46 ANNUAL KEPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



was discontinued and in its place was substituted a more extensive 

 service to newspaper syndicates at practically no expense to the Gov- 

 ernment. At the close of the year the department turned into the 

 Treasury from the appropriation for printing and binding an unex- 

 pended balance of $183,848. 



In the Forest Service, a bureau having extensive field operations, 

 an estimated saving of 25 per cent in its annual telegraph bill of 

 $10,000 is being accomplished through increased censorship. 

 Through centralized purchase direct from producers, savings of not 

 less than 15 per cent are being effected from an annual expenditure 

 exceeding $300,000 on the purchase of smoked meats, canned goods, 

 and dried fruits, and the quality of food used for the maintenance of 

 field parties on road and trail work in the forests has at the same 

 time been improved. Inspection and administrative trips are planned 

 in accordance with carefully worked-out schedules in order to secure 

 for the Government the advantage of specially reduced round-trip 

 rates. By this means an average saving is made of $50 per person 

 traveling out of Washington for western points during the year. In 

 order that the maximum amount may be available for the purchase 

 of essential supplies and equipment for the field operations of the 

 service, the purchase of office furniture has been stopped altogether. 

 Seven thousand dollars have been saved in this way during the year 

 and applied to the more urgent needs of the service. The head- 

 quarters of the bureau at one western point has been removed to 

 cheaper quarters at an annual saving of approximately $10,000. 



In the Weather Bureau a demand for $11,320 additional funds 

 required to meet increased rental charges on expiring leases was 

 met by reducing the number of rooms occupied by the field offices 

 of the bureau invoh^ed so as to keep within the existing allowance 

 for rentals. The same situation arose July 1, 1921, and was met in 

 a similar manner, notwithstanding the offices of the bureau have been 

 crowded thereby. 



The consolidation of the Bureau of Markets and the Bureau of 

 Crop Estimates on July 1, 1921, resulted in savings of approximately 

 $30,000 through the reduction of the personnel engaged on adminis- 

 trative work. A similar consolidation of administrative services was 

 effected on July 1, 1922, when the Bureau of Markets and Crop Esti- 

 mates was further merged with the Office of Farm Management and 

 Farm Economics to form the new Bureau of Agricultural Economics, 



