The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-14


| II used to be said that of all the execu-
| tive departments of the government none
was so close to the people as that of the
postoffice This was based in the ground
that this department handled the mails,
whereby the people communicated with
one another, but if the question were
asked today, which department is closest
to the people, the answer would be the
department of agriculture, which is pre-
side over by "Tama Jim Wilson.
A little over two decades ago this de-
partment was a mere bureau. The APP
preparations required for its mainten-
ance were under 81, 900 900, and the expert
ments made in the interests of the farm
ers were limited. The most valuable work
done was the distribution of seed and the
monthly crop report. Probably 1t would
still have been the bureau OF agriculture
but for the farmers They were seized
with the idea that the tillers of the soil
should be represented in the Presidents
cabinet, so they organized and flooded
Congress with petitions practically de-
manding that the farmers, who produced
the Wealth of the country be given rep
resentaton in the cabinet.
When the farmers unite on legis-
lations they usually get it. In 1889 the
department of agriculture was Gre
ated and Commissioner Coleman OF
Missouri was promoted to the secre-
taryship. From the day the bureau
assumed the dignity of an executive
department that day the work of the
department began to expand and with
1t the appropriations began to grow.
From a million dollars the departments
budget now exceeds s13000,000 annual
ly. Under the administration of Sec
rotary Wilson, who has been in charge
| ~. -. 4 -
4, 1897, every branch of agriculture
has been exploited; various investiga-
lions, having for their objects the i'm
provement of the products of the soil,
have been made by experts and in
numerous ways the department has
spent millions of dollars in behalf of
agriculture.
But in addition to promoting farm
ing and increasing the value of farm
lands the department of agriculture
looks after the health of the consum-
ing public by seeing that the pure
drug and food act is strictly observed.
by manufacturers of food products anG
drugs. The internal revenue bureau is
charged with keeping watch on the
''moonshiners who manufa cture
mountain dew" without paying Uncle
Sam for the privilege, and officers of
that bureau do good work in making
it interesting for the "moonshiners."
But Secretary Wilson and his lieuten-
ants never sleep when suspicion is
afloat that some manufacturer is put
ting on the market misbranded and
adulterated food product or a patent
cureall medicine that Is lacking in vir-
tue and qualities. One feature, per-
haps the strongest card of Mr. Will
sons administration, is a literary bu-
reau. With the assistance of a corps
of experts he supplies the farmers or
the country with the latest and most
up-to- date literature on specialized
farming and tells them how to raise
two bushels of potatoes where only one
was raised before The secret of his
stay in the cabinet is easily explained.
He understands the farmer and the
farmer is the power behind the throne.
The mail received by the agricultural
department exceeds, 1t is said, the mail
of any other department.
while some of our national law
makers are talking about economy in
public expenditures it strikes me-" said
veteran official of the treasury de-
partment, that much time and labor
would be saved by creating in one OF
the several departments a bureau of
information. . mean a bureau to
which all letters from the people seek
ing ubic information might be ad .
dressed so as to insure the letter
reaching the right department. You
would be surprised to see the large
number of letters that are daily re.
ceived by the departments asking for
Information which comes under the jur-
isdiction of another department. The
writer, by reason of addre ssing the
wrong official, Jumps on the admins
tration for not promptly answering
correspondence on public matters.
"a bureau as 1 suggest would prove
of value not alone to the people at
large but to the government. 1t would
facilitate the handling of. correspond
ence, which increases as the country
grows, and the average letter would be
handled but once instead of going