compensation from moneys derived from the Treasury of the United States. (35 Stat., 1110.)

Temporary employees, employees on leave of absence, with or without pay, are subject to the rule prohibiting political activity. Like restrictions are applied to unclassified laborers.

All rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission regarding political assessments and partisan political activity of office-holders must be strictly observed by all officers and employees of the Department of Agriculture.

46. State and Territorial Positions.-With the approval of the Secretary, employees of the department may hold State and Territorial positions, and State and Territorial employees, unless prohibited by law, may receive appointments under the department, when in either case the Secretary deems such employment necessary to secure a more efficient administration of the duties of the department. (Executive order of June 26, 1907.)

47. Service on Commissions, Councils, Boards, etc.-Employees are prohibited from performing service in connection with the work of any commission, council, board, or other similar body without specific authority of law.

48. Premature Disclosure of Crop Information; Speculation; False Statistics.—No officer or employee of the department, or person acting in any capacity under or by virtue of the authority of the department, who, by virtue of the office, employment, or position held by him, shall become possessed of any information which might exert an influence upon or affect the market value of any product of the soil grown within the United States, which information is by law or by

the rules of the department or office required to be withheld from publication until a fixed time, shall willfully impart, directly or indirectly, such information, or any part thereof, to any person not entitled under the law or the rules of the department to receive the same; or, before such information is made public through regular official channels, directly or indirectly speculate in any such product respecting which he has thus become possessed of such information, by buying or selling the same in any quantity; nor shall any such officer or employee whose duties require the compilation or report of statistics or information relative to the products of the soil, knowingly compile for issuance, or issue, any false statistics or information as a report of the United States. (Sections 123 and 124, of the Penal Code of the United States.)

49. No Outside Interest in Investigations of the Department.-Employees who are continuously employed by the department shall not be connected with or interested in any firm, company, or corporation whose scope of business includes an industry which the employee is investigating for the department; and such employees shall in no case allow their names, work, or connection with the department to be used in promoting or exploiting or selling stock in any firm, company, or corporation whose scope of business includes any special industry which such employees are investigating for the department.

50. Indebtedness; Action on Complaints.-The department will take no cognizance of a debt complaint against an employee, so far as the complainant is concerned, beyond acknowledging the receipt of his communication. Persons claiming to be creditors or collectors of debts or claims will be denied access to

employees for the purpose of presenting or collecting claims during the hours set apart for the transaction of public business or while the employees concerned are on duty. But, although the department will not permit itself to be used as a collection agency, it will not consider as a fit employee anyone who contracts a just debt and then, without sufficient excuse, neglects to make payment. Therefore, upon receipt of a complaint of nonpayment of debt, it will be referred to the proper chief of bureau, who will obtain a report in writing from the employee concerned, which, together with a summary of the conclusions reached by the chief of the bureau in the matter, will be made a part of the official record in his case and considered by the bureau committee on efficiency and promotions in making up the efficiency register. The chief of bureau may recommend to the Secretary that charges be preferred against an employee who contracts a just debt and then, without sufficient or reasonable excuse, neglects or avoids payment thereof.

51. Aiding Others to Pass Civil-Service Examinations. Under penalty of removal from the public service, employees are prohibited from giving instruction, directly or indirectly, to persons or classes of persons preparing for civil-service examination, either privately or in schools or institutions claiming to give instruction along the lines of civil-service examinations. Employees are also prohibited from being concerned financially or otherwise in such schools or institutions.

52. Employees Prohibited from Visiting Indian Reservations.-Employees of the department are prohibited from visiting Indian reservations on official business unless the agents in charge of such reserva

tions have been advised in advance, through the Department of the Interior, of such intended visits.

53. Employees Forbidden to Speculate in Cotton.— All officers and employees of the Bureau of Markets, and all other officers and employees of the Department of Agriculture who may be connected in any way with the administration of the United States cotton futures act, are forbidden, either directly or indirectly, (1) to deal in, or to have or acquire any interest in, any contract for the purchase or sale of cotton for future delivery; (2) to deal in, or to have or acquire any interest in, any spot cotton, without the previous written consent of the Secretary of Agriculture, secured upon application submitted through the chief of the bureau, office, or division in which the applicant is employed; and (3) to use for other than official purposes, or to disclose, or to authorize, aid, or assist in disclosing, to any person or persons, other than officers or employees of the department authorized to receive the same in the line of their duties, any confidential information voluntarily furnished to the department, in the course of the administration of the act, except that such information may be given out to the public, by authorized officers of the department, for such purposes, to such extent, in such manner, and at such times as may not be at variance with the terms upon which the same was furnished.

54. Acceptance of Voluntary Service Prohibited.The acceptance of voluntary service for the Government or the employment of personal service in excess of that authorized by law, except in cases of sudden emergency involving the loss of human life or the destruction of property, is prohibited.

55. Removal or Reduction.-No person in the classified civil service in the department shall be removed

therefrom except for such cause as will promote the efficiency of said service and for reasons given in writing, and the person whose removal is sought shall have notice of the same and of any charges preferred against him, and be furnished with a copy thereof, and also be allowed a reasonable time for personally answering the same in writing; and affidavits in support thereof; but no examination of witnesses nor any trial or hearing shall be required except in the discretion of the Secretary; and copies of charges, notice of hearing, answer, reasons for removal, and of the order of removal shall be made a part of the records of the Office of the Secretary, as shall also the reasons for reduction in rank or compensation; and copies of the same shall be furnished to the person affected upon request, and the Civil Service Commission also shall, upon request, be furnished copies of the same.

56. Suspension During Investigation. No recommendation that an employee be suspended from duty pending investigation will be approved unless it appears that the retention of the employee in a duty status during the investigation will be detrimental to the maintenance of discipline or prejudicial to the investigation. Such suspension, when ordered, shall be for a period not to exceed 90 days, and will leave in abeyance the question of salary during the period of investigation. The period of suspension may be extended beyond 90 days with the prior consent of the Civil Service Commission. In the event of exoneration the employee will be entitled to pay for the period of suspension; otherwise the suspension will be without pay.

57. Misconduct; Bureau Reprimand.—Official misconduct on the part of an officer or employee which, in the opinion of the chief of the bureau concerned, merits no administrative action other than a bureau repri