500 AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATION BILL, 1924. 



supervisor reports once a week on everj'-thing that he has done, 

 on every question that has come up in his experience, and either the 

 disposition he has made of it or the disposition that he wants to make 

 of it. The reports of those activities have been summarized and fur- 

 nished to all of the other superivsors once a week, so as to kee]) them 

 in line with every thing that is going on. During the last two months 

 we have. summarized and used the reports in the Department that 

 could be given out to the public without a breach of confidence, or 

 without starting any trouble with any particular yard. The state- 

 ments in the monthly summary, of which I have the last one here, are 

 framed in such a form as to describe just exactly what we are doing 

 at the yards during the month. I have brought copies of the monthly 

 summary, because from that you can better visualize what we are 

 trying to do. 



Mr. Anderson. Wlien a question arises as to rates, would the 

 parties have to come to Washington for a hearing, if the ordinary" 

 procedure w^ere followed ? 



Mr. Morrill. No, sir; we hold the hearing in all cases in the market 

 where the (juestion arises. We do not hold hearings in Washington 

 at all. I do not see where that would do anybody any good. 



Mr. Anderson. I do not either, and that is the reason I asked the 

 question. 



Mr. Morrill. In other words, we want to get the facts, and the 

 place at which to get the facts is in the market where the question 

 arises. You can hold a hearing at the market, and bring in every- 

 body you need and hear what he has to say, and then send him back 

 to his work, just as you do here in your hearings. He can remain if 

 he wants to, but he can go about his business as soon as he has said 

 what he wants to say. The Government bears the expense of its 

 own travel, and the market agencies are relieved of that expense. 

 They get their hearings right on the ground where they have the 

 evidence and the witnesses. If the hearings develop that they need 

 something else, they can go out and get it. For example, we held a 

 hearing in one market recently, and the man who made the complaint 

 presented a case which seemed very meritorious. It was a thing 

 that involved a question that was fundamental in the making of rates 

 in stockvards, but, as a matter of fact, for various reasons the people 

 who had a like interest decided that maybe it was not the best thing 

 for all concerned. They had reasons for thinking that it was not 

 good business. When our people arrived at the yard and found that 

 condition, they simply went out and got the people who knew the 

 facts and brought them in and had them make their statements so 

 that we would be able to decide the case on its merits. We resort to 

 just as little formality as possible to get along with and keep the 

 record clear for legal purposes. 



Mr. Anderson. I tliinK that is a very sound practice. 



COMMISSION RATES. 



Mr. Morrill. The amount of the appropriation provided for by 

 this estimate is precisely the same as we have for this yeai-. There | 

 is no change in it. If you do not mipd my taking your time, I might 

 mention one thing that wo are doing, or have (h)ne, in comiection 

 Avith those commission rates that is of a good deal of interest to us 

 aiul is going to be of a good deal of interest to the commission men. 



