River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-12-06
SECRETARY MORTON.
It's Report on Affairs in the Department
of AgrteuIrure.

of Agriculture.
WASHINGTON. Nov. so Following is
L synopsis of the annual report of
Ion J. Sterling Morton, secretary of
! griculture:
lhe report presents a statement showing
that ef the total exports Of this cOul try for
s94 (assaI year farm products aggregated
.6~s,000 600. o. :. s. per cent. Of the whole The
markets Of the No~ld. says the secretary, de-
mand from the Americ.. f.rmer the very best
quality Of breadstuIs aud materials. The
farmer exchanges his products. the results OF
his labors. which have specific purchasing
power, for money having general purchasing
power
Under the heading. For Prime Pork Give
Us Prime Currency the secretary asks:
Would the $50 O00,OO0 worth of f-rnl prod
ucts from the United States sold last year 10
foreign nations have been as reniunerative TO
the American farmer II they had been paid for
In silver as they would h We teen when paid
for IN gold or its equivalents
When the standard coin Of the republic
shall be made Of metal worth as much after Il
is melted as il purports TO be worth In coin.
and the mint values and the commodity values
of all metallic money approximately equal X
will not the American farmer and all other cit
liens become more permanently prosperous
II the American farmer, labOrer and manu-
fac urer are compelled by law 10 submit
to the measurement OF the value OF the
products OF their efforts by d silver standard
will not the foreigner in buying those products
always use the same measure: With his beef,
pork and cereals the American farmer buys
money, and why should he not demand
superlative quality in that which he buys as
the domestic and foreign purchasers insist p
on in that which he sells?
If those buyers demand PRIME beef and
prime pork. why should not the farmer de-
mand prime currency. the best currency. the
best measure OF value. the most fair and facilf
medium OF exch 4nge, In the most unfiuctuatiEg
money which the world of commerce has ever
evolved:"
The secretary denies the frequent allega-
tions on the part Of European governments re-
garding disease, etc, and suggests that II GER
tam Europe n lotions continued to insist on
microscopic inspection Of American pork
and veterinary inspection of beef with gov
ernmental certifieation 20 each the govern
ment OF the United States might well Insist
upon inspection AMI certiheatioL by such for
eiRn govern nents of all importat.nns there
from, whether edibles or beverages, intended
for home consumption
More than TWO years have passed without
the dese-opmen mt Of any plenro-pneumcaia or
other disease in this country viii, II might
be dangerous to British stock interests
The hoped-fSr revocation, nevertheless,
remains unreahsed The scientific inves-
LEGATIONS OF tie bureau have pr, dressed
steadily. Special mention Is made in
9
year OF tubere alosfS aud sheep scab as dis
eases the secretary Of agriculture Is author
ICED 20 guard against in view % the danger 10
human life from tuberculosis The Steriliza-
tiOn of milk has been thoroughly explained in
a leafet which Las had wide circulation. 1t
appears hat sterilization Of milk may be a
perfect safeguard wherever milk is used
/ The secretary reviews the subject Of foreign
markets ana gives figures Of our agricultural
exports, especially those TO Great Britain.
/ That country pa during tee year leiS for
I American breu st1Iffs. pruvislons, 60 ten and
4 tobacco over S3-4 10000. lu,-uainC about Sac
/ 90, , worth of mineral oils with Harc az ara.
/ exports. the united kingdom tUuS : Ier cent.
/ of all exports OF breadstuIs, prov Ons, miner
/ al oils cotton and tobac' D.
/ OF dres> ed beef Greet ritain took from us
during the first six moths OF the year 1924
] sIOOJ0O00 worth. Aust ALASKA Is our chief
/ competitor for the trad Mr.. Morton deems
/ 1. probable that the American farmer viii
1nd more advantage rom the shipment OF
! dressed beef than froI the expectation Of live
cattle.
! He reports a very large increase in the ex-
/ ports of beef and hog products over the year
/ previous, with on, tie other hand a marked
/ decline IA the expo Is OF wheat The review
/ Of the fore5gn mar ct leads n to certain con-
/ illusions as 10 tn future OF our export trade in
! agricultural pr duets as follows:
/ "Competiti9n OF Russia, Argentina, Aus
&
I tions which enable them to grow wheat at a
| low cost. and especially by the proximity OF
| their wheat-growing regions to water COM
/ munication. warns American farmers to nc
! longer depend upon wheat as a staple export
{ crop. On the other hand a good market, al
! fair prices, is to be found in the United King
/ dom for barley and corn, which, owing TO the
/ great variety of uses TO which they may be APP
! piled pre- mise to be in constant and increasing
/ demand.
With reference to the weather bureau the
secretary shows that nearly $4,000 has been
1 saved from the appropriation ami covered
| back into the treasury. He shows that by
needing the admonitiOns OF the bureau re!a-
tive to the great tropical storm OF September
, 1894 vessels valued at over $1,000 OJJ were
, saved SO in DC, Ober. when over 200 vesseis
valued at s19 000 900. were kept in port, owing
TO the bureaus warn ngs. Moreover, many
hun an lives were preserved
( The report Indicates that the recent discus
sion in several Of the larger cities resulting II
"A lessening Of the cost OF bread and the better
ment OF the ticie itself. was the outgrowtl
of the department bulletins bearing upon tht
nutrition Investigations recently undertaken
Secretary Morton degOteS several pagei
J covered with tables in showing what the ex
pense Of the department has been each yea
since 1873. He again reiterates the conviction
I that the prorniscuOus free Distribution OF de
| partment publications should be aboiished-
The secretary is opposed to the whole bust
/ ness OF giving away seeds, and says: "Educa
tiOnally this enormous sum cOuli be made OF
great advantage to farmers il expended in the
! publication of practical bulletins, new ideas
! being Of more value than old seeds D."
In lieu Of 500 900. the pre-. sent appropriation
7 for seeds. he proposes $4,000 to he devoted C
the issue of such bulletins II seed is TO be
given away gratuitOusly at all il -uld be
done under the direction Of the several exp RI
ment stations. the appropriation o. each being
! Increased Is % for the purpose.