COOPERATIVE RELATIONS 59 



The initial appropriation under this law for the fiscal year 

 1 91 5 was four hundred and eighty thousand dollars — ten 

 thousand dollars to each of the forty-eight States. This 

 sum was to be increased by six hundred thousand dollars 

 for the next fiscal year until the total sum should be four 

 million five hundred and eighty thousand dollars. There- 

 after a permanent annual appropriation of this latter amount 

 is to be made. No payment is to be made to any State 

 except by the assent of its legislature, or Governor, if the 

 legislature is not in session, to the terms of the act. The 

 amounts appropriated in excess of the original ten thousand 

 dollars to each State is to be prorated among the States in 

 the proportion which the rural population of each bears to 

 the total rural population of all the states, as determined by 

 the next preceding federal census.-'' It is further provided 

 that no part of this latter amount shall be paid to any State 

 until an amount of money at least equal to the prorata share 

 of that State shall have been appropriated for the year by 

 the legislature or other agencies within the State, to be ex- 

 pended for the purposes contemplated under this act. 



If, for any reason, the Secretary of Agriculture refuses 

 to certif}^ that any State is entitled to its portion of the ap- 

 propriation, provisions are made for an appeal by such State 

 to Congress, 



Immediately after the approval of this act, the Secretary 

 of Agriculture appointed four of his subordinates as a com- 

 mittee, pending the reorganization of the department, to 

 make arrangements to carry it into effect. A memorandum 

 agreement between the Secretary of Agriculture and the 

 presidents or deans of the agricultural colleges was drawn 

 up and adopted by practically all of the state representa- 

 tives. The assent of all the States to the provisions of the 

 act was obtained, and an organization for the administra- 

 tion of funds granted to the colleges under this act, as well 

 as the funds appropriated for extension work by state 



2° In determining the rural population, the policy of the Bureau of 

 the Census lias been to count as rural all persons who live in com- 

 munities of less than 2500 inhal)ilants. 



