The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1911-12-01
Quit Multiplying Offices

1t is high time to call halt to the
frightful extravaganza which prevails
in official circles at Washington, and to
a less extent in some of our states.
The desire of administrative depart
ments to regulate everything is increas-
ing public expenditures at an eXtrava-
giant rate. There is also an increasing
tendency for officials to prove that they
are Serving the public" by harassing
almost any and every form of asso-
ciated effort upon the grounds that the
same may possibly violate national or
state antitrust laws. And how much
money has been wasted by the various
official commissions to investigate the
high cost of living!
These remarks are emphasized by
this latest proposition to add to the
costly department of agriculture by es-
tablishing another bureau therein ''to
investigate the marketing of farm pro-
ducts, recommend the fairest and most
direct methods by which such products
might reach the consumer from the
producer, and keep the public inform
ed, through reports, of the best meth
DDS and the best markets.
The niger in this particular wood
pile lies in the fact that the official at
the head of the job is to have a salary
of $4,000 year, with whole lot of
subordinates at fancy salaries.
Away with such useless extrava-
gance! The American people do not
need an expensive bureau at Washing
ton with a kid-gloved director at big
salary to tell them what to do. This is
paternaliSm gone mad. Recent revela-
lions in the agricultural department in
dictate that it should clean house before
taking on more.
The future historian of this era will
view with amazement the conditions
which this latest foolishness illumin-
ates. On the one hand, the legal de-
partment of the government indicts
and seeks to put in jail the officers of
milk producers union, and possibly
other forms of cooperative distribu-
ton or of associated selling together
and buying together by the farmers.
On the other hand, the government
seeks to multiply officials to investi-
gate marketing! The absurdity of it!
Now, what our American farmers
most need is to be let alone by the gov
eminent. They simply want a fair
field They want state and national
laws that will give them chance to
so organize they may, in a business
like and successful manner, reform ex-
listing abuses in distribution. They
don't want to risk going to jail when
they undertake wisely to improve their
condition by associated effort.
Today the farmers are In quandry.
Since the federal government has in
dicted the secretary of the New Eng
land Mill Producers union for conspir-
acy under the Sherman antitrust law,
there is no telling what form of agri-
cultural cooperation will next be in
dicted by the United States district at
torney. American farmers do not seek
to establish a monopoly; there is no
danger that cooperative effort among
farmers will ever become monOpolistic.
It is true, though trite, to say that
the farmer is the backbone of the state
The least the law can do is to let him
alone and afford him chance to work
out his own salvation. The farmer
does not care to be beholden to an in
creasing horde of public officials.
1t is equally true, but also equally
trite, to repeat that the best govern
ment is that which governs least. There
is grave danger here in the United
States of legislatures forgetting this
old-fashioned axiom. 1t is human ma
ture for the public officials to constant
ly seek to increase their power, per-
quisites and pay. The common people
must be vigilant against this tendency,
especially in republic, and in an era
of economic and social evolution such
as is now being experienced. Orange
Judd Farmer.