APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1939 HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS._ SEVENTY-FIFTH CONGRESS CLARENCE CANNON, Missouri THOMAS S. MCMILLAN, South Carolina J. BUELL SNYDER, Pennsylvania JOHN F. DOCKWEILER, California GEORGE W. JOHNSON, West Virginia JAMES M. FITZPATRICK, New York LOUIS C. RABAUT, Michigan JOACHIM O. FERNANDEZ, Louisiana J. BURRWOOD DALY, Pennsylvania ROSS A. COLLINS, Mississippi JOHN TABER, New York ROBERT L. BACON, New York J. WILLIAM DITTER, Pennsylvania MARCELLUS C. SHEILD, Clerk SUBCOMMITTEE ON STATE, JUSTICE, COMMERCE, AND LABOR DEPARTMENTS APPROPRIATIONS Messrs. MCMILLAN (Chairman), TARVER, MCANDREWS, RABAUT, CALDWELL, BACON, and CARTER II LIBRARY OF CONGRESS FEB 2 1 1938 DIVISION OF DOCUMENTS HEARINGS CONDUCTED BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE, MESSRS. THOMAS S. MCMILLAN (CHAIRMAN), MALCOLM C. TARVER, JAMES MCANDREWS, LOUIS C. RABAUT, MILLARD F. CALDWELL, ROBERT L. BACON, AND ALBERT E. CARTER, OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IN CHARGE OF THE DEPARTMENTS OF STATE, JUSTICE, COMMERCE, AND LABOR APPROPRIATION BILL FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1939, ON THE DAYS FOLLOWING, NAMELY: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1937. STATEMENT OF HON. HOMER CUMMINGS, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL Mr.MCMILLAN. We will begin this morning the consideration of the estimates for the Department of Justice for the fiscal year 1939. We have with us the Attorney General, and I am sure the committee is always delighted to have him here. I assume, Mr. Attorney General, you have a statement to make to the committee regarding the financial set-up of your Department in a general way. Of course, we will get the details at a later time from the heads of the various divisions of the Department. If you are prepared to give us a general statement at this time covering your activities, we shall be very glad to hear you. Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I hope I can make my statement this morning relatively brief. INCREASE IN VOLUME OF WORK OF DEPARTMENT In general, Mr. Chairman, the work of the Department has been progressing in a satisfactory fashion. The most significant thing about it, as indicated by the experience of the past year and previous years, has been the steady increase in the volume of business. That, of course, is inevitable, in view of the character of the Department and the fact, that in a way, it is the clearing house of practically all of the activities of the Government. In some aspects of its work almost every department of the Government contacts the Department of Justice. So, as the Government grows, the Department of Justice grows. As our activities widen as a nation, the Department of Justice has to take on new duties. I think, in a general way, there has been a lag between the creation of new responsibilities and the funds with which to care for them. 1 |