The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-12-12
vii son
Secretary Of Agriculture
Makes Annual Report
to Congress.

WASHINGTON. Dec. After six
teen years, a.record of service in the
cabinet. Secretary OF Agriculture
Wilson has submitted to President
Taft the last annual report he, will
make as head of the United States
Department. Of Aariculture. The re-
port Is more titan a. reMew of the
last years Wofk4. 1t contains sum
mary Of the agricultural advance of
the country during the venerable sec
retary's term OF public service,
THE record OF sixteen years has
been written, he says. 1t begins
with yearly farm production of
E$4,OGo. 100000 ana ends with $685.
loOO,O0O. Sixteen years ago, the far
mer was Joke of the caricatuNst;
now he. Is like the stone that was re-
iected by the builder and has become
The head stone of the corner. The
.tillers OF the soil were hurdened with
4 debts he adds. but prosperity fol-
lowed and grew with unexampled
speed Beginnings have been made
in production per acre increasing
faster than the natural increase Of
population. There has been an up
lift Of agriculture and of country
life. s
During the last sixteen years the
farmer has steadily Increased the
wealth production year byiyear, with
the exception Of 1914. During this
sixteen years the farmers wealth
production increased 141 per cent
Most productive of all agricul-
tural years in the country has beer
1912, The Garth has produced its
greatest annual dividend. The sun
and the rain ard the fertility of the
soil needed not the human contro-
yersIes, but kept on working in CO.
operation with the farmers efforts to
utilize them. The prices at the farm
are generally profitable and will con
tinue the prosperity that farmers
have enjoyed in recent years. The
total production of farm wealth il
the highest yet reached by half a bill
lion dollars. The grand total 70.
1912 is estimated to be $685., 100000
This is mere than twice the value Of
the farm wealth in 1899.
More than sos, 0OO,Oo0,OOO is tn
grand total of farm wealth produc.
ton. the report says. during the las
sixteen years, an amount equal t.
about three-quarters. Of the presen
national wealth.
I The most effective move toward re
duced cost of living is the production
OF greater crops, says the secretary
and this move he declares. is due t
the work of the department Of agri.
cultural colleges and experiment
stations and to tho hep. of the press
IN publishing every movement To- hell
4 the farmers The nation, he adds
forgot its farmers in the genera
scheme of education of past years
and few philanthrop.sts thought OF
them when giving for education, bu
I they are waking up and thinking FOL
| themselves and Congress has beer
good to them.
The secretary first takes up Tho
work OF the various bureaus of his
department in the last year and Their
tells of the growth in some instance.
from their foundation, of these bu.
reaus during the time he has been
head OF the department. He praises
highly the experts who have worked
under him. - -eos4.f.
The great and growing movemen;
carried on by The department. foi
agricultural bettcrment. He de
clares, has not been Sustained sole.
ly By one man nor by a. few men. A-
choice corps or scholarly experts in
their special lines Of endeSyorf has
been growing in membership, in
breadth of view, and in the practical
application of their efforts.
THE department is prepared to
continue and increase It's public ser
vice. During sixteen years it has
progressed from the kindergarten
through the primary, middle and UP.
per grades of development until now
it has thousand tongues that speak
with authority.
From a department with 2,444 en-
ployes in 1897 and an appropriation
OF $S,272,9O2. it has increased tc
1855 employees at the beginning OF
the present fiscal year with an ap-
preparation this year of almost SIS
OOONOO Whereas there are now
$4,000 requests every week for de-
partment publications, there were but
800 in 1897; and during this period
225,OOO,OOO copies have been tfstrf5
4. Il