384 HEARINGs BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, 
Mr. Burcu. I will read a little brief here showing the work he has 
done and the necessity for it: 
The principal legislation for law officers of the various Departments is the act of 
1870, which Provited for the Treasury, Post-Office, Interior, and State Departments; 
the War and Navy Departments were already provided with judge-advocates-gen- 
eral. At that time there was no Department of Agriculture, merely a small bureau; 
hence it was not provided for in the act of 1870, and the omission has never been 
supplied. Since 1870 the War Department and the Navy Department have each 
been provided with a civilian law officer in addition to the judge-advocates-general. 
The new Department of Commerce and Labor has 17 attorneys, in addition to several 
higher law officers. The Department of Agriculture has at present one acting law 
officer paid the salary estimated for from a general fund, but as the work belongs to 
all the bureaus and divisions it is thought unfair to require one bureau to carry the 
entire expense, and more desirable to have a statutory place on the roll of the Secre- 
tary. This change from a lump sum ‘to a statutory place is in accord with the 
expressed policy of the committee. 
Now, showing the work performed by the acting law officer of the 
Department of Agriculture during the fiscal year 1903: 
Court cases, 8—convictions, 6; nollied, 1; lost, 1. Number of cases presented to 
grand jury (assisting United States attorneys), 15. Cases briefed on request of dis- 
trict attorneys, 2. 
The criminal prosecutions are based upon the animal-quarantine and meat- 
jnspection laws of the Bureau of Animal Industry, and of the renovated-butter act 
of the same Bureau. The number of convictions secured under these acts during the 
fiscal year 1903 was 6, and no convictions had ever before been secured thereunder. 
The office duties of the acting law officer are heavy. Number of leases, agree- 
ments, options, etc., prepared was 168, and the aggregate amount involved was 
something over one and one-half millions of dollars. The majority of these papers 
related to the work of the Bureau of Plant Industry and the division of entomology, 
the latter division requiring agreements for boll-weevil work. Considerable advice 
and research has been cau-ed by the operation of the pure-food law under the 
direction of the Bureau of Chemistry. Nearly 500 contracts for the purchase of 
supplies were drawn during the year, and of course affected all the bureaus and 
divisions of the Department. The Secretary and chiefs of bureaus, etc., have been 
advised almost daily as to the legal aspects of proposed policies. Two cases still 
pending in the Court of Claims have received considerable attention. One of these 
cases is the New York Market Gardeners’ Association 7. The United States for a 
balance claimed to be due on a seed contract. 
Mr. Bowie. Let me ask you a question; you transfer the solicitor 
which you already have, from the lump sum to the statutory sum? 
Mr. Burcu. That is what we request. 
Mr. Bown. What is he paid from now? 
Mr. Burca. From the Bureau of Animal Industry. He was first 
put on because of the violation of laws, and prosecuted a good man 
cases. : 
The Cuarrman. Mr. Burch, did I understand you to say that all the 
other departments have these solicitors? 
Mr. Burcu. They certainly have; every one of them has a law 
department and a great many law officers. 
The Cuairman. What is the use of a law department in the Govern- 
ment, then? 
Mr. Burcs. It would be impossible for the Department of Justice 
to furnish a solicitor at the time needed; they would have to detail 
one from that Department to be constantly on hand to transact the 
business that is necessary to be done. 
The Cuarrman. Is not that really the way it ought to be? 
Mr. Burcu. If you provide the man that is necessary, of course. 
The Cuarrman. This man’s opinion has no force of law? If the 
