The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-12-14
INJUSTICE TO PUBL1AHERs.

In our issue of November 10th, we
published a letter from Mr.. 7. ".
Wood, regarding the injustice done
seedamen by the government. A re.
cent issue of Farm and Home, com,
plain of injustice to publishers of farm
papers in a pointed article, entitled,
More Extravagance-Stop Itv'
It is as follows:
"Now it is Secretary Wilson who has
got the printing fever. He is going to
ask Congress for a lot of money with
which to print hundreds Of tons of ad-
ditional documents for the United
States Department of Agriculture
But it has not yet been made clear
why the government should go Into the
business of furnishing free documents
and agricultural papers to farmers, es-
peciaIly when the regular press Is is-
suing such a quantity, variety and
quality of agricultural matter at nom
inal prices If the government is go,
ing to do the publishing business OF the
country, let it furnish all the books and
papers now published, for literary or
special purposes Why government
should seek to monopolize agricultural
publishing is not clear. There are a
thousand and one ways in Which'th
department. of agriculture a use
money to better advantage than by
printing additional Ions of pub docs"
a large proportion of which finally go
to the junk shop. This printing abuse
extends to all departments, and is part
and parcel of the free seed humbug
and similar extravagances. If the in,
coming congress wants to serve and
please the people, let it econom5Ze.
Millions of public funds are worse than
wasted, Extravaganza has run riot.
In 1870 Federal expenditures got down
$500, 600, 900 for the year, and gradually
decreased until in 1886 (after some
years of good times) it cost only S242,-
500, 900 to run the national govern
ment. But with the advent of hard
times, public extravaganza so increased
that the expenses averaged 1858 600, 900
annually for the three years 1894 So.
1t cost so per cent. more to run the
government during the recent hard
times than in the good times before
1887 This thing has got to stop, or
new taxes will have to be imposed to
meet the increasing deficiency caused
by increasing extravaganza. Both
parties have been guilty of this sin,
both should unite in reform.
The Southern Planter, for December,
also takes q firm stand against this ex
penditure Of money which is at once
unjust to publishers and a waste Of the
peoples money.
The Planter says:
I'VE think the Secretary (of Agri
culture) makes a mistake when he
proposes to increase the issue of free
literature from the department. We
believe that much of that already is,
sued is wasted. This is largely evil
denced by the fact that the sales of such
copes of reports and publications, as
can only be had by payment, are very
small. That which can be obtained
for nothing is rarely appreciated or
valued. Az extension of the free pub
LEGATION and distribution of agricul-
tural literature is an unfair competi-
ton with the publishers of agricultural
journals, to which no other class of
publishers or businesses r sub Iected,
and ought not to be favored. The
basis of this government is, equal
equal rights to all and favors to none"