Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-10-24

- pfPIF Jas s Ghepnii the miIitia ia force foree
aE o. nnd in al Ts9f,tariss of tns statss ans'
twelfth of per cent. of the population of
the United States, fifteen times as great
as the whole corps of first, second and
third class postmasters in the govern
ment service, to whom nearly 100000
is paid every year. And the work of this
corps of correspondents will be performed
without any cost to the government, ex-
cept what is represented by the value of
some crop pamphlets which are distribut-
ed by the Secretary of Agriculture every
month.
This work of organizing is the result of
the meeting at Washington last spring of
the representatives of commercial bodies
from all parts of the United States 10
protest against the system under which
the information about the crops was col
lected. The chief occupation of the stat
istician of the Agricultural Department is
the preparation of statistics showing the
condition of the growing crops. Bulletins
containing this information are published
every month. They are awaited anxious
ly by all the people who are interested in
cotton or cereals. They are of chief inter-
because if the government report shows
good condition of the growing crops the
prices of grain for future delivery are likely
to go down; and if the government report
shows a bad condition of the crops, or a
decrease in the acreage planted, the price
is likely TO go up. Whatever the charac-
ter of the report, there is one class of men
dissatisfied with it; and never a month
passes that the statistican is not de-
nOunced by the spectators as unfair or
stupid or corrupt. Mr.. Robinson's pre-
decessor, Prof. Dodge, had this expert
ence, and it was the persistent attacks
of the spectators and the dealers in grain
in the large cities that brought about his
retirement from the department. Mr..
Robinson is having a similar experience,
and it is making his hair gray.
Weakness of the Old System.
Under the old system of making up the
monthly crop report. returns were re-
ceived at the statistician's Office from
each agricultural county. In each of
these counties were four correspondents
One of these was designated the chief
correspondent, and to this one the other
three sent their reports of the crop con-
ditions on q day fixed. These three re-
ports the chief correspondent combined
with his own, and he made a report to
the Department of Agriculture on the
crop conditions of his county. There were
land there are now, for that matter) TO-
600 of these correspondents, of whom
$500 sent reports to the department In
addition to these correspondents, there is
another corps which is intended To be
just as large, which is organized in each
State under the supervision of State
agent, who receives a salary from the
government This salary may be any
thing from $4O0 TO 81 200 year. The
amount is supposed to be proportioned TO
the work. Mr.. Robinson tells me that the
division of salaries has not been entirely
fair in the past and that there is to be
a reorganization of these State agencies
some time in the near future.
These State agents appoint their corre-
spondents in each county, who are in
dependent of the agents reporting di-
rect to the department. The reports of
their agents are made to them direct, and
then each State agent assemblies the re-
ports which come to him and makes up
general report Of crop conditions in the
State to send to Washington. The two
sets of correspondents are expected to be
check on each other. If there is any dis
crepancy between the reports of one and
the reports of the other, the statistician
investigates through a special agent, and
learns which set of correspondents is
wrong.
When the representatives Of the com
mercial bodies met here the statistcian
went over the subject of the reports with
them very thoroughly, and after some
consideration he came TO the conclusion
that he was not raking the country care
fully enough for his crop facts. So he de-
termined to multiply the number of the
departments direct correspondents by
five. Instead of having four correspon-
dents to a county, he determined to have
one to each township. The question was
how to get at the right men. Mr.. Rob-
inson decided to write to the county
clerks, as men likely to know the most
available correspondents. So he selected
twenty-one States, i'm which from two
thirds to nine-tenths of the grain crops
are raised. and sent circular letters to the
county clerks, asking them to send the
names of men, two in each township, who
might be willing to act as the depart
ment's correspondents, and who would be
competent to make crop estimates. With
each circular was inclosed franked en-
velope for reply.
This correspondence has involved no
little labor. Most of the county clerks
have replied promptly, but great many
have not replied at ALL and it has been
necessary to address these again. In ALL
there are about $500 county clerks to
hear from. but the department has not
entered into correspondence with all of
them mt once. For, when the county clerk
replies, II is necessary for the statistician |
to address circular letters to twenty men
more or less in the county; and when |
these twenty men have replieds to send |
circulars to the alternates, in case the |
men first addressed refuse to serve.
Harvard University began its 25Sth |
year with increased attendance in oil |
departments and the prospects of another |
prosperous year. The students have bern |