FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION 99 



mittees, a bill is first prepared on the basis of the estimates 

 as submitted. This serves as a working paper for the mem- 

 bers of the committee and others who are interested. The 

 next step is the calling of department officials to make state- 

 ments or to answer questions with respect to the needs of 

 the various bureaus or divisions. This examination may be 

 limited to include only the principal officers, or it may be 

 extended to include even project leaders. Both procedures 

 are followed. These " hearings," with some interruptions, 

 generally spread over a period of several weeks. Much is 

 said, both relevant and irrelevant, to the various matters 

 under discussion. One feature of the procedure which im- 

 presses the onlooker is the narrow sectionalism manifested 

 by the members of the committee, and the failure to view the 

 various problems presented from the larger national view- 

 point. Collateral discussions arising out of this narrowmess 

 often result in a failure to give adequate consideration to 

 the actual matter in hand. From a somewhat limited ob- 

 servation, it has seemed to the writer that the actual con- 

 tents of the ordinary estimates receive only the most meager 

 consideration. 



Besides the information contained in the book of esti- 

 mates and such as may be adduced from the "hearings," 

 the committee has at its disposal the detailed statement of 

 expenditures for the entire department for the last and 

 previous fiscal years. This is supplemented by several 

 special statements or reports relating to certain phases of 

 the work of the department. To what extent these are 

 used by the committee in the preparation of its final report, 

 it is difficult to say. 



Apart from the riders and extraordinary proposals which 

 it frequently carries, the report of the Committee on Agri- 

 culture, or the agricultural appropriation bill, does not elicit 

 very much discussion on the floor of the House. Such as 

 there is, like that within the committee, is often cliaracter- 

 ized by sectionalism. In the bill for the fiscal year 1916. an 

 item of one hundred thousand dollars was doubled by the 



