HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 313 
Mr. Apams. We can not. The civil-service business comes in. 
Mr. Hit. It does; and it helps a good deal, but there has been a 
steady reduction in that direction for the last five years. 
The Cuarrman. You have never really made a distinct recommenda- 
tion for the discharge of these incompetent people? 
My. Hit. I have in two cases, but they were both old soldiers, and 
the Secretary told me he would not discharge an old soldier; said he 
would punish them, suspend them, and try to make them see the errors 
of their ways, but he would not discharge an old soldier. 
The Coairman. What was the punishment in that case? 
Mr. Hitt. One man was furloughed for a fortnight with loss of pay. 
The Cuarrman. Do you know what those men are getting to-day ‘ 
Mr. Hitz. One of them the Lord took to himself a few months ago. 
Mr. Bowiz. Were they incompetent or did they commit breaches of 
discipline, of insubordination ? 
Mr. Hixx. Incompetent and insubordinate, and occasionally very 
drunk. On anniversaries, for instance; and anniversaries of great 
battles were very much to be dreaded. 
The CuarrmMan. What salary does the man get who still holds his 
position there. 
Mr. Hitt. $60. I have asked to reduce him to $40. I have con- 
cluded that he wastes so much money that the less salary he has the 
better it is. 
Mr. Haucen. It is possible for you to reduce their salaries? 
Mr. Hit. I have no punitive power at all. I can not suspend him 
for two days. If he became particularly offensive I would ask him to 
leave the place, and refer it to the chief clerk to see what he would do. 
Mr. Lams. The Secretary suspends them when they fight? 
Mr. Hitt. When they fight; yes. 
The Cuairman. I think we will have to pass to your lump-sum 
appropriation. You ask for $15,000 for additional assistance—edito- 
rial, proof reading, inspecting, and other necessary help in the city of 
Washington or elsewhere, etc.—and an increase to $90,000 for labor 
and material required in the distribution of documents—both of those 
cover labor of certain kinds? 
Mr. Hix. The additional assistance cover occasionally an additional 
emergency clerk, an additional artist, and occasionally when we have 
to purchase manuscript——— 
The Cuarrman. Who from? 
Mr. Hitxi. We sometimes find a man who is possessed of a certain 
amount of very valuable information upon some line of work in which 
we are engaged, and we want to publish it, and we want to publish it 
as a publication of the Department. 
The CuarrmANn. Those are men who are not connected with the 
Government? 
Mr. Hix. They are not connected with the Government. We could 
not do that if they were. 
The Cuarrman. I think I have seen some of those that were fur- 
nished by the officials of the experimental stations. 
Mr. Hix. They are, frequently, by some of the officials of the 
experimental stations. The matter was decided by the Comptroller 
that they were not employees of the Department, and could not be 
treated that way. ; 
The CuarrMAn. I remember seeing those publications. 
