312 HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 
Mr. Burreson. Who is the chief clerk? 
Mr. Hix. Col. 8. R. Burch. 
A Memeer. I thought Geddes was chief clerk? 
Mr. Hiiu. He has not been for nearly six months. 
The Cuarrman. If these 8 or 10 people that you think are incom- 
petent for one reason or another were supplanted by 8 or 10 good 
people you would not ask any increase? 
Mr. Hitt. Well— 
The CHarrman. Ido not mean increase in salary, but increase in 
your force. 
Mr. Hix. Well, Mr. Chairman, I am asking for so little increase 
now for force; I would have to for what we havealready been decreased; 
and I would have to ask, anyway, because the people I speak of are so 
insignificant as regards salary and position—‘‘the deadwood”—it 
would not help me in the points we have been thaking. When it comes 
to the other $10,000 we are going to get to, that is mostly for material. 
There is very little of wages there, except for some additional photo- 
graphic help. : 
The Cuarrman. I thought we ‘‘sat upon” photographic help, or 
photographs, last year? 
Mr. Hixxy. We sat down on expensive illustrations, and that is what 
increases photographic work. 
Mr. Burieson. Before we pass from these 8 or 10 clerks, it strikes 
me that when it is brought to our attention that there are 8 or 10 men 
in any division who are not rendering proper service, who are inefii- 
cient and idle, and when the chief of the division says that he has tried 
to get rid of them and can not, on account of ‘‘ pull,” I think we ought 
to ask who they are. Send for the chief clerk, and ask him why he 
does not dispense with their serviees. 
The Cuatrman. Did the committee understand you to say that you 
had recommended their discharge? 
Mr. Hii. I have never formally recommended it; I have discussed 
the matter occasionally with the chief clerk, that such and such a one was 
avery ‘‘poor sister.” Insome cases I have discovered there are reasons; 
in one or two cases they may be eleemosynary; may be cases almost 
of charity. I can think of one case now that I think is largely due to 
long and faithful service of many years of a father who is now help- 
less. He served his country for many years in responsible positions 
at a good salary and he is now old, helpless, and I think the party who 
is trying to do this work is conscientious and does the best possible, 
but is not very fit for work. 
Mr. Haskins. You say the influence of Senators and Members of 
Congress keep them there? 
Mr. Hitz. As a rule; yes, sir. It is generally something of that 
sort; yes, sir. I think that the reduction which has gone on with us 
in that respect has been very satisfactory, and that has given us all 
hope. There has been a continual sloughing off of that kind of thing, 
and no additions to it. 
Mr. he You think the present Congress is improving in that 
respect? 
_Mr. Hitz. Either in that respect or it is becoming to think it is a 
kind of hopeless matter to get people on now. We are hedged about 
with a great many regulations, you know, but I do not think they get 
after us as they used to do. 
