Mr. ROSS. Mr. Chairman, representing, as I do, the best agricultural district in the U.S., and this being a question in which my constituents naturally fo an interest, I deem it proper to say a word or 2 upon the ques.tion. In my judgment, those gentlemen in this House who desire to be considered as the friends of the agriculturists of the country will commit a great error if they suffer themselves to be drawn into the net set by some members who are opposed to the Dept of Agriculture, and who now propose to cut down the ordinary appropriations for that Dept. This prop. position is urged ". the ground that thereare objections to the head of the Dept. But is this the proper and legitimate method of remedying i. evil, if there be an evil? I think, Mr. Chairman, it clearly is not. We should continue the appropriations necessary for the continued support of this Dept, and if there are well grounded objections to the pres: ent incumbent we should make efforts to oust him, not by legislation, but by application to the proper appointing power, who will no doubt hear and properly consider any application on the subject. I know that during the last session of congress various individuals were proposed as proper persons to fill this position. I was called upon myself by several persons to sign applications for them. But I did not find that there was any man who towered so eminently above the others as to justify any interference in his behalf. I desired that when we should make a change it should be recognized by everybody as an improvement. My judgment is that whenever a suitable individual shall be presented there is no consideration which will prevent us from all uniting our influence and placing at the head of the dept a COm’. officer, capable of discharging the uties, if the present incumbent is incompe tent, I am not prepared to say that Mr. Newton is the most competent man in the U.S. to hold the position he now occupies: perhaps an improvement might be made; and whenever a man with suitable qualifications for so important a position shall be presented will.give my assent to his appointment. But it is said that a great many of the agri. cultural products sent out by this Dept are not of much value to the people. Suppose we admit this to be the fact, are we therefore to sweep out of existence this important dept, in which the agriculturists of the country are so deeply interested? Why, sir, we can regulate bylaw the distribution of these agricultural products; we can define with pre: cision the duties of the Commissioner; we can specify what sort of fruits and plants and seed; are to be distributed by the Dept of Agriculture, and thus obviate the difficulty of which gentlemen complain. My friendfrom Ohio [Mr. LeBLOND] has alluded to a single article of great value which has been distributed by this Dept. And during the last session of Congress I was in formed by a Senator of a fact, of which I wo not before aware, that the valuable article of white wheat, which is now cultivated exten: sively in this country, and the flourfrom which commands 2 dollars more per barrel than any other flour, was 1st sent out from the Agricultural Bureau of the Patent Office. Well, if that is true that single article of wheat distributed throughout the country. itself is worth more to the farmers than the entire expense of the Agricultural Bureaufo" the time of its inception down to the present time. I am told that other articles in the sam" way are introduced into the country. Are." to be guilty of the folly of striking down this valuable Dept of the Government: in which the agriculturists are so deepl , 1 ested, because we do not happen to " A individual who occupies the highest position in the Dept? I hope such will not be the case.