384 ANNUAL KEPOETS OF DEPAKTMENT OF AGRICULTUEE. 



Four meetings of the National Forest Eeservation Commission 

 were attended. 



In addition to the 1,558 contracts prepared for the Forest Service, 

 and the 162 purchase agreements under the Weeks law, 194 contracts, 

 262 leases, 25 bonds, 185 renewals, and 11 notices of termination were 

 prepared for the several bureaus, divisions, and offices of tlie depart- 

 ment, making a total of 2,397 documents of these classes. 



One thousand four hundred and forty written opinions, including 

 638 for the Forest Seiwice, were rendered. In addition 87 opinions 

 upon questions arising in the administration of the United States 

 grain standards act were prepared and distributed through service 

 and regulatory announcements or bulletins of the Office of Markets 

 and Kural Organization ; and upwards of 200 opinions in the form of 

 letters for the signature of the Chief of the Office of Markets and 

 Rural Organization were prepared, revised, or approved. No ac- 

 count was kept of numerous informal opinions rendered, in confe.r- 

 ence and otherwise, to the various officers and bureaus of the 

 department. 



Forty-seven applications for letters patent on inventions of em- 

 ployees of the department for dedication to the public were pre- 

 pared and filed. 



Forty claims for balances due estates of employees of the depart- 

 ment who died intestate were examined, the necessary papers pre- 

 pared for their payment, and advice furnished administrative officers 

 of the department relating to the same. 



Six cases involving questions of irregularities or misconduct by 

 employees in their official duties were reviewed. In each the facts 

 were investigated; and in two cases formal charges were prepared 

 after the employees concerned had had full opportunity to reply. 

 The charges, the answers, and the evidence received consideration, 

 and the matters were reported to you for decision. Three memo- 

 randa were prepared on general questions relating to the personnel of 

 the department. 



At the request of the Office of Markets and Rural Organization, 

 representatives from this office accompanied representatives from 

 that office to the principal grain markets of the United States in con- 

 nection with the administration of the United States grain standards 

 act and to various points of the Northwest to assist in the organiza- 

 tion of cooperative work among producers of staple agricultural 

 products. 



Aid was given the advisory committee on finance and business 

 methods in drafting a revision of the administrative regulations and 

 various amendments of the fiscal regulations; to the Office of Marli:ets 

 and Rural Organization in drafting rules and regulations and forms 

 for administration and enforcement of the United States grain 

 standards act, the United States cotton futures act, the United States 

 warehouse act, and the standard basket and container act, and in 

 revising the regulations and forms of the Treasury Department under 

 the cotton futures act ; to the Office of Public Roads and Rural Engi- 

 neering in the preparation of rules and regulations to carry out the 

 Federal aid road act; to the Forest Service in drafting rules and 



