The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-12-08
FARM WOMEN TO
 BE ASSISTED BY
 THE GOVERN M ENT
Secretary of Agriculture Tells Of Plans For Helping Rural
 Homes

 ton, Secretary of Agriculture, today published his annual report for the year 1918. The following are summar-
 ized statements of the more important subjects and recommendation discuss ed in this report:
 Increased tenancy, absentee owner ship, soils still depleted and exploit ed, inadequate business methods, the relative failure to induce a great ma jority of farmers to apply existing agricultural Knowledge and the sug
 gestions of dependence on foreign na- tions for food Supplies warn us of our shortcomings and incite us to ad- ditional efforts to increase produc- ton. The report states that there l is no ground for thinking that we have yet approximated the limit of our output from the soil, but that we have just begun to attack the prob | lem, and have not reached the end l of the pioneering stage, and only in
 a few localities have developed coD- dftions where reasonably full returns are secured. We have unmistakably
 reached the period where we must
 think and plan.
 THE FARM WOMAN.
 To gain information that would en- able the Department better to serve
 rural women, the secretary addressed letters of inquiry to the women on 1 $, 900 selected farms covering every
 county. Other surveys and studies
 were also conducted. Analysis of the
 small part of the letters as yet di-
 gested shows that farm women desire assistance in all phases of home man lagement, especially as to ways of se-
 curing running water, introducing household power machinery and labor saving arrangements, and providing better hygienic and sanitary condi- tfons. Many seek advice as to the better marketing of the articles they a
 to prove to the man that their work is worth something in dollars and cents. The overwork of women and Ich11dren and difficulty of securing domestic help are mentioned by a mum Der of the writers. These letters for constructive work in this field. The department believes that 1ntelli- gent help to women in matters of home management will contribute di- rectly to the agricultural success of the farm. It purposes, therefore, to ask Congress for means and authority to make more complete studies of do- mestic conditions on the farm, to ex- pertinent with labOr-saving devices and methods, and to study completely the question of practical sanitation and hygientc protection for the farm family.
 FEDERAL ROAD POLICIES.
 There has been a steady movement for better roads during the past 20
 years, and today about 34 states have highway commissions or some other state highway agency. The total an nua1 expenditure of the states for con- struction and maintenance of roads which ten years ago amounted to but $2, ,000, 900, has grown to $43, 900, GOO in 1912. The Federal government should
 take the lead in investigationa1 and ! experimental work, and there is need 1 for a oan+r91 which Oan nish the best information on all prob I lems of road building and mainten-
 ance. Recently Congress made an
 appropriation of $500,0 for improv-
 ing post roads, expenditure to be con l tingent on the appropriation of dou- l bIe the amount of money by the state | or local subdivision. If Federal aid ] is to be further extended in highway
 development, legislation to that end should incorporate this co-operative principle. The Federal government
 should deal with the state as the low est unit, through an expert highway
 commissioner as its agency The plan should provide for maintenance
 as well as construction. Preference
 should be given to the improvement the farms can be taken to the nearest
 railway station. A scheme Of road
 construction and maintenance within
 a state should be developed and mu- 1 Iuduy agreed upon. Money appro- priated by the Federal government
 should be apportioned on the basis Of
 such factors as total population, from population, area, taxable va1ua ton, mileage.
 THE CROP OUTLOOK.
 | Special emphasis is laid on the fact l that the figures for crops quoted are estimates and it is pointed out that 1 this fact should be constantly kept 1 in mind. From the estimates at hand 1 it appears that the production of crops in 1913 was materially below the ! average, the yield per acre of all crops combined being smaller than -