426 AJSTNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



A number of elianjies took place in the personnel of the stations, 

 and this caused some modification in the lines of work. So far as 

 possible the vacated positions have been filled, and where that has 

 not been done other members of the staff are carrjang the work to 

 the best of their ability. There are fundamental problems at each 

 station that are waiting investigation, but they can not be taken 

 up with the present organizations. Additional funds are needed 

 at each of the stations to properly man the .institutions and to make 

 use of the facilities and equipment now on hand. 



There is not one of the stations that does not need additional in- 

 vestigators, and in Hawaii and Porto Rico, where stations are main- 

 tained by sugar interests, supplemented in the case of Porto Rico by 

 insular support, the prestige of the Federal stations is suffering on 

 account of their inability to compete for men to carry on important 

 lines of work. The Hawaiian station has lost not less than six of 

 its workers during the last three years to the Hawaiian Sugar 

 Planters' Station or to pineapple interests or other concerns. All of 

 these men received largely increased salaries in their new positions. 

 This situation, together with the isolation of the stations, is having a 

 detrimental effect on the morale of the station workers, and it should 

 be corrected as quickly as possible. 



The entire resources of the stations are derived from appropria- 

 tions made bv Congress, and for the fiscal year 1922 thev were: 

 Alaska, $75,000; Hawaii, $50,000; Porto Rico, $50,000;' Guam, 

 $15,000; and the Virgin Islands, $20,000. These sums have not been 

 changed since the appropriation act of 1920, except in the case of 

 the Guam station, where a reduction of $10,000 was made. During 

 the year just passed the stations deposited in the United States 

 Treasury, as miscellaneous receipts from the sale of products, 

 $5,529.58. Under the present law this sum is no longer available 

 to the stations for their support. Prior to 1916 the stations were 

 permitted to retain for their use the sums derived from the sale of 

 their products, and they were largely used in the erection of neces- 

 sary buildings and keeping others in good repair. 



The insufficiency of funds has resulted in the depreciation of some 

 of the earlier buildings so that there is urgent need of buildings 

 and repairs at a number of the stations. The situation is acute at 

 the Fairbanks station in Alaska and at the Guam station. At the 

 Fairbanks station the buildings constructed in 1907 of unseasoned 

 logs are falling into decay, and a new office and residence for the 

 superintendent is badly needed. In Guam the station is situated 

 5 miles from the town of Agana and has but one residence. The 

 lack of suitable quarters for other members of the staff is a serious 

 drawback, as there are no houses available except in Agana and no 

 regular means of transportation between there and the station. 



ALASKA STATIONS. 



The Alaska stations suffered a severe loss during the year in the 

 death of F. E. Rader, who had been in charge of the Matanuska 

 station from its beginning. He was succeeded by B. L. Schneider, 

 who was formerly his assistant in the work. C. S. Halm, in charge 

 of the Rampart station, resigned late in the fiscal year. 



