The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-11-23
THE AMERICAN FARMER
Discussed in the Annual Report
Of Secretary Morton.
FARMS NOT HEAVILY MORTGAGED.

FARMS NOT HEAVILY MORTGAGED.
The Secretary Decl ares That soventy-two
Per Cent. of the Farms Occupied by Their
Owners Are Absolutely Free of Dobt.
Farmers Not Mendicants.
WASHINGTON Nov. 23-Secretary Nor
ton in his fourth annual report, just made
public, shows that with S2S0.O which
may be saved from the appropriations
for the current fiscal year, there will
have been covered back into the trens-
ury since March 7, 1898, over S20OO,OO0
out of total appropriations Of Sll, l,l79,-
455.45.
That this great economy was affected
without any loss of efficiency he attributes
in large degree to the improvement in
the personnel of the force under civil SER
vice rules, which he declares to be ''abso-
lutely indispensable 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 appoint
ment of permanent director in charge of
bureaus and scientific Investigations. The
| chiefs of scientific bureaus and their assist
ants, he declares, are not adequately com
pensated and strongly recommends that
the salaries of this class of employees be
increased.
The inspection of animals intended for
food is treated of at length, and stress is
laid upon the increased efficiency of the
work due to the extension of civil service
rules, which has been very rapid in this
service
Mr. Morton urges strongly that govern
ment inspection should be extended to
all 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 1895, the
United States supplied 7j per cent Of the
cattle and 40 per cent. Of the sheep, The
report shows a steadily increasing demand
in England for American horses.
Reviewing the work Of the weather
bureau special stress is laid upon the
value of the many timely storm warnings
which have been issued by the bureau.
During the year the department issued
376 publications, mainly for gratuitOus
distribution The aggregate number of
copies printed was G, ,56l, ZOO. The publica-
tion work has grown enormously during
the past few years, and increased appro-
prations must be provided, but the secre-
tary declares that neither the department
of agriculture nor the government itself
can continue for the next five years to in
crease its publications for gratuitous dis
trbution in the same ratio as for the last
five years without disbursing millions of
dollars.
The secretary again takes occasion to
express his opposition to the gratuitous
distribution of seeds, and to express the
hope that the practice will be discon-
tinued.
The report concludes with a comprehen-
sive review of the condition of American
farmers.
Seventy-two per cent of the farms in
the United States occupied by their own
ers are absolutely free from mortgages or
other incumbrances. The secretary re-
flutes the idea prevailing that the farms of
the west and south are more heavily bur-
: dened with mortgages than those of the
east and northeast. States along the north
Atlantic he says, are quite heavily incum-
bered with farm mortgages and New Jer-
sey carries debt of this kind greater in
proportion to its farm valuations than
any state in the Union.
The frequent claim that the farmers are
almost universally in debt, respondent
and suffering, he declares to be without
any foundation, a belittlement of agriCul-
ture, and an indignity to every intelligent
and practical farmer. The farmers are
not mendieants nor wards of the govern
ment, to be treated to annuities but the
representatives of the oldest, most honor
able, most essential occupation of the
human race, upon which all other voca-
tionsdepend for subsistence and prosperity.
Legislation" he says, "can neither
plow nor plant The intelligent practi-
- cal and successful farmer needs no aid
Z from the government. The ignorant, i'm
J practical and indolent farmer deserves
none. 1t is not the business of the gov
+. ernment to legislate in behalf of any class
of citizens because they are engaged in
any specific calling, no matter how spe-
4 cific the calling may be to the needs and
i comforts of civilization. Law makers
cannot erase natural laws nor restrict OF
efface the operation of economic laws"
Referring to the stress of competition
u which the American farmer is compelled
+ to endure. Mr.. Morton calls attention TO
4 the nearly 2 1000 900 farms of eighty acres
each given away by the government un-
: der the homestead act of 1866, during the
past thirty years, and to the amount do
mated under the timber culture law,
equivalent to over $4,000 more farms of
: the same size. Lands long titled and rem
dered partially infertile, could not, OF
course enhance in value and sell in COM
petition with virgin soil donated by the
government.
During the fiscal year just ended the ex.
ported products of the American farms
e. aggregated S57O, 600, 900, an increase of Sl7,-
1000 over the preceding year In spite
of this there was a falling off in the per
centage of agricultural products exported