AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATION BILU W2*- 245 



Mr. A.NDKUSOX. Of ctiui-xc timl would l>i'<"(>inc a coiitiiiuiu^ (ihli- 

 gution ill any ovciit. ami un<lor our rulw we could appropriate without 

 specific authorization, hut in a <'ase of this kind it HtM>nis to me that 

 under the lanj;un«;e of the act itself it siin[)ly makes a maximum 

 authorization which is conlroliin'^' upon this committee, at least, in 

 making tho apnropriation. 



Mr. .liMi'. It that is true, that is a very seriou>^ thin;;. 



Mr. .VNDKitsoN. From a le^al point of view the ohli^ations of the 

 Government may he an entirely dilferent (piestion, hut my i«lea is 

 that so far as the rij^ht of this committee to report an appropriation Is 

 concerned it is an authorization for oiu' year, and if we ap[)ropriate 

 oidy a part of that autiiorizjition then the authorization, as far a** it 

 j^oes, is exhausted hy whatever we appropriate un<ler our rul(!s. 



Mr. M.vtiKK. You followed the recommendation oi the Director of 

 the Budf^et f 



Colonel (iKKKLKY. Well, ves; we followed it. 



Mr. Andku.son. Or he followed you? 



Mr. Ma«ek. vSometimes the man at the har has a very serious 

 contention with the judjje. 



Mr. Andekso.n. 1 rect)<;nize your attitude, hut my feeling ahout it 

 is that this committee, at least, is not bound by the judgment of the 

 Bureau of the Budget as to any question of policy; if we tlo not think 

 it is good business policy to appropriate .S3. 000. 000 we can apprc>- 

 priate .SI. 000. 000, and if we think it is better business p<)licy to 

 appropriate .S5,000,000 we can appropriate §5,000,000. Now. if there 

 are any reasons why we ought to appropriate S.5.000,000 for this item 

 I would like to have them. 



URGENCY DEMANDS APPROPRIATION BE CONTINUED. 



Colonel Greelky. Well, sir, may I reopen my statement ? The 

 only facts I would like to bring before the committee from that stand- 

 point are these; We have a long program ahead t>f needed roads and 

 trails of these several classes. Tnere can be no question about their 

 urgency, both from the standpoint of the national forests as Federal 

 property to be protected and developed and also from the standpoint 

 of our obligations to these States and counties to do a reasonable part 

 toward extending their public road sj'stem over Federal lands. 



Tlie Bureau of Public Roads and the Forest Ser%-ice together, each 

 in their respective fields, are organized to-day to continue this work 

 on a scale of at least 56,500,000 a year. We expect to put through 

 SI 1,000,000 of road construction * between the two organizations 

 during the fiscal year 1923. A drop to S6,500.000 means a very 

 substantial cut in the product of the orp;anization that is now actually 

 in existence and built up with trained men, efiuipment, warehouses 

 for equipment, and all that sort of thing about which Mr. MacDonald 

 can tell you more than I can. We are organized and, I think, 

 prettv well organized with personnel and equipment to tlo this work 

 on a minimum basis of SO, 500, 000 a year. Cutting that appropiiaticm 

 in two means that the organization will have to be reduced and that 

 a loss of efTiciency will necessarily result. 



I do not know- that I can sav anvthing more than that. On the 

 basis of §0,500,000 a year it will tal^e at least 25 years to complete 

 the needed forest roads and trails. If that is cut in two or cut at all 

 the length of time required to complete these necessary facilities 



