ascertained to be in Washington receive allowances of this character and they receive in such instances no more than has been provided by statute in terms of the officer personnel or administratively in terms of the lesser personnel as may be determined to be a proper scale of compensation following the Classification Act of 1923 and now used by the Civil Service Commission.

The early passage of this legislation is recommended in order that the Department of State through its Foreign Service may be in a better position to carry on effectively a wide range of duties abroad for various branches of the Government of a character traditionally conducted by the Foreign Service or incident to foreign relations as without the facilities provided by this bill the Department and the Foreign Service are now seriously handicapped.

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ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION, FISCAL YEAR 1945, FOR THE CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE

FEBRUARY 2, 1945.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. CANNON of Missouri, from the Committee on Appropriations, submitted the following

REPORT

To accompany H. J. Res. 85]

The Committee on Appropriations, to whom was referred the joint resolution (H. J. Res. 85) entitled "Joint resolution making an additional appropriation for the fiscal year 1945 for the census of agriculture," reports the measure with a favorable recommendation for its early consideration and passage by the House.

The Budget estimate upon which the joint resolution is based was submitted by the President on January 17, 1945 (H. Doc. 33), in the sum of $6,784,000, and that is the amount which the committee recommends be appropriated.

Starting with 1925, there has been a quinquennial census of agriculture and livestock showing the acreage of farm land, acreage of principal crops, the number and value of domestic animals on the farms and ranges of the country, and other worth while related information which otherwise would not be available. Duplication of data available to or gathered by other Federal agencies is avoided through controls exercised by the Statistical Standards Division of the Bureau of the Budget.

Rapid changes in the national economy over the past 5 years have made the bench-mark data from the 1940 census of limited value for administrative operations or other uses. There is a pressing need for reasonably accurate and up-to-date statistics on food supplies on hand and of food-production possibilities in the United States for more effectively and efficiently programing for war needs, for the needs of our civil population, for the needs of our allies, and for the needs of the peoples of reoccupied countries, to say nothing of the need for the availability, as and when the peace nears, for up-to-date and reasonably accurate data bearing upon farm economy for the guidance of

Government and business in meeting the problems which reconversion will entail. There is a widespread demand for such data by commercial enterprises and other nongovernmental agencies, according to the testimony.

The Congress recognized the need and worth of this census in voting an appropriation of $650,000 for its initiation in the First Supplemental National Defense Appropriation Act, 1944. Later, in the Department of Commerce Appropriation Act, 1945, an appropriation of $7,250,000 was provided, which, at that time, was deemed to be sufficient for the accomplishment of the whole project. Such latter appropriation reads as follows:

Census of agriculture: For all expenses necessary for preparing for, taking, compiling, and publishing the quinquennial Census of Agriculture of the United States, including the employment by the Director, at rates to be fixed by him, of personnel at the seat of government and elsewhere without regard to the civil service and classification laws; books of reference, newspapers, and periodicals; construction of tabulating machines; purchase, maintenance, repair, and operation of motor-propelled passenger-carrying vehicles; travel expenses, including expenses of attendance at meetings concerned with the collection of statistics, when incurred on the written authority of the Secretary; printing and binding; $7,250,000, to be available until December 31, 1946, and to be consolidated with the appropriation "Census of Agriculture" contained in the First Supplemental National Defense Appropriation Act, 1944: Provided, That none of the funds appropriated in this paragraph shall be expended for field work in connection with such census prior to January 1, 1945.

Since the foregoing item became law, it has developed that enumerators are unwilling to engage their services at the pay rates used in arriving at the estimate upon which such appropriation was based. Actual experience indicates that considerably higher rates will need to be paid, and this unlooked-for turn makes necessary an additional appropriation of $6,784,000, if the job is to be prosecuted completely and successfully. The earlier appropriation contemplated average compensation, per schedule, of from 50 to 60 cents. The new average, per schedule, is 89.8 cents.

Thus far, field offices have been established, local or district supervisors have been employed and trained, and field enumeration has commenced on a limited scale. Greater progress has been hindered because to proceed on a full scale of operation at the compensation rates being demanded would force the incurrence of a deficiency, which would be in violation of law. Expenditures and obligations to date, which must be liquidated, run well in excess of $2,000,000; possibly as much as $4,000,000. It is either a case of losing that investment or supplementing the funds previously appropriated to the extent of the instant proposal.

If provision be made for the payment of appropriate compensation, competent enumerators in sufficient numbers, it has been represented to the committee, can be found among people so situated as not to be available for regular employment. The chief source would be members of farm families: First preference, however, will be given to honorably discharged veterans, members of their families, and members of the families of men still in the service. The committee has been assured that the project will not interfere in any way with the war program. All appointees will be cleared through the United States Employment Service, and, of course, may not be employed if needed and available for war work.

GRANTING 6 MONTHS' SALARY AND $250 FUNERAL EXPENSES TO FRANK J. SIEGFRIED, HUSBAND OF VIRGINIA SIEGFRIED, LATE AN EMPLOYEE OF THE HOUSE

FEBRUARY 5, 1945.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed

Mr. COCHRAN, from the Committee on Accounts, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. Res. 119]

The Committee on Accounts, to whom was referred the resolution (H. Res. 119) granting 6 months' salary and $250 funeral expenses to Frank J. Siegfried, husband of Virginia Siegfried, late an employee of the House, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the resolution do pass.

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