HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 319 
The Cuatrman. Would you not be the proper person to consult in 
regard to that on the estimates for what is called the office of the Sec- 
retary. 
Mr. Evans. Yes, sir. 
The Cuatrman. The chief clerk, the telegraph and telephone opera- 
tors, and there is an increase asked for an assistant engineer, and 
other things asked for. 
Mr. Evans. Yes, sir. 
The Cuarrman. Who would have specific charge of these people? 
“You do, do you not? 
Mr. Evans. Not entirely; no. 
The Cuarrman. Whom ought we to see about that roll? 
Mr. Evans. The chief clerk of the Department. 
The Cuarrman. Then let us go to page 21, division of accounts 
and disbursements. The first change that I notice there is the increase 
of the salary of the chief of the division, $250, making it $3,000, 
instead of $2,750 which you get now. 
Mr. Evans. Yes, sir. 
The Cuarrman. I suppose that you have a little delicacy about giv- 
ing your reasons for your own increase, but you may state in your 
own way to the committee why you think that you ought to have an 
increase. 
Mr. Evans. That increase was based upon the work and the respon- 
sibility that I have as chief of the division, not as disbursing clerk. 
As chief of the division I have a great deal of work to do that other 
disbursing clerks, the disbursing clerks in other departments, have 
not. For instance, all the accounts of the Department are prepared 
in my office, audited, and paid there. In the other departments, as a 
general thing, the accounts are prepared in another division, and 
merely come to the disbursing clerk for payment. With me, from 
start to finish, it is all in my office. 
The Caarnman. And any appropriation for your Department passes 
through your office? 
Mr. Evans. Yes; Iam the only disbursing clerk of the Department. 
I pay all the moneys for the different appropriations. All the requi- 
sitions for supplies are issued by me and over my signature. All 
letters of authorization for travel and otherwise are issued by me, and 
all requisitions for transportation and orders for transportation of 
Government property are issued over my signature. I prepare the 
schedules for annual supplies and all the legal work of the Department 
is done in my division and under my supervision and direction. All 
those things are really outside of my duty as disbursing clerk. 
The Cuatrrman. What increases have you had? 
Mr. Evans. I have had only one increase, which came the Ist of 
last July. 
The Caarrman. You had $2,500 before that? 
Mr. Evans. I had $2,500 for a good many years. And the appro- 
priations for the last ten years have doubled, from about $2,600,000 
to $5,200,000 for the present year. 
The Cuarrman. It has more than doubled? 
Mr. Evans. More than doubled. 
Mr. Apams. It is $6,000,000, is it not? 
Mr. Grarr. Do | understand this increase is for the present year? 
Mr. Evans. For the present year. 
