The prospect is I can keep these men through the winter. I cannot say how it will be in the spring as there is a prospect that there will be a good demand for labor though I have tried to manage things so as to keep the boys until we are through. It would not seem good policy to let these men go and hire inexperienced men in the later. I know it has not been the policy of the administration to let experienced men go. I am paying at the rate of about $4.00 per day for experienced men and this I think is less than the average for common laborers.

I think I once said that if you would state the monthly amount of the appropriation which I could have I would try to cut the garment to the cloth, and it has been much pleasanter since. I have tried to do the best I could with the money. (With more money, of course, since I have been able to get the men I want, I could have accomplished more.) As you know, we have been passing through extremely unusual conditions for the last two or three years. Sometimes, when so many men were drafted and farm work was in full blast I couldn't get men enough of the right kind. Last summer I was able to get all I could pay, for the museum and myself. I employed men to get water on my ranch and paid them the same price that I did my museum men.

I struck something like this about two years ago asked for an extra allowance for a month or two. Later when men were scarce I called for a less amount and thus I believe about balanced the excess. I don't know, of course, just how much you are limited in this matter, but be sure to let me know whether later I am to make this up and when. I would like until Feb. or later if possible but let me know anyway.