204 HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 
hours in advance that the water would cover their machinery. They 
stopped work and covered their machinery with a coating of grease, 
and when the floods came the machinery was protected, and when the 
flood receded the grease was wiped off and the machinery went on. 
Without that warning, in all probability, the machinery would have 
been idle a long time. That is one of the illustrations of the impor- 
tance of giving these warnings directly to the people interested. I 
only wish we could make the weather predictions as accurate as we 
can make the flood warnings. 
Mr. Bowrs. Will you tell me right there about the accuracy of the 
weather predictions? 
Professor Moors. I will come to that directly, if you will permit 
me. 
Now, you see, 1 have asked for the promotion of these 2 officials 
and for 5 additional clerks. I want to call your attention to that. 
The Cuarrman. Where are the 5 clerks? 
Professor Moors. Immediately following. 
The Cuarrman. The first is at the top of page 3—“‘ Five clerks of 
class + (1 additional submitted).” 
Professor Moors. Yes, sir. 
The CHarrman. That is only 1 additional clerk? 
Professor Moors. Yes, sir. 
The CuHarrman. ‘‘Twenty-five clerks of class 1 (1 additional sub- 
mitted).” That is another one? 
Professor Moore. Yes, sir; that makes 2. 
The CHarrman. ‘‘ Eighteen clerks, at $1,000 each (3 additional sub- 
mitted).” That makes 5? 
Professor Moors. Yes, sir. 
The Cuarrman. ‘‘Seven copyists or typewriters, at $840 each (3 
additional submitted). ” : 
Professor Moors. That makes 8. 
The CHarrman. ‘‘Two copyists or typewriters, at $720 each (1 
additional submitted).” 
Professor Moors. That makes 9. 
The CuarrMan. One painter, at $1,000. That is all? 
Professor Moors. Yes, sir. That accounts for 9 clerks and type- 
writers. Five of them are for the flood service and 4 of them are for 
another purpose. The 4 clerks do not concern this discussion, and we 
will consider them later. In regard to the increase of 9 copyists and 
typewriters 
The Cuarrman. Let us first take up the-chief of the division. 
Professor Moors. If you will, kindly skip the chief of the division. 
That is an entirely different case from what 1 am trying to describe. 
The Cuarrman. All right. “ 
Professor Moors. I am trying to show the necessity of the river 
service. 
I think right here it is germane for me to say that in 1895 the num- 
ber of employees was 198, and on the 1st of last July the number was 
180. My first estimates I submitted recommended the cutting out of 
$13,000 of statutory salaries. In the next year I think that I recom- 
mended a still further reduction, and so at the present time, with an 
increase outside of Washington of about thirty stations since you have 
been chairman of this committee, our central office force is 18 less 
than in 1895. The force has been adequate for our work for the Jast 
two or three years. Now I am reaching the point where we want 
