The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1894-12-08

ing June 80, 1904, out Of a total expeRdi-
ture of 81 ,9ss, 96s. 80 the department ap-
piled Sis per cent of that sum to scientific
work and Investigation. It is therefore
very plainly observable that the economies
| which have been practieed in the admins
tration of the department have not been at
the expense of scientific research.
The recommendation contained in the
report of the secretary for 1903. that the
vicious system of promiscious free distrl-
button of its departmental documents. be
abandoned is again urged. These publl-
cations may. we'll be furnished without
cost to public libraries, educational insti-
tntions and the officers and libraries
of states md Of the federal government,
but from all individuals applying for them
Il price covering the cost of the document
asked for should be required. Thus the
publications and documents would be Sc
cured by those who really desire them for
proper purposes. Half n million of
copies of the report of the secretary
of agriculture are printed for distribution
Mt an annual cost CT about S3N0,Oo0. Large
numbers of them are cumbering store
rooms at the capitol and the shelves OF
secondhand book stores throughout the
be avoided if the recommendations of the
secretary Were adopted. The secretary
also again recommends that hes ratlitous
distribution OF seeds cease and that no
money be appropriated for that pur-
pose except 20 experiment stations.
he reiterates the reasons given in his re-
port for 1893 for disseminating this I'M
justifiable gratuity and ] fully concur in
the conclusions which he has reached. "A
further important utility in the agricult-
ural statistics is found in their calculation
of the relation of the supply of farm prod
Nce to the demand for them in the mar
kets of the United States and of the world;
1t is deemed possible that an agricultural
census may be taken each year
through the agents of the sta
t~istical division of the department.
such a course is commended for trial by
the chief of that division. Its scope
would be:
!. The area of the more important crops.
9. The aggregate products OF each of
such crops.
3. Tie quantity OF wheat md >orn i'll the
hands of farmers at q date after the spring
sowings and paintings and before the be-
ginning of harvest, and also the quantity
of cotton II tobacco remaining i'll the
hnnds of planters either ut the same date
or at some other designated time. The
ost of the work is estimated at s5D,0W..
Owing to the peculiar quality of the
statistical work II the natural and nc
CURED fitness necessary to its successful
prosecution the secretary of agriculture
expresses the opinion that every person
employed in gathering statistics under the
chief of that division should be admitted to
that service only after thorough, eXhaus-
tive and successful examination Mt the
hands of the United States civil service
commission. This has led him to call for
such examination Of candidates for the
position of assistant statisticians and
also of candidates for offices in
other sections of that division.
The work done by this department of agri-
culture is very thoroughly dealt with in
this communication and | commend the
report of the secretary and the very impor-
tant interests with which it deals to the
careful attention of the congress. The ad-
vantages to the public service of an adher-
ence to the principles of civil service re-
form are constantly more apparent and
nothing is SO encouraging to those in Off
life who honestly desire good govern
people of these advantages. a vast ma
lority of the voters of the land are ready to
insist that the time and attention of those
they select to perform for
them important public duties, should not
be distracted by doing out minor offices,
and they are growing TO be unanimous in
regarding party organization as some
thing that should be used in establishing
party. principles instead of debating the
distribution of public places as rewards OF
partisan activity. Numerous additional
offices and places I've lately been brought
within civil service rules and regulations,
and some Others will probably soon be in
cluded. The report OF the commissioners
will be submitted to the congress-, and l
invite careful attention to the recommend
atoms it contains. / am entirely con
WINGED that we ought not to be longer
without u national board OF health office,
charged with no other duties than such as
pertain to the protection Of our country
from the invasion of pestilence and dis