802 ANNUAL. REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of which committee shall be to make, under the direction of the eaid Secretary, an 

 annual schedule of required miscellaneous supplies, to standardize such supplies, 

 eliminatine all unnecessary grades and varieties, and to aid said Secretary in 

 soliciting bids based upon formulas and specifications drawn up by such experts 

 in the service of the Government as the committee may see fit to call upon, who 

 shall render whatever assintance they may require. The committee shall aid said 

 Secretary in securing the proper fulfillment of the contracts for such supplies, 

 for which purpose the said Secretary shall prescribe, and all departments com- 

 ply with, rules providing for such examination and tests of the articles received 

 as may be necessary for such purpose, in making additions to the said schedule, 

 in opening and considering the bids, and shall perform such other similar duties 

 as he may assign to them: Provided, That the articles intended to be purchased in 

 this manner are those in common use by or suitable to the ordinary needs of two or 

 more such departments or establishments; but the Said secretary shall have discretion 

 to amend the annual common supply schedule from time to time as to any articles 

 that in his judgment can as well be thus purchased. In all cases only one bond for 

 the proper performance of each contract shall be required, notwithstanding that 

 supplies for more than one department or Government establish ment are included in 

 euch contract. Every purchase or drawing of such supplies from the contractor shall 

 be immediately reported to said committee. No disbursing officer shall be a member 

 of such committee. No department or establishment shall purchase or draw supplies 

 from the common schedule through more than one office or bureau, except in case of 

 detached bureaus or offices having field or outJying service, which may purchase 

 directly from the contractor with the permission of the head of their department: 

 And provided further, That telephone service, electric light, and power service pur- 

 chased or contracted for from companies or individuals shall be so obtained by him." 



In regard to the purchase of supplies under this law, the Attorney General, in an 

 opinion rendered to the Secretary of the Treasury under date of July 25, 1910, held 

 that while the general provision is that each department and establishment shall 

 draw its supplies through one office or bureau, bureaus or offices having a field or out- 

 lying service may, by permission of the head of the department, be excluded entirely 

 from the general rule and order all of th.;ir supplies, those needed for use in the city 

 of Washington, as well as elsewhere, directly from the contractor. 



So far as the Department of Agriculture is concerned, supplies are now purchased 

 by its several bureaus in conformity with this provision of law and the Attorney Gen- 

 eral's opinion; but in order that specific authority may exist under the law cited, 

 which supersedes former statutes, I hereby authoiize the chiefs of the following-named 

 bureaus to purchase supplies, for use in the city of Washington or elsewhere, directly 

 from the contractors: 



Weather Bureau, Bureau of Animal Industry, Bureau of Plant Industry, Forest 

 Service, Bureau of Chemistry, Bureau of Soils, and Bureau of Statistics. 



The Attorney General also held the opinion that contracts for telephone service, 

 electric light, and power service in the District of Columbia must be contracted for 

 by the Secretary of the Treasury. The necessary action has already been taken to 

 carry into effect the will of Congress so far as it affects the Department of Agriculture. 



James Wilson, 



Secretary. 



Department op Agriculture, 



Office of the Secretary, 

 Washington, D. C, October U, 1910. 

 Spectal Order. 



To the chiefs of bureaus, offices, and independent divisions: 



In order that no milk containing extraneous matter, raw milk from cows not known 

 to be free of tuberculosis, or milk of unknown origin may be sold within certain 

 buildings occupied by the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D. C, it is 

 hereby ordered that no milk shall be sold within any building occupied by the 

 Department of Agriculture which is not equal to the classification as defined in 

 Bureau of Animal Industry Circular 114. 



The determinations as to the standards of such milk shall be made by the Dairy 

 Division, Bureau of Animal Industry. 



OflBcers of the various bureaus and divisions in which milk is used will see that 

 this order is enforced. 



Effective October 25, 1910. 



James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture. 



Attest' 



C. 0. Claek, Chief Clerh. 



