Alaska Station Act of 1929, and Puerto Rico Station Act of 1931) making appropriations for the support of agricultural experiment stations in the States and Territories; (2) for assisting in coordination of the research work of the Department of Agriculture with that of the State stations along the same lines; and (3) for administration of the Federal agricultural experiment stations in Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

Administration of the acts granting Federal funds to States and Territories involves supervision of the funds, close advisory relations with the stations as to research for which the funds are expended, annual examination of the work and expenditures of each State station, preparation and issuance of the Experiment Station Record and other records, and preparation of report to Congress on the work and expenditures of the stations as called for in the acts.

The Federal grants are largely expended on research which is outlined and submitted to the Office of Experiment Stations for advisory suggestions and approval in advance of expenditures. Annual budgets of proposed expenditures on the Federal funds are submitted by each station for review and approval of proposed work and expenditures at the beginning of the fiscal year. Changes and adjustments in work to best meet the State needs are submitted throughout the year. About 1,800 research projects were thus submitted for review and approval during the fiscal year 1933.

To carry out the provisions of the Federal acts a representative, or representatives, of the office visits each of the 50 State stations annually and spends from 3 to 10 days reviewing the expenditures and the research under way.

In connection with the review of proposed projects and the personal annual examination at each station, as well as through membership on national committees representing the stations, close advisory relations are maintained on correlation and cooperation in research to avoid unnecessary duplication among States and between the States and the Department of Agriculture, and advisory relations on matters of organization and policy. During the fiscal year 1933 there were 800 to 1,000 cooperative investigations between State stations or State stations and the Department of Agriculture which were carefully planned by the cooperating agencies and made matters of written cooperative agreement. The Experiment Station record was established in 1889 as a part of the FederalState joint participation in establishing and maintaining agricultural experiment stations. Its purpose is to make available to staff members of all stations and the Department abstracts of current published results of research in this and other countries promptly as an aid in planning research, avoiding duplication, and in coordinating research effort. A total of 5,500 to 7,500 such abstracts are prepared, edited, and published annually, involving translations from 12 or more languages. The abstract volumes are supplemented by indexes and a combined index for each 10 volumes to aid in using the increasing volumes of research findings. Few, if any, of the stations have all the publications available, and the abstracting by the Office of Experiment Station avoids the necessity of duplicate abstracting by the several thousand research workers. As a part of this function, the Office represents the Department's cooperation with biological abstracts to the extent of furnishing copies of abstracts of publications by the State stations and the Department and some technical personnel and supplies.

In the interest of all the stations and the Department, the Office, as a central agency, is called upon to compile and make available lists of all current research projects, lists of research workers in different lines, and combined statements of research and its progress in special fields, and to act as a general clearing house for inquiries concerning the agricultural experiment stations.

Based upon the foregoing activities throughout the year, an annual report on the work and expenditures of the agricultural experiment stations is prepared for Congress as provided for in the Federal acts.

Administration of the Federal stations in Puerto Rico and Hawaii involves approval of budgets, expenditures, and research projects, review, editing, and approval of publications, advisory assistance relating to coordination of the research with that of the Territorial agencies and the Department, and general supervision of personnel and administration. Owing to the cost of travel and limited funds, personal inspection and direction by the Office is rarely possible.

Mr. JARDINE. The three functions, as I have pointed out, are, first, for the administration of the Hatch Act, the Adams Act, and the Purnell Act, all of these acts giving funds to the stations; second, for

assisting in the coordination of the research work of the Department of Agriculture with that of the State stations, in order to avoid duplication; and, third, the administration of the Federal agricultural experiment stations in Puerto Rico and Hawaii.

The greater part of our work is in the administration of these funds, and in giving assistance to the States, including the Experiment Station Record.

I simply point to this, that there is, if you will notice, a sum of over $4,000,000, administered with an amount estimated for next year at $137,125, which is down to less than 3 percent for all administration, including the Experiment Station Record, and for actual administration it is practically 11⁄2 percent.

We are down to a very small staff, and the Department has felt that we are about as low as we could go.

As to the administration of the two stations in Hawaii and Puerto Rico, we do that administrative work primarily without seeing them very much. It is mainly an administrative advisory direction, with a review of plans, publications, of the coordination with the local agencies, and general handling through the Washington office. We have not felt that we have the time or the travel funds in the last few years to go to those places. That is why it is within the amount estimated.

INSULAR AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS

Mr. SANDLIN. What is the next item?

