The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1911-06-21
WEDNESDAY, JUNE Fl. 1911.
USELESS FARM STATISTICS.

There 10 q bunch OF bright young
men in the employ of the United
States government who draw hand
come salaries for making more or less
Wild 9uesses at data relating to Am.
erican fsrma. They belong TO the bu.
resu Of statistics in the department OF
agriculture, and from time to time the
the public is given the benefit e.! Of
their estimates q to the amount and
value Of American farm products.
The information disseminated by
this bunch Of expert statisticians is &C
cepted as official. That is to say,
there is no other source from which
more accurate data can be secured,
and the estimates of these department
officials are received In good faith rs
the most reliable goods on the market
notwithstanding the faulty methods
by which the alleged statistics are
compiled.
The confidence with which these
government statisticians announce the
result of their estimates or computa-
lions compels q certain degree of adj
miration. The matter of few million
bushels OF grain, Or several million
dollars worth of other farm products,
causes them very little concern.
Equipped with q we'll oiled adding
machine and using q percentage cal.
culation that may suit their fancy,
these young men can grind out agri-
cultural statistics with less effort than
is required to run q lawn mower.
For instance, they make the conf.
dent announcement that in the year
1909 there we're 206, 023, 900 domestic
animals in the United States, this
estimate including horses, cattle,
sheep and swine. The value of all
this livestock according to the same
authority, was "a, 525, 259, 600. Who
is disposed to dispute these figures?
If any critic is prepared to challenge
the accuracy Of these estimates, let
him produce his proof.
Again, 1t was the estimate of the
agricultural statistical bureau that
the wheat crop on American farms in
1909 would be 724, 1853, 600 bushels; that
the potato crop was 278. 9S5, 600 BUSH
els, and that the hay crop of the coun.
try was 20, 1913, 900 tons. Anyone who
questions the correctness OF these fig
ures is at liberty to substitute others
tha. are more reliable.
The latest effort of these agricultural
etatisticians purports to show the big
profits made by American farmers who
raise wheat. The calculations are
based upon the crop of 1909, and are
evidently the product of several
months OF more or less laborious
effort. They are presented with the
expla alton that the data were obtain.
ed from about 5000 farmers ia differ.
ent parts OF the United States, q select
few compared with the twelve million
or more American citizens who are
engaged in agricultural pursuits.
The exhibit pretends to demon.
stra.e that the costiof producing wheat
in Montana was A cents per bushel,
and that the aversge:cost OF produc.
ton in the United States was Sc cents.
The average selling price, according
these ststisticians, vas 90 cents-an
average profit of 30 cents per bushel.
The Montana farmer, however, accord
ing to the authorities, made q profit
of over 100 per cent.
OF what use are such misleading
farm statistics? Are the American
people receiving value for the cost OF
compiling such data, and giving them
publicity?