29 



by them. A change in the director is inevitably a temporary shock to the work, often 

 interrupts projects, causes changes in the policy and personnel, and creates an era of 

 uncertainty; hence a change is not justified except when clearly indicated by incom- 

 petence or inability. In the discharge of its functions in administering the Federal 

 funds and in seeing that they are properly used, the Department of Agriculture should 

 not fail to take cognizance of so important and vital a change as that of director. 



The Adams Act directs that the Secretary of Agriculture shall each year ascertain 

 and certify to the Secretary of the Treasury as to each State and Territory, whether it 

 is complying with the provisions of this act and is entitled to receive a share of the 

 annual appropriation. It authorizes the Secretary to withhold certification, thus sus- 

 pending payment, and to report the matter to Congress. While the right of the col- 

 leges to direct the stations within their States and select the members of the station 

 staff is recognized, radical changes in the personnel or policy of the station, except for 

 good and valid reasons, should, it is believed, be held to be unwarranted interference 

 of the governing board with the conduct of the station. Such action fails to recognize 

 the cardinal principles of efficient administration and places an institution in a posi- 

 tion of inability to properly employ the Federal funds. It is believed that such a 

 condition does not warrant the Federal Government in continuing to advance funds 

 to the college or its experiment station, and should lead to the withholdiag of funds 

 until conditions favorable to their effective use are restored. 



COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK. 



ACT OF 1914 PROVIDING FOR COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK. 



[Smith-Lever Act.] 



aN act To provide for cooperative agricultural extension work between the agricultural colleges in the 

 several States receiving the benefits of an act of Congress approved July second, eighteen himdred and 

 sixty-two, and of acts supplementary thereto, and the United States Department of Agriculture. 



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America 

 in Congress assembled, That in order to aid in diffusing among the people of the United 

 States useful and practical information on subjects relating to agriculture and home 

 economics, and to encourage the application of the same, there may be inaugurated 

 in connection with the college or colleges in each State now receiving, or whic h may 

 hereafter receive, the benefits of the act of Congress approved July second, eighteen 

 hundred and sixty-two, entitled "An act donating public lands to the several States 

 and Territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the 

 mechanic arts" (Twelfth Statutes at Large, page five hundred and three), and of the 

 act of Congress approved August thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety (Twenty- 

 sixth Statutes at Large, page four hundred and seventeen and chapter eight hundred 

 and forty-one), agricultural extension work which shall be carried on in cooperation 

 with the United States Department of Agriculture: Provided, That in any State in 

 which two or more such colleges have been or hereafter may be established the appro- 

 priations hereinafter made to such State shall be administered by such college or 

 colleges asHhe legislature of such State may direct: Provided further , That, pending 

 the inauguration and development of the cooperative extension work herein author- 

 ized, nothing in this act shall be construed to discontinue either the farm manage- 

 ment work or the farmers' cooperative demonstration work as now conducted by the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry of the Department of Agriculture. 



Sec. 2. That cooperative agricultural extension work shall consist of the giving 

 of instruction and practical demonstrations in agriculture and home economics to 

 persons not attending or resident in said colleges in the several communities, and 

 imparting to such persons information on said subjects through field demonstrations, 

 publications, and otherwise; and this work shall be carried on in such manner as 



