HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 401 
to provide for the general welfare. Of course, that is a pretty broad 
phrase. I suppose it is expected of us that we should interpret it 
reasonably. © 
The Cuarrman. Let me ask you one question, Mr. Holmes; do you 
think that your work has iniproved under bureau formation 4 
Mr. Homes. Yes; it has given us a more elastic organization. 
The Cuatrman. How do you mean, by elastic? 
Mr. Houmes. It has given usa chance to do a good many things that 
we could not do. We have had to go through a lot of red tape to get 
some supplies that we wanted ina hurry, and various other things; 
now we can decide on things ourselves. 
The Cuarrman. Who did you go to before to decide these things? 
Mr. Hormrs. To whatever executive branch of the Department it 
came under, In the supply division the supply man would carry our 
requisitions around in his pocket for a month before we got them. 
The Cuarrman. Do you mean that? 
Mr. Hormes. Well, that is a pretty strong statement, of course. 
Mr. Bown. More or less? 
Mr. Homes. Yes, sir; but the organization is very much better. 
The Cuarrman. Whose fault was that that those requisitions were 
not honored promptly ¢ 
Mr. Hotmxrs. Probably the fault of the supply man. When one 
division of the Department has to transact business through another 
there is always a delay; there is no doubt about that. 
The CuarrmMan. Coming to your field work and gathering of statis- 
tics, that is a small detail ? 
Mr. Homes. I do not think our bureau organization has helped us 
at all there. We could have had that under a division. The bureau 
organization merely is a more elastic organization, giving more power 
to the chief of the bureau than he has under a division. 
’ Mr. Bowrre. And usually an increase of salary ? 
Mr. Hotmgs. We only got a small increase last year. I think you 
gave us $15,000 increase last year, and we had to have a part of that 
ae immediately available. We had already used some of it before 
the year—— . 
The Cuarrman. I will say to the members of the committee that we 
did not pass upon this question at all. There was another considera- 
tion, the proposition to transfer the statistical work to the new Census 
Bureau. The Secretary of Agriculture was very much opposed to that 
on the ground that it was purely statistical work affecting the agricul- 
tural interests of the country and ought to be kept in the Agricultural 
Department, and we passed it over entirely, and when it got over to 
the Senate the Secretary appeared before the Senate committee per- 
sonally or by letter and urged that this division be made a bureau, and 
they inserted it in the bill. Am I right, Mr. Holmes? 
Mr. Houmes. J think that is right. 
The Cuarrman. That is the way it was changed from a division to a 
bureau. : 
Mr. GraFr. It was done in the Senate? 
The Cuarrman. It was done in the Senate last year, with an increase 
of $15,000. 
The Cuarrman. What did you do with that $15,000? 
Mr. Houmes. Principally for field men, for salaries and expenses. 
Cc A——26 