Mr. JARDINE. The next item is for the insular agricultural experiment stations. The appropriation for this item for 1932 was $230,030. For 1935 the estimate is $64,977.

I submit the following statement in reference to this item:

Decrease, Budget 1935, compared with estimated obligatons,
1934...

3, 623

(1) This reduction of $13,153 below the appropriation for 1934 consists of: Impoundment of 6% percent of 15 percent pay cut...

Curtailment in 1934 working funds.

-$6,821 -2, 709

Reduction in working funds for 1935 ($2,090 for Hawaii Station and

(2) A decrease of $2,090 for the Hawaii Station. This decrease is partially offset by the increase of $1,500 (75 percent of the $2,000 increase authorized for 1935 by the act of May 16, 1928) to the Territorial experiment station under the Hawaii Station Act.

(3) A decrease of $4,700 for the Puerto Rico Station.-This decrease is partially offset by the increase of $3,700 (75 percent of the $5,000 increase authorized for 1935 by the act of March 4, 1931) to the Territorial station under the Puerto Rico Station Act.

WORK DONE UNDER THIS APPROPRIATION

The agricultural experiment stations in Hawaii and Puerto Rico were established to determine the agricultural possibilities of the two Territories, to improve and diversify their agriculture, and to develop types of agriculture adapted to different regions.

Hawaii Station.-The Hawaii Experiment Station at Honolulu, which is now maintained in cooperation with the University of Hawaii, is concerned with problems relating to the diversification of agriculture and the establishment of industries other than sugar and pineapple production. These major industries have their own experiment stations. Close cooperation is maintained with them on problems of mutual interest. Soil and crop work, horticultural investigations, crop utilization, chemical studies of soils, plant breeding, forage-crop studies, dairying, and livestock management constitute the principal activities of the station. These studies are designed to aid the so-called "small farmer" as contrasted with the plantation system. In the station work, substations have been established on other islands and at greater elevations than the main station for developing systems of agriculture adapted to large areas that are not now profitably utilized. The possibility of extending pineapple cultivation at about 1,000 feet elevation higher than formerly thought possible has been definitely proven. Through the cooperation of Territorial officials and private individuals, experiments have been begun at various elevations up to 5,500 feet. If these prove successful, large areas in the islands can be brought under cultivation. This is very important, as much of the land suited to present agricultural use is under the control of large corporations. Experiments have been begun for the assistance of the coffee industry and a beginning has been made, in cooperation with the Office of Foreign Plant Introduction, United States Department of Agriculture, to bring together plantings of all available economic tropical plants to study their requirements and adaptability to Hawaii and to limited regions in the United States.

Puerto Rico Station. The agricultural experiment station maintained by this department at Mayaguez, P. R., is aiding in the improvement and diversification of the agriculture of the island. Its principal lines of work are connected with livestock improvement, crop improvement, introduction of new tropical crops, coffee, citrus fruit and pineapple studies, plant diseases and insect pest control, soils and fertilizers, and animal parasites. The station's work on the control of some animal parasites has resulted in extending stock production. The introduction of new forage plants has yielded more feed for stock, and the wide adoption of cover plants for soil conservation and improvement is a direct result of station work. The plant-breeding work with sugarcane and corn has yielded important results. Some of the new cane varieties produced by hybridizing are exceedingly promising, yielding more than the standard varieties. A number of these hybrids are under commercial test on several plantations this year. About 5,000 acres were planted to Mayaguez 28, one of the promising new sugarcanes of the station, by the end of 1933. The coffee investigations include studies of varieties, methods of planting, pruning, and use of fertilizers, all of which are necessary to the permanence of agriculture in a large part of the island. Cooperative investigations with citrus fruits and pineapples are in progress. Through its introduction of tropical horticultural crops, interest in them has been aroused. The station is

actively engaged in various undertakings that are expected to aid in the Governor's campaign for improving local conditions.

EMERGENCY FUNDS APPLICABLE UNDER THIS HEADING

Allotments under the National Industrial Recovery Act aggregating $4,950 have been made for physical improvements as follows:

1. Hawaii Station, $1,200; consisting of $200 to replace a water storage tank and $1,000 to replace the present dirt and gravel road from the station to city street with asphalt or macadam base road.

2. Puerto Rico Station, $3,750; consisting of $1,500 to replace roadways $900 to repair, replace, and extend fences; and $1,350 to clear land for experiment

purposes.

