El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-12-07
FARM WEALTH
HAS CROWN
RAPIDLY
Secretary Wilson Recounts
the Work of His is Years
in Office.
SUBMITS HIS LAST
ANNUAL SUMMARY

Washington, D. c., Dec. After
Is years, a record OF service in the
cabinet, secretary Of agriculture Will
son submitted today to president
Taft the last annual report he viii
make as head of the United States de-
partment Of agriculture. The report
is more than a review Of the past years
work; it contains summary Of the
agricultural advance Of the country
during the venerable secretary's term
Of public service.
The record of Is years has been
written" he says. 1T begins with
yearly farm production Of $4,000. 00Os-
600 and ends with S9,532, 900 Six
teen years ago the farmer was Joke
of the caricaturist; now he IS ike
the stone that was rejected BY the
builder and has become the head stone
of the corner" The tillers OF the SOL
were burdened with debts he adds
but prosperity followed and grew
with unexampled speed Beginnings
have been made in production per
acre increasing faster than the nat
uraI increase of population There has
been an uplift OF agriculture and Oe
country life
wealth Production Increases.
During the past Is years the far
mer has steadily increased the wealth
production year by year, with the ex-
ceptiOn Of 1911 During the 16 years
the farmers wealth production in
creased IA percent
Most productive OF all agricultural
years in the country has been 1917.
The earth has produced its greatest
annual dividend. The sun and the
rain and the fertility Of the soil needed
not the human controversies, but kept
on working in cooperation with the
farmers efforts TO utilize them The
prices at the farm are generally prof.
table and viii continue the pros
perity that farmers have enjoyed IN
recent years. The total production OF
farm wealth is the highest yet
reached by half a billion dollars The
grand total for 1912 is estimated to
be $685., OOO, 600. This is more than
twice the value Of the farm wealth in
1893"
grand total Of farm wealth production,
the report says, during the past Is
years, an amount equal to about three
quarters Of the present national
reducing the Cost Of Living.
The most effective move toward
reduced cost of living is the prOdue-
ton Of greater crops, says the secre-
tary. and this move he declares is due
to the work Of the department of agri-
culture colleges and experiment sta
tons and to the help Of the press in
publishing every movement to help the
farmers The nation, he adds. forgot
us LaELueEs III me general 5N-cA-Ac u
education Of past years and few phil
anthropists thought Of them when Civ
ing for education, but they are waking
I'D and thinking for themselves and
congress has been good to them
The secretary first takes up the
work Of the various bureaus OF his
department in the past year and then
tells of the growth IN some instances
from their foundation, OF these bu-
rsaus during the time he has been
~
highly the experts who have worked
under him
'@The great and growing movement
ricultural betterment," he declares.
has not been sustained solely by One
man, nor by d few men A choice
corps Of scholarly experts In their
special lines of endeavor has been
growing in membership, In breadth OF
view, and in the practical application
OF their efforts
The department is prepared to con-
tinue and increase its public service
During Is years it has progressed
primary. middle and upper grades OF
development until now IL has 3 thous-
and tongues that speak with author
ity"
From 3 department with 2444 en-
plOyes in 1897 and an appropriation OF
S3,212s9O2, it has increased to 1SS58
employees at the beginning OF the pres
ent fiscal year with an appropriation
this year Of almost SIS, coo. 600.
Whereas there are now $4,000 requests
every week for department publica-
tiCns, there were but 500 in 1887; and
during this period 225.0O0,000 copies
have been distributed. In soil investi-
cation an era OF 623, 900 square miles,
Great Britain, Ireland and Italy, hsa
cen covered