The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-10-21

of the United States observers and as
sistant observers are employed not only
to take scientific observations and keep
statistics, but to send to the chief of
the bureau at Washington, by tele-
graph the news of the condition Of the
weather all over the country. The chief
editor to handle these reports is the
forecastar, who takes all of he dis
patches, and marking highs and
lows and Other like Indications IF
ETHEREAL conditions on map, figures
out for the entiIe country JUS the k'rd
of weather to which each section is en-
titled. Sometimes a section does lot
get it's deserts, bur that is IN act OF
providence for which he forecaster as
not responsible. This forecast work has
been of immense yalue to farmers, and
it has often warned scamen of lmpeEd-
ing disaster. The weather report is
one of the most valuable and interest
ing of the news publications of the gov
eminent
In addition to the crop report cores
pondentS and the weather observers,
the agricultural department has special
agents at many points sending in news
of the condition of cattle and other in
formation pertaining to subjects which
are within the jurisdiction of Secretary
Morton. And the editors in the differ
emit bureaus which handle these reports
are not the only ''blue pencilers'' in the
department. The secretary of agricul-
ture has a regular editor, known offici-
ally by that title, whose duty it is to
examine and pass on publications to be
issued by the department. Mr.. Rusk
established this responsible Office and
appointed George W. Hills to fill it.
and Mr.. Hills remains the official edit
or of the agricultural department to-
day.
NAVY DEPARTMENT NEWS BU-
REAU.
One of the most important of the
news bureaus of the government is at
tached to the navy department. 1t is
of comparatively recent establishment
1T is known as the naval intelligence
bureau. It's duty is to gather together
from all parts of the world information
about foreign nayies and foreign coast
defences. When Japan and China be-
gan hostihties, Secretary Herbert could
have sent to the naval intelligence bu-
reau, and on a few minutes notice
could have had a full description of the
navies of both the belligerentS and an
admirable description of the sea coast
along which the fight was being waged
There is not a war vessel in the world
which the naval intelligence bureau
cannot describe. This information
comes from the news correspondents of
the naval department, who are in part
the officers of our own war vessels and
in part our representatives in naval
matters at the great capitals of the
world. We have naval secretaries at
tached to all of our principal legations
Besides, the navy department some
times send naval officers abroad on
special mission to gather information.
Sometimes this information is publish
ed, like the admirable book ON Europe
an dock yards, written by Naval Con-
Structor Hichborn, and sometimes it is
kept for the exclusive use of the bureau
of intelligence
The treasury department, of course
is constantly at work, through it's Gus
toms officers and other agents, gather
ing statistics of commerce. These are
published from time to time by the bu-
reau of statistics. The Indian office of
the interior department receives from
its agents not only current news OF the
condition of the Indianss, but stories of
the origin of their tribal customs and
other matters which make a page of
the Indian commissioner report most
interesting reading. The bureau of eth
nology is busi1y engaged in collecting
news of the primitive American. The
geological survey tells the country from
time to time all about its production of
gold and precious stones; about the de-
velopment of irrigation and dozens of
other things which would be considered
good news in many newspaper Off
ces. We send representatives abroad
to report on the Panama canal, the Mic
aragua canal, the International Geog-
raphy congress, the International Mon
etary conference, the International Ma
r1ne conference. In fact, the field Of
news gathering covered by the agents
OF our government is so wide that no
newspaper, however enterpristng. couId
hope to fill 1t.
GEORGE GRANTHAM Balm.