REPORT OF THE SOLICITOR. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



Office of Solicitor, 

 Washington, D. C ., September 29, 1920. 



Sir : I submit herewith report of the work of the office of the So- 

 licitor for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1920. 

 Respectfully, 



R. W. Williams, Solicitor. 

 Hon. E. T. Meredith, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



SUMMARY. 



The present Solicitor was promoted by you on April 1, 1920, to 

 succeed William M. Williams, who was on that date appointed Com- 

 missioner of Internal Revenue. 



Shortly before the resignation of the former Solicitor this office lost 

 by transfer to other bureaus two of its ablest lawyers. One had 

 served in the legal w^ork of the department for many years and was 

 in charge of a large and important section of the office. The other 

 had not been so long in the legal work of the department, but by close 

 study, application, and ability had acquired thorough familiarity 

 with the complex legal and administrative questions involved in sev- 

 eral lines of the department's activities. The resignation of the 

 former Solicitor and the transfers of the lawyers referred to made it 

 necessary for the present Solicitor, at the outset, to reorganize the 

 office on a basis adequate to continue the orderly and expeditious per- 

 formance of the legal work of the department. This reorganization 

 was speedily accomplished, though not without much difficulty, and 

 it is pleasing to report that the legal work of the department has pro- 

 ceeded with the customary dispatch and efficiency. Other resigna- 

 tions and transfers during the year have deprived the office of several 

 of its most efficient and industrious lawyers, necessitating the bring- 

 ing in of successors who were unfamiliar with the work of the depart- 

 ment and who, obviously, must spend some time in training before 

 they can attain that degree of efficiency which is required for satisfac- 

 tory service in this office. 



Notwithstanding the adverse circumstances under which tlie office 

 was compelled to operate during the year, as above indicated, a 

 largely increased volume of l>usiness over previous years was handled. 

 The present Solicitor wishes to take this oi)portunity to express his 

 grateful aj)preciation of the loyal and splendid cooperation given 

 liim by his assistants, l)()tli jirofessional and clerical, in the conduct 

 of the legal work of the department since he became Solicitor. 



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