74TH CONGRESS 1st Session

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SENATE

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REPORT No. 532

TO PROVIDE FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF COOPERATIVE AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION WORK AND THE MORE COMPLETE ENDOWMENT AND SUPPORT OF LAND-GRANT COLLEGES AND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS

APRIL 15 (calendar day, APRIL 18), 1935.-Ordered to be printed

Mr. BANKHEAD, from the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany S. 2228]

The Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, to whom was referred the bill (S. 2228) to provide for the further development of cooperative agricultural extension work and the more complete endowment and support of land-grant colleges and agricultural experiment stations, and for other purposes, having considered the same, report it to the Senate with the recommendation that the bill do pass with the following amendments:

End of line 19 and beginning of line 20, page 2, strike out the words "the allotments", and substitute therefor "$980,000 shall be paid". Line 20, page 2, strike out the words "shall be", and after the word "Hawaii" add "in equal shares; (2) the remainder shall be paid to the several States and the Territory of Hawaii". Line 24, page 2, strike out "(2)" and substitute therefor "(3)", so that these lines shall read:

except that (1) $980,000 shall be paid annually to the several States and the Territory of Hawaii in equal shares; (2) the remainder shall be paid to the several States and the Territory of Hawaii in the proportion that the farm population of each bears to the total farm population of the several States and the Territory of Hawaii, as determined by the last preceding decennial census; and (3) the several States and the Territory of Hawaii shall not be required to offset the allotments authorized in this section.

The full committee held hearings on this bill and recommend that it be passed. The bill covers three phases, viz, cooperative agricultural extension work, additional support of land-grant colleges, and agricultural experiment stations. Each phase is covered by separate sections in the bill.

EXTENSION SERVICE

Section 1 authorizes additional appropriations for extension service as follows: $8,000,000 beginning after date of the enactment of the act, and then stepping up an additional $1,000,000 each year until the amount authorized reaches $12,000,000 annually. Nine hundred and eighty thousand dollars is to be paid annually to the several States and the Territory of Hawaii in equal shares, and the remainder to be paid to the several States and the Territory of Hawaii in the proportion that the farm population of each bears to the total farm population of the several States and the Territory of Hawaii as determined by the last preceding decennial census. The several States and the Territory of Hawaii shall not be required to offset the allotments authorized by this section.

LAND-GRANT COLLEGES

(Section 2)

An additional sum of $960,000 is authorized to be appropriated each year and for the first fiscal year thereafter $500,000 additional, and for each of the two fiscal years thereafter $500,000 more than the amount authorized to be appropriated for the preceding fiscal year, and for each fiscal year thereafter $1,500,000.

AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS

(Section 3)

There is authorized to be appropriated for the purpose of paying the expenses of agricultural research work and the necessary printing and distribution of information in connection with the same, the sum of $1,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1936, and for each of the 4 fiscal years thereafter $1,000,000 more than authorized for the preceding fiscal year, and $5,000,000 for each fiscal year thereafter.

REASONS FOR LEGISLATION

The agricultural extension work is financed at present as follows: Federal appropriations allotted to States and Hawaii, fiscal year 1935___

State, county, and other local funds.

Total..

Allotment of Agricultural Adjustment Administration funds to State extension services, 1935...

Grand total now available..-

$8, 916, 057. 26

11, 041, 632. 12

19, 957, 689. 39

5, 583, 125. 00

26, 540, 814. 39

It will be noted that the Agricultural Adjustment Administration is now providing for the annual expense of the organization $5,583,125. That money comes either from processing taxes or from the appropriation for administrative expenses of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration. It does not constitute a regular appropriation and its continuance is uncertain. If that amount of money should be eliminated the present amount available from all sources is $19,957,689.39. Prior to the depression somewhere from $16,000,000 to

$17,000,000 were made available from State and county funds and voluntary contributions.

At that time the Extension Service had a total for appropriations of between $25,000,000 and $26,000,000. Since that time, as a result of financial difficulties in numerous States and counties, the total amount received from State, county, and other local funds has been reduced to $11,041,632.13. This reduction in income has been temporarily replaced by the Agricultural Adjustment Administration. By eliminating the 5% million dollars furnished by the Agricultural Adjustment Administration and adding the $8,000,000 authorized for the first year, the Extension Service will have a total of $28,000,000, assuming that it continues to get as much from the State, county, and other local funds as it got last year. The contributions from State, county, and other local funds have constantly been considerably in excess of the offset requirements of the acts requiring such offset funds.

