The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-11-27
SAVED BY REFORM.
ONE So, 900, 900 IN THE AGRICULTURE
Al DEPARTMENT.
Civil Service Law Made 1t Possible, and the
Secretary Wants More of the Same-Fig-
ures on the Inspection of Cattle-Oppo-
sition to So Much Printing.


Secretary Wants More of the same-Fig-
ures on the Inspection of Cattle-Oppo-
sition to So Much Printing.
Washington, Nov. 23.-Secretary
Morton in his fourth annual report.
just made public, shows that with $780,
900 which may be saved from the appro-
priations for the current fiscal year
there will have been covered back into
the treasury since March, 7, 1898, over
100000 out of total appropriations of
$11, 49, 5545. That this great economy
was effected without any loss of eff
cheney he attributes in large degree to
the Improvement in the personnel of
the force under civil service rules.
which he declares to be absolutely in
dispensable to the maintenance of an
economic and efficient administration
of the public service" To complete
"the already almost perfect system Of
civil service" in his department the
secretary recommends the appointment
of a permanent director in charge of
bureaus and scientific Investigations.
The inspection of animals intended
is laid upon the increased efficiency of
the work due to the extension Of the
civil service rules, which has been very
rapid in this service. The total num-
Der of ante-mortem inspections of cat
tie, sheep, calves and hogs during the
year was 35,917,S79, an Increase over the
previous year of over so per cent. The
total number of post-mortem inspec-
tyn n
per cent. The total number of abat-
toirs under inspection in 1885 was 102 in
rs cities; in 1892 there were but 2S in IL
cities. For the sake of economy the ex-
ports of microscopically inspected pork
to countries not exacting such inspec-
ton have been greatly discouraged.
The total amount thus inspected was in
round numbers 23,O00,O0O pounds, of
which 21,5OO,00O pounds went to coun-
tries requiring inspection.
Would Inspect All Food Animals.
Morton urges strongly that govern
mcnt inspection should be extended to
al animals intended for human food,
whether for consumption in the United
States or abroad. The cattle and meat
trade of Great Britain is reviewed at
length. OF live meat arriving in the
United Kingdom during the first six
months of 1896 the United States sup
piled rs per cent. of the cattle and As
per cent. of the sheep. The testimony
of the department representatives
abroad is that cattle from the United
States arrive in English ports in excel
lent condition. The Glasgow market is
especiallycommended to American ship
pers. The report shows asteadily increas-
L. II Co., an,.iT
horses. During the first nine months
of the present year more of these ami
mails were shipped to that country
than for any previous entire year.
During the year the department is
sued 376 publications, mainly for
gratuitous distribution. The aggregate
number of copies printed was 1851, 700.
The publication work has grown enor-
mously during the past few years, and
increased appropriations must be pro-
vided, but the secretary declares that
neither the department of agriculture
nor the government itself can con-
tinue for the next five years to increase
it's publications for gratuitous distribu-
ton in the same ratio as for the last
five years without disbursing millions
Of dollars. He protests against the
intrusion in the act of appropriation
for the department for the current fis-
cal year of $S2,500, for reprinting horse
books and cattle books to be given
away by congress. The secretary again
takes occasion to express his opposition
to the gratutous distribution of seeds
and to express the hope that the prac-
tice will be discontinued.
In his reference to the condition of
American farmers, heretofore noted in
these dispatches, the secretary says:
Legislation can neither pillow nor
plant. The intelligent, practical and
successful farmer needs no aid from
the government. The ignorant, imprac-
tical and indolent farmer deserves
none. 1t Is not the business of the
government to legislate in behalf of
any class of citizens because they are
engaged in any specific calling, no mat
ter how essential the calling may be
to the needs and comforts of civiliza-
ton. Lawmakers cannot erase natural
laws nor restrict or efface the operation
of economic laws. 1t Is a beneficent
arrangement of the order of things and
the conditions of human life that legis-
lators are not permitted to repeal,
amend, or revise the laws Of production
and distribution"
Stress of Competition.
Referring to the stress Of competition
which the American farmer is COM
PEELED to endure Morton calls attention
to the nearly 100000 of farms of 80
acres each given away by the govern
ment under the homestead act Of 1866
during the past thirty years, and to the
amount donated under the timber
culture law, equivalent to over $4,000
more farms of the same size. Lands
long titled and rendered practically in
fertile could not, Of course, enhance
in value and sell in competition with
virgin soil donated by the government.
No legislation relative to the public
domain has been so directly inimical
to the farmers who had bought and
paid for the lands upon which they had
lived and labored. 1t was impossible
for farmers in the old states to pro-
fitably sell their products in COMPETE
ton with those Of the newer states
grown upon lands which cost their
owners nothing.
During the fiscal year just ended the
exported products of American farms
aggregated $50, 000, 000 an increase of