Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-12
THE AGRICULTURAL DEpARrMExr.
What Secretary Rusk Says of Representative
Jerry Simpson's Resolution.

1 Jerry simpsons Resolution.
THE MORE THE WORKINGS OF THE DEPARTMENT
ARE INVESTIGATED THE BETTER THEY WILL 81
APPREcIATED-MR- SIMPSONS SUPREME INDIF
FEnEScE-A TIME-wosS ACCUSATION.
There was no evidence Of discomposure a,
the Agricultural Department today because OF
the attack made upon the department by Rep
resentative Jerry Simpson. Business was NOV
ing along with its customary celebrity in spite Of
the fact that the statesman from Medicine
Lodge had yesterday introduced in the House
the following resolution:
| "Whereas the Department Of Agriculture
has como to that degree OF national importance
! that its head official has reached the dignlted
! position of a cabinet officer, and hence con-
! stitutional adviser of the President: and
Whereas President Harrison, in his late mes
sage to Congress, in referring to this branch Of
| the public service, said IF the establishment
of the Department of Agriculture was regarded
| by any one mere concession to the I'M
enlightened demands of a worthy class of peo-
| pie that impression has been most ehectually
| removed by the great results already attained"
and
Whereas there may have arisen in the minds
of several of that worthy class of people
known as tillers of the soil grave doubts con-
corning 'the great results already attained in
the interest of American agriculture, by this
department, by reason of a belief, more or less
prevalent, that presumed authori;a-
tive data concerning crops, grow
ing or harvested, has been furnished
to boards of trade, chambers of commerce and
conventional grain dealers, who may be char
acteriZed as market wreckers" aud as opera
tors in futures" prior to the conveyance of
this knowledge TO the toiling husbandman; by
reason, also of quite considerable impression
that obtains, that garden seeds are purchased
for the purpose of distribution among the
farmers. OF tho land that were grown so long
ago that they are destitute of proper germinat-
ing qualities; and further by reason of an ex-
tensIve feeling in the mind of the general pub
lie that is practically interested in agricultural
pursuits that the department is made harbor
for large number of employees because OF po-
ltical considerations and influences inimicalto
the public veal: Therefore Hs0
BE 1t resolved. That a committee of five men,
bers of the House of Representatives be APP
pointed by the Speaker for the purpose of in
curing into the condition Of the department
and of all matters relating to it that have
bearing upon the things above referred
to and stand connected with clean,
economical, honest and just administration of
Its affairs. Said committee shall be granted
power and authority to send for persons and
papers, to employ clerk, to administer oaths.
to take testimony, and when their investiga-
tions are ended they shall report their conclu-
sions to this House.
SECRETARY RUsK's VIEWS
Secretary Rusk was looking at the resolution,
as printed in the Congressional Record, when a
STAR reporter saw him today. In reply to the
question as to what he thought Of the resolu-
ton the Secretary said:
"All have to say about tho resolution of Mr..
Simpson. to which you call my attention. Is
that l heartily welcome anything which will
compel members of Congress to learn
more about this department than many
of them now do. I should be glad
for my own sake, for the departments interest
the workings of this department more
thoroughly understood and appreciated
by members OF Congress and citi-
zens generally than they are. Singularly
enough. although Mr.. Simpson. understand,
owes his election to farmers votes and poses
as distinctively representative of the
farming interest, he has paid but little at
tention to this department and Its work.
am quite satisfied that the better he
becomes acquainted with it the more he will
appreciate it. This has been my experience in
the case Of all those who have sought a more
intimate knowledge of the work We are doing
and how We do it.
Mr.. SIMPSONS INDIFFERENCE.
Speaking of this apparent indifference on
the part of Mr.. Simpson, l learn from DR..
Wiley, chief chemist Of this department, to my
very great surprise, that although
one of the most interesting experiments
being conducted under the auspices of this
Department is now being carried at his
own home, Medicine Lodge q refer to the
very successful experiment in the application
of alcohol in the manufacture of sugar from
sorghum, an experiment fraught with
important and valuable results to the
farmers of Mr.. Simpsons own state) he HIM
self, SO DR.. Wiley informs me- has never taken
the pains to personally visit and inspect
our works at Medicine Lodge, a very marked
contrast, by the way, to the active interest OF
Senator Plumb, who, during. last
the laboratory and in the field
with our representative in charge. There are,
no doubt, many things which l would like to
see undertaken by the department which Con-
gress has not yet provided for, and am salts
fed, said before, that the better its work is
known the more it will be appreciated, and its
scope enlarged accordingly.
las to the quality OF the seed sent out by
the department" Secretary Rusk continued,
lit would be strange indeed il, out of some
few that did not terminate, or that
few should be misplaced. SO that
seeds sent out labeled one thing
should prove to be the seed of something else.
Such a mistake will occasionally occur when
millions of these things are handled by a large
force Of persons engaged temporarily for this
purpose-wo have no other means of doing it
and one such case generally affords you news
paper fellows few hundred paragraphs.
rIME-woRN ACCUSATION.
"In regard to the conveying of statistical in
formation to boards Of trade and Others ahead
Of its communication to the farmers, that is q
time-worn accusation, and one which, / confess.
III had heard often that when l
came to this department l was
little in doubt whether some such practice were
not i'll existence. One of the first things did
way to study out the course by which this in
formation was given to the public,
and l tell you ii anybody can discover
anything approaching improperly
favoritism in the distribution of our crop re-
ports. he must be smarter man than l am.
Our cotton reports are given out at noon on the
10th of each month, report being handed
to myself and to the representative o:
the Associated Press simultaneously, and
the reason for giving it out this early is that if
it did not reach our OWE producers that Jay
the advantage would be TO the foreign pur-
chasers, who would receive the information
before the producers could take advcnt-
age of it. Reports on other crops are
not given ont until O'Clock in the afternoon,
| too late for the evening papers, but reaching
through the Associated Press agent who takes
| them at that hour all the morning news
papers in the country. At the same
| time that the brief Geographic synopsis
| is placed in the hands Of the press association
| a more extended synopsis specially. prepared
| for the information OF farmers, Is sent down to
| the public printer and by him printed
| with such expedition that We begin to
! mail them the following day. These
/ Sypopeas are mailed directly to every farmer