458 AGRICULTUR.VL APPROPRIATION BILL, 1924. 



Mr. Kitchen. We have oiily had two claims, and thev amount to 

 $29. 



Mr. Magee. You recoo^nize that amount as just i 



Mr. Kitchen. Yes. We secured all of the necessary supporting 

 statements before they were sent to the comptroller. 



Mr. Anderson. The whole question is on the legal aspect, as to 

 whether you have authority to pay them, rather than upon the 

 validity of the claims ( 



Mr. Kitchen. They are absolutely good claims and I recommended 

 that they be paid; but these being the first ones, naturally we made 

 a test case of them, and put the proposition up to the comptroller. 

 We can not afford not to pay these claims. 



Mr. Buchanan. Have you any records upon which you could base 

 an estimate of the total amount of claims that might be allowed 

 during a fiscal year, or what they would amount to i 



Mr. Kitchen. Well, these two claims occurred in May, I believe, 

 and we have not had any since. Now, if everything goes well, we 

 ijiight go through a year and not have a claim. On the other hand, 

 some experienced man might quit and we might get more claims in a 

 month tnan we had had for two years. 



Mr. Jump. Something might happen overnight, and we would have 

 more claims the next morning than we might have in two years with 

 good luck. 



Mr. Kitchen. Yes. A serious mechanical accident might produce 

 large claims. 



I believe there was some other language, also. 



Mr. Anderson. There is some new language proposed in the 

 estimates. 



PURCHASE OF NECES.SARY SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT. 



Mr. Kitchen. Yes. The other change that we would like to have 

 is after what I have just suggested. We would like to have the 

 words — 



Provided, That the Secretary of Agriculture may purchase necessary supplies and 

 equipment for use at Center Market without regard to awards made by General Supply 

 Committee. 



We have felt justified for asking for that for this reason, that we 

 are operating a business institution and competing with other busi- 

 ness institutions, and in buying supplies and materials we fretiuentlv 

 fhid that we can buy cheapei" in the open market tlian we can tlirough 

 the General Supply Committee contracts, and for that reason we 

 would like to have authority to buy either through the General Sup- 

 ply ('onnnittee or in the oj)on market, whichev(M- we beli{>ve to be 

 most advantageous to the Govrrnment; but in doing that we would 

 not be released from any of the laws or legulations of the department 

 re(niiriiig competitive bids. Any uurchase under the Department of 

 Agiieulture amomiting to more than S")() has to be pmeliased by 

 open bids. 



Mr. Mauek. Open bidsf 



Mr. Kir< iiK.v. I'es. Thi.s language is merely to place the (Jovern- 

 ment on an e(|iial footing with [irivate industry in the o|)eration of 

 til is plant. 



Mr. Ma<;ee. Where you purchase supplies you get them all through 

 the General Siipply Commit lee? 



