The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-06-24

form will state clearly I'm its heading
whether the Judgment Ia In favor oil
or against the manufactures, and thus
make the punitive effect OF verdict
in favor OF the government still
stronger. but relieve manufacturers
who have won their cases from the
danger of false use OF the decision on
the part of their competitors.
Secretary Houston's plan to further
the work of popularizing publications
OF the department
Agricultural of agriculture and
Publications. to do everything
possible TO place
the mass OF information gathered by
the various bureaus before the public
In the best form promises to prove
one Of the mos. interesting expert
ments in publicity inaugurated by any
branch of the government.
Various bureaus OF number OF
the departments have from time TO
time employed practical newspaper
men TO popularize the work connected
with the scientific researches and
statistical investigations, but UP to
the present time little has been done
In working out comprehensive
scheme for any department as a
whole. George Wilson Wharton. a
newspaper man of New York. who
has been appointed to organize the
work in the department OF agricul-
ture, will for a time be located N
the bureau Of chemistry After he
has had opportunity to become thor
oughly acquainted with the work OF
all the bureaus Of the department he
will assist the secretary and assistant
secretary Of agriculture in the move
ment TO improve all publications OF
the department by making them more
interesting for the general reader, and
also to perfect methods of getting at
the vast store OF information which
Is gathered by the hundreds OF noted
scientists and investigators employed
in the department.
Publicity work has been established
in different bureaus with varying sue
cess. At times the work has been
opposed by some members OF con
gress who have not understood its
purposes and who have trisd to attach
III W tlC Noiu III
number of cases the men doing the
writing have been dubbed press
agents and the idea has gone out that
their duties have been solely to boost
the chiefs and the bureaus for whom
they were working. The publicity
work which has been carried on most
successfully In the bureaus has been
conducted by men who have had
practical newspaper experience and
who know that puffs or undue praise
either OF their superiors or Of the
bureaus themselves would hinder rath
err than help the effectiveness Of their
work
Among the bureaus which have &C
complished much in the dissemination
Of public information after the work
was placed in the hands Of practical
newspaper men are included the Uni
ted States bureau Of the census
whose publicity work three years age
was directed by Whitman Osgood
the United States bureau of mines
where the work Is In charge Of John
l.. Cochrane; the United States bu
reau OF education, whose popular
izer" Is w. Carson Ryan. the United
| States reclamation service. where
publicity is handled by the statisti
clan, c. J. Blanchard, and the United
States forest service.
| The members of the Washington
corps of correspondents have found
usually that the nearest approach &c
theatrical press agenting coming
| from any of the departments has usu
ally been traced back to men wht
have had no experience In newspaper
work and who little understand thai
| boosts of persons or Of bureaus will
not be printed by managing editor:
of various papers over the country
An instance OF the kind was showr
during one OF the recent administra
lions when q cabinet officer directed
that either his name or the name o
the department be placed in the frs
line or first paragraph Of every pres!
notice given to the newspapers. The
result of this policy was that little o.
none Of the copy written along TIL!
line ever got into print.
J Mr.. Wharton, whose work In thu
agricultural department will be tt
popularize the information gathered
by thu various bureaus Of the depart
ment, and to show the difference be
tween crude press agenting and legiti
mate publicity, comes to Washington
after a successful newspaper expert
ence in New York. The suggestion
for the employment OF man to d.
the kind OF work which Mr.. Wharton
will direct has been made a number
OF times to q number Of departments
and was emphasized during the las
trip Of Ambassador Walter II. Page
in Washington. A publicity man II
the departments. officials realize. has
dozen opportunities a day to eithe1
hurt or hinder the work OF depart
ment, according to his tact and abil
ity in handling difficult problems al
they come up to him. Secretary Hous
ton believes that the work will e
we'll under the direction OF Mr.. Whar