RM Reese to Harrison F. Fitts
Title
RM Reese to Harrison F. Fitts
Creator
Reese, Robert Miller
Identifier
A041121C
Date
1921 April 25
Description
Description of a plan to investigate African American farmers.
Source
US National Archives and Records Administration
130/68/3/00 box #3 entry #5 “Negroes” folder
130/68/3/00 box #3 entry #5 “Negroes” folder
Publisher
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum
Subject
African-Americans--segregation
Contributor
Althea Cupo
Maria Matlock
Relation
A041121D
Language
English
Provenance
Digital copy acquired from federal archives by previous WWPL Archivist, Heidi Hackford.
Text
Dear Mr. Fitts:
With reference to the attached, I suggest
(1) That provision be made for the appointment of one Special Agent at $2500 and one Special Agent at (say) $2000.
(2) That their salaries be carried by the Bureaus on lump funds, in rotation.
(3) That they be detailed to the Office of the Secretary.
(4) That they be assigned quarters in the Main Building, which I can provide.
(5) That they be assigned to the work of investigation of the operations of colored farmers. This work might include the efficiency of work on farms owned or rented by colored farmers; the credit facilities available to colored farmers; the present status and possible extension and improvement of organizations of colored farmers for cooperative buying and selling; perhaps the improvement of sanitary and social conditions among colored farmers.
While these lines of investigations are handles incidentally by other branches of the department, the general work suggested might be carried on as an independent investigation under the direction of the Secretary with the cooperation of the Office of Farm Management and the Bureau of Markets, the results reached to be carefully scrutinized before publication.
Some travel might be involved and probably the provision of a couple of clerks. I estimate that $7000 or $8000 might cover the annual expense. It is near the close of the fiscal year and presumably Bureau lump funds are running low. If the matter is put through by May 1, $1200, approximately, will be required for May and June. This divided among the Bureaus of Markets, Animal Industry, Plant Industry and States Relations Service will amount to (300 per bureau; more or less according to the way the individual salaries could be shifted from payroll to payroll. The Bureau Chiefs concerned would have to be advised of the necessity of meeting this charge.
The charge during the next fiscal year would be about $8000, which might be spread among additional bureaus and lessen the charge per bureau.
(6) The office might be styled “Special Farm Investigations”
I do not see how we can make appointments of the kind under the consideration to any existing administration position. The necessities of the case seem to point to the establishment of a new line of work.
Reese
With reference to the attached, I suggest
(1) That provision be made for the appointment of one Special Agent at $2500 and one Special Agent at (say) $2000.
(2) That their salaries be carried by the Bureaus on lump funds, in rotation.
(3) That they be detailed to the Office of the Secretary.
(4) That they be assigned quarters in the Main Building, which I can provide.
(5) That they be assigned to the work of investigation of the operations of colored farmers. This work might include the efficiency of work on farms owned or rented by colored farmers; the credit facilities available to colored farmers; the present status and possible extension and improvement of organizations of colored farmers for cooperative buying and selling; perhaps the improvement of sanitary and social conditions among colored farmers.
While these lines of investigations are handles incidentally by other branches of the department, the general work suggested might be carried on as an independent investigation under the direction of the Secretary with the cooperation of the Office of Farm Management and the Bureau of Markets, the results reached to be carefully scrutinized before publication.
Some travel might be involved and probably the provision of a couple of clerks. I estimate that $7000 or $8000 might cover the annual expense. It is near the close of the fiscal year and presumably Bureau lump funds are running low. If the matter is put through by May 1, $1200, approximately, will be required for May and June. This divided among the Bureaus of Markets, Animal Industry, Plant Industry and States Relations Service will amount to (300 per bureau; more or less according to the way the individual salaries could be shifted from payroll to payroll. The Bureau Chiefs concerned would have to be advised of the necessity of meeting this charge.
The charge during the next fiscal year would be about $8000, which might be spread among additional bureaus and lessen the charge per bureau.
(6) The office might be styled “Special Farm Investigations”
I do not see how we can make appointments of the kind under the consideration to any existing administration position. The necessities of the case seem to point to the establishment of a new line of work.
Reese
Original Format
Letter
To
Fitts, Harrison F.
Files
Collection
Citation
Reese, Robert Miller, “RM Reese to Harrison F. Fitts,” 1921 April 25, A041121C, Race and Segregation Collection, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.