LIMITATION ON PURCHASE OF PASSENGER-CARRYING VEHICLES

Continuation of the purchase authorization of $750 is provided for in order that an additional automobile needed at the Puerto Rico Experiment Station may be purchased during 1935 if the funds permit during the year.

CLOSING OF ALASKA, GUAM, AND VIRGIN ISLANDS EXPERIMENT STATIONS Mr. JARDINE. The main reduction in this item for 1934 below 1933 was due to the closing of the stations in Alaska, in Guam, and in the Virgin Islands.

The Virgin Islands station was later transferred to the Department of the Interior. There is still a reduction in the appropriation for Puerto Rico and Hawaii, which is brought about in large part because under the Hawaii Station Act, in the first item, Hawaii was authorized to participate as a State, and as their participation has increased, the other fund of the Federal station has been reduced. In Hawaii we now have the Federal station, the insular station, and the Federal fund, under the Hawaii Act, coordinated into one working unit under one man. Somewhat the same plan is contemplated in Puerto Rico ultimately.

Mr. SANDLIN. You have abandoned the Alaska stations. Do you know how they are getting along up there?

Mr. JARDINE. In closing the Alaska station, the Matanuska station was transferred to the Alaska College of Agriculture and School of Mines experiment station at Fairbanks. The Sitka Station was closed. The only station operating in Alaska now is the experiment station in Fairbanks, under the College of Agriculture and School of Mines, with the $15,000 Hatch fund from the Federal Government.

Mr. SANDLIN. That is all that is spent in Alaska now?

Mr. JARDINE. That is all that is spent on agricultural research. They are attempting to operate and maintain the plant at Matanuska. Naturally, there would be a limit to their rendering service. I can say this, that the inquires I have received about opportunities for agriculture in Alaska the past year perhaps would approach 1,000 since January 1, 1933.

Mr. SANDLIN. They abandoned the work at Sitka?

Mr. JARDINE. They abandoned the work at Sitka, and the land at Sitka has been used by the Sheldon Jackson School in connection with their school. A letter received a few days ago indicated that they feel they have strengthened their school work very materially by having a little land for gardening purposes.

Mr. THURSTON. Do you think they will use the reindeer meat for

food?

Mr. JARDINE. I have eaten some reindeer meat, but I would rather question the supposition that they will do away with need of other food largely. I think it is a very difficult proposition. Personally, I have been a livestock man, and I would hesitate to invest either my savings or my time in the reindeer industry.

Mr. SANDLIN. What can you tell us further about the closing of the Alaska, Guam, and Virgin Islands Experiment Stations?

Mr. JARDINE. In the Appropriation Act for the Department of Agriculture for 1933 the sum of $30,000 was granted for the payment of expenses incident to closing of the experiment stations in Alaska, Guam, and the Virgin Islands, and the salaries of the employees of said stations appointed from the continental United States, including salaries during such leave as may be granted under the acts approved June 30, 1914, and July 24, 1919.

The Virgin Islands station was transferred to the Department of the Interior on July 8, 1932, provision for its maintenance having been made in the Appropriation Act of that Department for 1933. The Guam station was placed in the temporary custody of the Governor of Guam on July 6, 1932, and by him it was transferred to the Island government for use as an agricultural school on July 27, 1932. The Matanuska station was transferred to the Alaska College of Agriculture and School of Mines on July 23, 1932. The property of the Sitka and Juneau stations was placed in the custody of Charles H. Flory, ex-officio Commissioner for the Department of Agriculture for Alaska, as the representative of the Secretary of Agriculture, on June 30, 1932.

There still remains to be paid the claims for accumulated leave to which the personnel are entitled under the acts providing for such leave and the express provisions of the Appropriation Act of July 7, 1932. The estimated amount of these claims, according to data available, is about $8,000, but there is some question regarding the total, as the time records have not been checked absolutely and some of the employees may not be entitled to the sum which is credited to them.

In the opinion of the Comptroller General of the United States, the claims presented on account of such accrued leave could not be paid due to certain provisions of the Economy Act approved June 30, 1932. The Treasury-Post Office Departments Appropriation Act for the fiscal year 1934, passed by Congress and approved March 3, 1933, contained modification of sections 103 and 215 of the Economy Act, which it was thought would again authorize the payment of the claims for accrued leave. Later, however, these modifications were repealed by "An act to maintain the credit of the United States Government", generally referred to as the Second Economy Act, passed by Congress and approved March 20, 1933.

It necessarily followed that unless and until further legislation specifically authorizing payment for this accumulated leave is enacted, the individual claims could not be paid.