Agriculture Appropriation Act of 1905

On March 3, 1905, The Agriculture Appropriation Act was created under the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt.^[1] Martin Dodge was the director of the OPRI (Office of Public Roads Inquiry) until 1905 when the act was passed. The Division of Tests of the Bureau of Chemistry joined with The Office of Public Roads Inquiry to form the Office of Public Roads (OPR). A scientist was needed to be in charge of all the scientific and technical work. Logan Waller Page was appointed the head of the organization by the Agriculture Appropriation Act. The OPR has a yearly budget of 50,000 dollars. It is the first permanent federal road agency. The act required the OPR to fill ten full time positions. The act acquired farm and architectural functions of the Rural Engineering Investigations Division of the Office of Farm Management, while consolidating the Drainage and Irrigation divisions of the office of farm management to form the OPR and Rural engineering.^[2] Many programs fall under this act such as the Food and Nutrition Program, and Conservation Program. David Obey is now the Chairman over Appropriations.

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