Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1890-05-10
AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

The Farmers Refusing to Turn Them in
to the Agricultural Department.
Secretary Mohler has addressed a
letter to all the assessors in which be
says:
The farmers no doubt are honest, but
they are wrong in the position they
take, and 1t will require some time to
set them right. 1 have therefore con-
cluded to address a letter TO each as
SCISSOR in the state, and give instructions
how to proceed in cases where farmers
persist in Withholding the information
which the assessor is required to take.
The section of the law in relation to
this matter is as follows:
Sec. 5-Frovides that each assessor
shall perform the services required of
him by personal visit to each dwelling
house and to each family in his town
ship or city, and shall also visit person
ally the farms, mills, shops, mines, and
other places respecting which informa-
ton is required, and shall ascertain by
inquiries made of some member of each
family, if any can be found capable of
giving such information; but if not, the
agent OF such family; and if the agent
cannot be found, or should any such
person refuse to give the information
desired, then he shall obtain the infor-
nation from the most reliable source.
Thus the law clearly provides, in case
farmers refuse to give this information,
a means to secure it-that the assessor
shall obtain it 'from the most reliable
source"
There is no law to compel the farmer
to give this information; but it is made
the duty, under the law, for the assess
or to get it in some way. If all other
means in securing the information fail,
then he should, by a careful estimate.
fill out the blanks in the statistical roll
as required by law.
1t is no hard matter for man who is
so well acquainted as the assessor usu-
ally is in his own township to approx
mate very nearly the acreage of wheat
(winter and spring J, rye, corn, oats, and
other spring crops, as compared with
last years acreage. In like manner, he
can approximate the number of horses,
cattle, hogs, etc.
Let 100 represent the acreage of each
crop grown last year; then, If in your
best Judgment the acreage of a given
crop is 10 per cent greater this year
than last. represent this years acreage
by ITO; if 10 per cent less, by so per
cent. In like manner determine the
percentage of this years stock horses,
cattle, etc., of last years; then, If you
have the farm statistics of last year, as
published in the December quarterly
report of this board, you can very read
lily determine the acreage of each of
the crops for this year. and in like
manner you can also easily ascertain
the number OF horses, cattle, etc., for
this year. If, however, you have not in
your possession the quarterly report
referred to, you can find such report in
the county clerks Office; and one day
spent in his Office after you have made
the estimates of percentage will enable
you to fill out your statistical roll with
very near approach to absolute accu-
racy. The estimates for spring crops
can not, of course, be made until after
the planting season is about over. For
whatever time the assessor necessarily
spends in this way. he is entitled under
the law to So per day.
We must, in some way, get these
statistics; and as the law provides a
way for assessors to get them, even
though farmers withhold them, we trust
very assessor will avail himself of the
means afforded.
What I have said is in the way of
suggestions. It matters not in what
way this information is secured. The
important thing is to secure it. The
farmers now are not in the humor to
listen to argument showing it is for
their interests to give this information
that to this end every state in the
union and every civilized nation in the
world gives it. This ought to be
enough to cause them to pause and
think whether it is not possible that
they may be wrong.