STATES RELATIONS SERVICE. 425 



iiiteiruption under the general authority given the Secretary of 

 Agriculture to disseminate information and the injunction carried 

 in the Hatch Act to furnish such advice and assistance to the experi- 

 ment stations as would best promote the purpose of that act. In 

 1919. however, legislation was adopted by Congress requiring the 

 discontinuance at the close of its next regular session of all Govern- 

 ment periodicals not specifically authorized by law. The time limit 

 thus fixed expired June 5. 1920. but was extended by subsequent 

 legislation, first, to .June 30. 1921, and then to December 1, 1921. 

 On the latter date no remedial action had been completed by Con- 

 gress, and publication of the Record along with about 40 other 

 periodicals was suspended. This suspension continued in the case 

 of the Kecord about one month. Early in January, 1922, following 

 a certification by the Secretary of Agriculture that the matter con- 

 tained in the Record " is published as administrative information 

 required for the proper transaction of the public business," arrange- 

 ments were made whereby its publication was resumed. On May 11, 

 1922. a joint resolution was signed by the President repealing the 

 previous legislation and stating that hereafter " the head of any 

 executive department, independent office, or establishment of the 

 (Tovernment is hereby authorized, with the approval of the Director 

 of the Budget, to use from the appropriations available for printing 

 and binding such sums as may be necessary for the printing of 

 journals, periodicals, and similar publications as he shall certify in 

 writing to be necessary in the transaction of the public business re- 

 quired by law of such department, office, or establishment." The 

 j)assage of this legislation is expected to put an end to the uncer- 

 tainties of the past three years. 



The two volumes of the Record completed during the year con- 

 tained 7,248 abstracts, besides the customary editorials and notes 

 dealing with the progress of agricultural education and research 

 in this country and abroad. The experiences of the year brought 

 out many favorable comments from users of the Record as to its 

 value and its unique position as a work of reference. With a view 

 to increasing its usefulness in this direction, steps are being taken 

 to prepare another combined index of the Record. No such index 

 has been issued since volume 25, over 10 years ago, and it is hoped 

 to bridge over this period by a third general-index volume. 



DIVISION OF INSULAR STATIONS. 



"VYaltek H. f:vAx.s. Chief. 



The Federal agricultural experiment stations in Alaska, Hawaii, 

 Porto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands of the United States were 

 administered, as heretofore, by the Division of Insular Stations. 

 The accounts of these stations are reviewed in this division and 

 audited in the bureau accounting office. 



The projects of all of the stations were reviewed during the year. 

 Some lines of work have been suspended temporarily and the efforts 

 of the stations concentrated on those that appeared to be the most 

 urgent. All the stations continue to work for the diversification of 

 the agriculture of their respective territories. 



