The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-02
PAY FOR CROP REPoRTs.
Statistician Hyde Recommends Com
psnsation of so Per Report.

Washington, Dec. I'm discussing
the methods of the agricultural depart
ment in compiling its crop reports,
Statistician hyde, whose annual report
was submitted yesterday says:
1T would naturally be supposed that
with a force outnumbering the enumer-
atOrs of the federal census five to one
a most complete and accurate setting
forth of the agricultural condition of
the country would at all times be with
in the power of the statiStician. As a
matter of fact, however, this highly
elaborate system, is in several import
ant respects exceedingly weak. The
indefinite multiplication of crop report
erS, whose only compensation is an Oc-
casiOnal bulletin, or a, few packets of
garden seed, unqueStionably weakens
the sense of responsibility on the part
of the Individual reporter and impairs
his faithful performance of duty"
But unwieldy as is the machinery
employed the statistician, recommends
it's dismemberment only in the event of
provision being made for some slight
pecuniary acknowledged service of a
carefully selected corps of correspond
ents, located mainly in the principal
agricultural states.
By the judiciouS selection therefore.
in not more than twenty-five states of a
corps of intelligent and if possible ex-
perienced correspondents, each of
whom should be paid 81 for each of
nine reports and 81 for each of two re-
ports, making $50 per annum, the de-
partment would establish a system up
on winch II COQlQ rely lOT Ine que re-
porting of all the principal crops and
it could safely depend upon it's salaried
state agents for information concern
ing the minor agricultural states.
AS a further means not only of
strengthening and unifying the stats
teal work of the department, but of
also bringing the departments in closer
touch with the agricultural interests
of the country the statistician recon-
mends the appointment of five travel
ing inspectors, whose duties shall be
to a large extent analogous to those of
the French inspector Of agriculture.
The conditions of such an industry
as American agriculture extending
from the sub-arctic to the subj tropic,
representing a capital of sixteen billion
dollars and constituting the direct
subsistence for about 40 per cent of the
entire population of the country, are
SO Kaleidoscope in character that the
department would in the opinion of the
statistician, be abundantly justified in
employing equipped travelling officers,
as auxiliaries to its regular localized
crop reporting service.
Although the printing and mailing of
the monthly report, of each issue of
which 200, 600 copies are printed has
been considerably expedited during the
last few months the statistician eX-
presses the opinion, that the depart
ment is not yet doing its full duty to
the farmer as regards the prompt dis
seminatiOn of information. relative to
crops and markets. He recommends
| the prominent display in rural postof-
fees of brief reports of the condition OF
| the staples and the prices ruling in the
| principal markets and on the prospect
| i've requirements of foreign countries.
The report concludes with the urgent
| recommendation that the statistical
| division be reorganjzed, as bureau.
| with a view to a better separation of
| the enormous detail connected with it
| from statistical work proper and esti-
| mates the total expense of such a
| change of the status at not to exceed
| So, 600 per annum, a greater portion of
which could be saved in other direc-
tionS.