Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-03

the cost of such inspection. and I call at
tention to the arguments presented in his
report In support Of this recommendation.
The live beef cattle exported and tagged
during the year numbered 1853. $50. This is
an increase of 69.533 head over the pre-
vious year.
The sanitary inspection of cattle shipped
to Europe has cost an average Of 10 3-4
cents for each animal. and the cost Of in
specting southern cattle and the disinfec-
ton Of cars and stock yards averages 81
cents per animal
The scientific inquiries of the bureau of
animal industry have progressed steadily
during the year. Much tuberculin and
mallein have been furnished to state au-
thorities for use In the agricultural col
leges and experiment stations for the
treatment of tuberculosis and CHAMBERS.
Quite recently this department has pub
lished the results of its investigations of
bovine tuberculosis. and its researches will
be vigorously continued. Certain herds in
the District of Columbia will be thoroughly
inspected. and will probably supply ade-
quate scope for the department to intelli-
gently prosecute it's scientific work and
furnish sufficient material for purposes of
Illustration. description and definition.
The sterilization of milk suspected of
containing the bacilli Of tuberculosis has
been during the year very thoroughly ex-
planned in a leafiet by DR.. D. E. Salmon,
the chief Of the bureau, and given general
circulation throughout the country.
Farmers Are Being Educated.
The office Of experiment stations, which
Is q part of the United States Department
of Agriculture, has during the past year
engaged itself almost wholly in preparing
for publication works based upon the re-
ports of agricultural experiment stations
and other institutions for agricultural in
Qury in tina United States and foreign
countries.
The Secretary in his report for 1893 call
ed attention to the fact that the appro-
priations made for the support of the ex-
pertinent stations throughout the Union
were the only moneys taken out of the
national treasury by act of Congress for
which no accounting to federal authorities
was required. Responding to this sugges-
ton. the Fifty-third Congress in making
the appropriation for the department for
the present fiscal year provided that
The Secretary of Agriculture shall pre-
scribe the form Of annual financial state
ment required by section Of said act of
March 2, 1881; shall ASCERTAIN whether the
expenditures under the appropriation here
by made are in accordance with the pro-
visions of said act, and shall make report
thereon to Congress.
The best service of the statistician of the
Department of Agriculture Is the ascer-
tainment, by diligence and care, of the
actual and real conditions, favorable or
unfavorable, of the farmers and farms OF
the country and to seek the causes which
produce these conditions, to the end that
the facts ascertained may guide their in
telligent treatment.
In obedience to this law the Department
Of Agriculture Immediately sent out blank
forms of expense accounts to each station
and proposes in addition to make, through
trusted experts, systematic examination OF
the several stations during each year for
the purpose Of acquiring by personal in
vestigation the detailed information neces-
sary to enable the Secretary of Agricul-
ture to make. as the statute provides. a
report to Congress. The boards
of management of the several stations
with great alacrity and cordiality have
approved the amendment to the law pro-
viding the supervision of their expendi-
lures, anticipating that 1t will increase
the efficiency of the stations and protect
their directors and managers from loose
charges concerning their use Of public
funds besides bringing the Department Of
Agriculture into closer and more conf
Dental relations with the experimental
stations and through their joint service
largely increasing their usefulness to the
agriculture Of the country.
Acting upon a recommendation contained
in the report of 1893. Congress appro-
priated $4,000 ITO enable the Secretary Of
Agriculture to investigate and report upon
the nutritive value of the various articles
and commodities used for human food
with special suggestion of fully wholesome
and edible rations less wasteful and more
economical than those in common USE"
Under this appropriation the department
has prepared and now has nearly ready for
distribution an elementary discussion Of
the nutritfve value and pecuniary economy
OF food. When We consider that fully one
half Of all the money earned by wage earn
ers of the civilized world Is expended by
them for food, the Importance and utility
OF such an investigation is apparent. The
department expended in the fiscal year
1893 $2354. SOY.56, and out of that sum the
total amount expended in scientific re-
search was 45.G per cent. But in the year
ending June 80. 1894. out of a total OK
penditure Of $l.94S. 9Ss.3s. the department
applied 61.8 per cent of that sum to Sci
entific work and investigation. 1t is, there
fore. very plainly observable that the
economies which have been practiced in
the administration of the department have
not been at the expense of scientific re-
search.
Cutting Down the EIeemosynary
Features.
The recommends ton contained in the re-
port Of the Secretary for 1893. that the
vicious system Of promiscuous free distri-
button of its departmental documents be
abandoned Is again urged. These publica-
tions may we'll be furnished without cost
to public libraries. educational institutions
and the officers and libraries of states and
of the federal government; but from all
individuals applying for them a price COW
ering the cost of the document asked for
should be required. Thus the publicat tons
and documents would be secured by those
who really desire them for proper purposes
Half a million of copies of the report of the
Secretary of Agriculture are printed for
distribution, at an annual cost of about
900. Large numbers of them are cum
bering store rooms at the Capitol and the
shelves of secondhand book stores through
out the country. All this labor and waste