Since the Agricultural Adjustment Administration has been in operation the work of the Extension Service has been very greatly increased and it has been necessary to materially increase the number of employees. This increased work has required the employment of about seven or eight hundred additional agents, together with a number of assistant agents in the more important counties. There has necessarily been a great deal of extra travel on the part of the State extension workers and county workers. There have been very large additional expenditures for supplies. One of the most important items of additional expense has been the employment of clerical help in the State and county extension offices. It is necessary to handle the very large volume of work incident to the signing and clearing of several millions of production control contracts by the farmers. It is estimated by an official in the Department that at least $2,000,000 has gone to the employment of extra clerks in county and State offices. The Extension Service includes not only the county agricultural agent work but also the home-demonstration and boys and girls club work. The organization operates in 3,077 counties. The home-demonstration work and the 4-H club work has been very greatly increased, and the values growing out of these organizations cannot well be appraised in dollars and cents. The home-demonstration workers are teaching our farm women how to cook better and also to prepare properly balanced meals and to preserve and can and many other things that are highly valuable and useful in the farm homes. The 4-H Clubs are teaching with a motto, "head, hand, heart, and health," bringing the boys and girls into organizations for character building, athletics, community service, and health.

In view of the very large increased volume of work placed upon the extension service in all of the Departments above mentioned it is believed by your committee that it is highly important to have an authorization for permanent appropriations as carried by S. 2228.

Section 2

The present Federal appropriations is $2,500,000. This subject covers resident teaching as well as all kinds of agricultural research work. Proper training is essential in order to have well-equipped county agents and demonstration and club leaders. The land-grant

colleges constitute the head and heart of the entire program for research and carrying the results to the farmers and farm homes throughout the country through well-trained and properly equipped teachers and leaders.

EXPERIMENT STATIONS

Section 3

Since 1931 there has been a decrease in the funds available to the experiment stations from State appropriations of over 21 percent. The present Federal appropriation for agricultural research is $4,388,000. During 1934 the total State and territorial contribution was $9,757,000. The bill proposes an authorized appropriation of $1,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1936, and for each of the 4 fiscal years thereafter $1,000,000 more than authorized for the preceding fiscal year, and $5,000,000 for each fiscal year thereafter. The research covers land crops, livestock, protection of plants and animals against insects, diseases, and parasites; also nonfood crops, like fibers and fats and drugs; and entire question of processing; the entire problem of human and animal nutrition; the development of our forests in insect control; the control of fungi may be concerned, and also the economic and social development as based on research. It is from this work that practically all of the developments and discoveries in the improvement in agricultural pursuits, including the contest with the enemies of vegetation and livestock have been worked out. New and increasing difficulties make it essential, in the interest of agriculture, that this work be continued on a wider scale.

74TH CONGRESS 1st Session

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SENATE

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REPORT No. 535

SET ASIDE CERTAIN LANDS FOR THE CHIPPEWA INDIANS IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA

APRIL 15 (calendar day, APRIL 18), 1935.-Ordered to be printed

Mr. SCHALL, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, submitted the

following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 2045]

The Committee on Indian. Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 2045) authorizing the setting aside of certain lands for the use of the Leech Lake Band of Chippewa Indians in the State of Minnesota, having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it do pass with the following amendments:

Amend the title by striking out the words "Leech Lake Band of". On page 1, lines 5 and 6, strike out the words "Leech Lake Band of". On page 2, strike out all of lines 3, 4, 5, and 6.

On page 2, line 7, after the word "reserved", insert the words "in trust".

The purpose of this legislation is to withdraw from the State of Minnesota National Forest Reserve a tract of land less than 200 acres in extent for the use and benefit of the Chippewa Indians as a townsite. Several hundred Indians now live on this land or nearby, and several administration buildings are situated thereon.

Under the provisions of this act the Federal Government would be reimbursed from the Chippewa Indian tribal fund for the land so acquired.

This bill has been favorably recommended by the Committee on Indian Affairs of the House of Representatives (H. Rept. No. 262, 74th Cong., 1st sess.) and passed the House of Representatives on April 1, 1935.

The Secretary of the Interior, in his letter of March 7, 1935, addressed to Hon. Will Rogers, Chairman Committee on Indian Affairs, House of Representatives, recommends certain amendments to the bill, which suggested amendments the committee adopts.