretary has it before him and he will answer. The CHAIRMAN. The item reads: "For the employment of professors of meteorology, inspectors, district forecasters, local forecasters, section directors, research observers, observers, assistant observers, operators, skilled mechanics, repairmen, station agents, messengers, messenger boys, laborers, and other necessary employees, five hundred and fifty-nine thousand dollars."

The proposed amendment is on page 7, line 12, after the words. "five hundred and," to strike out the word "fifty-nine" and insert in lieu thereof "sixty-four." It is an increase from five hundred and fifty-nine thousand to five hundred and sixty-four thousand. An increase of $5,000, estimated $564,080. The act of last year appropriated $546,580, and this bill provides for $559,000. Now, what do you say about that, Mr. Secretary?

Secretary WILSON. The memorandum reads:

I return the two amendments intended to be proposed by Senator Oliver to the agricultural appropriation bill. Their object is to provide money for the establishing of a station at Reading, Pa., in accordance with the wishes of Representative Rothermel. If our original estimates had not been cut by the House committee it was my intention to recommend to the Secretary the establishing of a station at Reading. I therefore hope that the amendments may prevail, and that the Secretary may find it convenient to favorably recommend them.

The CHAIRMAN. You are reading what?

Secretary WILSON. I am reading a note from Prof. Moore, of the Weather Bureau.

The CHAIRMAN. That is one of the Weather Bureau propositions? Secretary WILSON. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. And we have several of them. Do you know how many?

Secretary WILSON. No, sir; I do not.

Mr. ZAPPONE. Two of them are together, 69 and 70. They refer to the establishment of this one station at Reading.

The CHAIRMAN. Are there five all told of the weather propositions? Mr. ZAPPONE. There is one of Senator Owen in regard to a Weather Bureau station at Muskogee; that is No. 31.

The CHAIRMAN. Then it is not regarded as advisable to appropriate a definite amount for a particular locality?

Secretary WILSON. You would have difficulty, as stated, when the bill is on the floor.

The CHAIRMAN. Will you furnish that information?

Secretary WILSON. Reading, Pa., and Muskogee, Okla., are proposed in the bills before the committee.

The CHAIRMAN. The next proposed amendment is on page 7, line 15, with reference to "Fuel, gas, electricity, etc." In the bill, as it comes here, it is $104,500. The amendment suggested would make it $105,000.

Senator CHAMBERLAIN. What is the purport of that amendment? The CHAIRMAN. Strike out all after the words "one hundred and" and insert in lieu thereof "five thousand dollars." It adds $500.

Senator WARREN. Last year it was $104,000, and the 1913 estimate is $106,000, and the House allowed one hundred and four and a half. This is to raise it to $105,000.

Mr. ZAPPONE. These four items all pertain to that one station, Reading.

The CHAIRMAN. The next amendment is, on page 7, line 18, to strike out the words "thirty-six" and insert in lieu thereof "thirty-nine," and next amendment is, in line 25, after the words ""eight thousand" to insert "five hundred." They are all connected with this particular Weather Bureau station.

Calendar No. 70 is an amendment proposed by Senator Oliver. On page 8, line 6, after the words "three hundred and" to strike out the word "three" and insert in lieu thereof "four."

Mr. ZAPPONE. That is for telegraphing and telephoning for that station.

The CHAIRMAN. It is all connected with that station?

Mr. ZAPPONE. Yes, sir; both of these amendments of Senator Oliver refer to a proposed station at Reading, Pa.

The CHAIRMAN. And Senator Owen's amendment is the same thing for a Weather Bureau station at Muskogee. Calendar No. 31, $25,000. Calendar No. 63, Bureau of Plant Industry. There the amendments provide for an increase from $30,795 to $40,795 page 21, line 12. Senator WARREN. Last year they had $32,355. The estimate is $30,795, and they have allowed the estimate, and he wants to increase it.

Senator GUGGENHEIM. He wants practically $10,000 more. It refers to sugar-producing plants.

The CHAIRMAN. I think that has been looked up. Mr. Secretary, will you please tell us about that?

Secretary WILSON, We have something here on that point. This is from Dr. Galloway. He says:

The second amendment, on page 21, line 12, in effect adds $10,000 to our present estimate of $30,795 for the investigation and improvement of sugar-producing plants,

including their utilization and culture. We have had a great many demands for enlarging the scope of this work, especially in Texas, where much interest has recently developed in cane production. Mr. Garner, of the House, attempted to secure an addition of $5,000, but failed. The original request was for an appropriation of $15,000 for the establishment of a sugar station in Texas. We do not believe it wise to establish such a station, but if our funds were slightly increased we would be in a position to take up definite lines of work in connection with sugar-cane diseases in addition to the breeding of new types of sugar cane and the encouragement of improved methods of sugar-cane culture that would undoubtedly be helpful to the people.

The CHAIRMAN. Calendar No. 74, page 19, lines 3 to 5. That is the chestnut-tree bark disease.

Senator WARREN. How much did we give them last year--$5,000? Senator GUGGENHEIM. We gave them $5,000.

Secretary WILSON. Shall I read you something from Senator Penrose on that subject?

The CHAIRMAN. Yes.

Secretary WILSON (reading):

Mr. Penrose submitted an amendment proposing to appropriate $80,000 to meet the emergency caused by the continuous spread of the chestnut-bark disease, etc., intended to be proposed by him to the agricultural appropriation bill, which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry and ordered to be printed.

Shall I read you something more?

The CHAIRMAN. In regard to the chestnut-tree bark disease; yes. Secretary WILSON. There is, I find, $5,000 in the bill now for chestnut-bark investigations. Now this comes from Dr. Galloway, and I will read you his letter:

Referring to the amendment which has been introduced by Senator Penrose, providing for an appropriation of $80,000 to meet the emergency caused by the continued spread of the chestnut-bark disease, I beg to say that this matter has been under consideration by the experts of the bureau for the last seven or eight months. The question was briefly discussed before the Committee on Agriculture of the House at our hearings there, but no action was taken, it being deemed advisable at that time to postpone further discussion until the Committee on Agriculture had an opportunity of hearing from various organizations which were interested in the securing of funds for the emergency work.

Our officers have made careful estimates of the funds that would be required and believe that $80,000 would be needed to carry out the plan of cooperative effort with the several States which have already made large appropriations for the work.

The funds, if appropriated, will be expended in continuing the investigations which the bureau has been engaged upon on a rather limited scale since 1907, which have had for their object the discovery of methods to check the advance of the disease. The scope of these investigations will be increased and cooperative work will be taken up with all of the States which are making, or intend to make, any active campaign against the disease. One of the first things that will be undertaken will be to put the State workers in possession of all the knowledge that the bureau experts have gained from the investigations so far conducted, and correlate the work of the department and the State. The destruction of diseased trees, which will be one of the phases of the work, will be done by the State under the joint direction of the State and bureau officers.

Work can be taken up immediately with the States of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.

The disease has spread so rapidly that efficient methods for its eradication or control have not yet been entirely worked out experimentally, and further laboratory work along these lines will be necessary. The experiments to date, however, indicate that general sanitary methods, such as the cutting out of advance infections, will prove efficient in restricting the disease to its present range.

In view of the immense value of the chestnut forests of the United States, estimated at from three hundred to four hundred millions, and the wide territory already affected by the disease, which has caused damage to the extent of at least $25,000,000, we believe that the amount proposed to be appropriated is none too large.

Very truly, yours,

B. T. GALLOWAY,
Chief of Bureau.