364 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



no violations of the statute were reported to the Department of 

 Justice during the year. Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture 

 has continued its investigations of violations and, awaiting report to 

 the Attorney General if the Supreme Court decides the Shauver case 

 in favor of the Government, has in hand evidence of a number of 

 violations. 



Numerous letters were written in response to requests from various 

 sections of the country for information as to the law and the regula- 

 tions. 



MARKETS AND RURAL ORGANIZATION. 



In cooperation with the Office of Markets and Rural Organization, 

 four amendments to the regulations under the United States cotton 

 futures act, amended forms for use in its administration, and drafts 

 of orders and notices establishing and promulgating 11 standards 

 of color for cotton of certain grades were prepared. Assistance was 

 also rendered in preparing opinions, distributed through that office, 

 on various questions arising under the act, and in comparing or re- 

 vising articles for Service and Regulatory Announcements on the 

 official cotton standards of the United States, a history of the move- 

 ment to secure universal cotton standards, the determination of 

 disputes under the act, and other related matters. 



Assistance was given in the consideration and disposition of 422 

 disputes under the act, involving 27,200 bales of cotton, referred to 

 the Secretary. Costs aggregating $9,322.55 were assessed in accord- 

 ance with the act. 



Two suits attacking the validity of the cotton futures act were 

 filed during the fiscal year 1915 in the United States District Court 

 for the Southern District of New York. On October 13, 1915, the 

 court held in the first, Hubbard v. Lowe (226 Fed., 135), that the 

 statute was a revenue measure ; the bill from which it resulted, with- 

 in the meaning of Article I, section 7. clause 1, of the Constitution, 

 originated in the Senate, not in the House of Representatives; and 

 the act was, therefore, unconstitutional. The decision in the second 

 followed that in the first. The first case is pending on writ of error 

 in the Supreme Court. A motion by defendants in error to advance 

 it for early argument was denied. The statute, with amendments, 

 was reenacted as Part A of the agricultural appropriation act for 

 the fiscal year 1917, approved August 11, 1916 (Public No. 190). 



A compilation relating to future trading in grain, prepared in the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry, was considered and revised. 



The legality and form of the plans for the formation and operation 

 of eight cooperative organizations connected with the marketing of 

 farm products were passed upon. 



Additional material relating to the general welfare clause of the 

 Constitution was collected for use in complying with the requests 

 of committees or Members of Congress for the preparation of, or 

 reports on, bills upon various questions affecting agriculture. 



GENERAL STATUTES. 



At the close of the previous year there were pending 16 cases of 

 violations of the general criminal laws of the United States reported 

 to the Attorney General. D iring the present year 13 such cases were 

 reported to the Attorney G neral. Of the cases reported this year 



