580 ANNUAL RKPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



extermination of predatory animals and rodents was also reviewed 

 and revised. Proposed bills amending highway statutes of several 

 States were reviewed to determine whether they met the require- 

 ments of the Federal aid road act. There was also drafted a bill 

 authorizing the Secretary of War to transfer certain surplus motor- 

 propelled vehicles and motor equipment and road-making material 

 to the various services and departments of the Government, and for 

 the use of the States, which became a law on March 15, 1920. Numer- 

 ous special items included in the Agricultural appropriation bill Avere 

 drafted and reviewed, including an amendment of the plant quar- 

 antine law to regulate movement of nursery stock and other plants 

 and plant products into the District of Columbia; a provision for 

 eradication of tuberculosis in animals and authorizing the Secretary 

 of Agriculture to pay part of the value of the animals destroyed in 

 cooperation with the States in the eradication of tuberculosis ; amend- 

 ment of the food and drugs act with reference to foods in package 

 form ; amendment of the act of May 29, 1884. providing for the regu- 

 lation of interstate transportation of animals reacting to the tuber- 

 culin test; a provision declaring certain amendments of the cotton 

 futures act to be permanent legislation ; and an item authorizing the 

 acquisition by the Government by gift, devise, or purchase of certain 

 tracts of land occupied by the Bureau of Plant Industry as experi- 

 ment stations. 



A considerable part of the time of the office was consumed in 

 appearance of its members before committees of Congress in hearings 

 held on various bills affecting in Avhole or in part the work of the 

 department. 



The office prepared or assisted in the preparation of the depart- 

 ment's reports upon various bills referred to it by committees of 

 Congress having them in charge. Among the bills reported upon 

 were 33 affecting the national forests, one authorizing associations of 

 producers of agricultural products, another relating to rural credits* 

 one dealing with the establishment of weights and measures for 

 wheat and corn mill products, one providing for the addition of lands 

 to the Fremont National Forest found to be chiefly valuable for 

 stream flow and the protection of timber and improvement of grazing,, 

 another authorizing the exchange of lands within the Eainier Forest, 

 and one providing for the consolidation of lands in the national 

 forests of South Dakota. In response to requests, members of this 

 office frequently participated in hearings and conferences in Wash- 

 ington and elseAvnere touching the various activities of the depart- 

 ment. Among the hearings held were 17 in connection with the 

 supervision of stockyards under the President's proclamations of 

 June 18 and September 6, 1918 ; 16 in market centers relative to the 

 regulation of grain warehouses; 10 in market centers on the regula- 

 tion of wool warehouses, and 7 in market centers on rice standards ; 

 also 2 hearings with respect to alleged violations of the grain stand- 

 ards act, and several dealing with the settlement of cases under the 

 28-hour law. Conferences were attended relative to the amendment 

 of the rules of future exchanges to conform to the cotton futures act,, 

 as amended ; to classification of cotton and the establishment by the 

 Bureau of Markets of spot cotton quotation service ; to disputes be- 

 tween buyer and seller unler the cotton futures act ; to general revi- 

 sion of the grain standard regulations; to revision of the official 



