The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-04-24

this percentage must be laid to the increased
number of publications and to the increased
population, but making all allowances it seems to
be plain that the public much better IN
formed about the existence of the bulletins and
much more interested in them than ever 1t mad
been before
while the department extends the usefulness
of the Farmers Bulletins among the people by
famiHarizng them with the publications con
tents and value it also to it that stories are
preDared for publication that are much more
strictly news from the point of view of the news
uaper editors. These stories are usually warn
ings of frauds or of pestilence, or decisions and
announcements connected with the enforcement
of the meat inspection law and food and drugs
act and other statutes of regulation which are
administered by the department Of agriculture
In the days before the creation Of the Office Of
information the only organized method OF spread
ing news of this character, which is almost al
ways of considerable and great commercial
Importance was to send it out through the mails
in the form of circulars. The delay frequently
was costly to the people and the interests con-
cerned and it was necessarily unsatisfactory,
Under the present system information is sent
out at once from the departments Office by tele-
phone or messenger to the press associations and
to representatives Of newspapers which are like
Iy to be interested in the matter and who
within reach
The usefulness of this work is shown in the
prompt publication of every quarantine order
affecting the foot-and-mouth disease This sub
ject, however, had attained such proportions that
it is likely the newspapers themselves would
have secured the information through their own
representatives but there other cases and
many of them, where the stories could not be
covered because if the Department. did not give
out the information voluntarily nothing would be
known Of it. case in point which may be cited
elaborate attempt to palm on the
farmers in the corn belt region preparation
alleged to cure hog cholera The sellers pre-
tended that the preparation was recommended
by the department Of agriculture. This fraud
was suppressed when through the office of in
formation the newspapers in the territory con-
cerned received a full statement of the facts
in the case.
Many of the departments activities, moreover
have to do not with the farmer, but with those
who manufacture farm products into food or
handle store, or market them The departments
specialists are constantly making discoveries for
preventing losses, devising methods for manu-
featuring new products or improved methods for
handling manufacturing old products. Here
tofore it frequently happened that one progress
sive manufacturer would learn of these things
and thus gain advantage over others in the
trade who had knowledge that the in
formation available Under the present
system the Office of information quickly com
municates the details of these discoveries or i'm
provements to ali trade papers in the class af-
fected and to all important daiIies in the ter
ritories where such manufacture is a prominent
industry.
The Office of information in addition to the
service of the character outlined prepares a
Weekly News Letter to crop correspondent
which has taken the place of the Crop Report
er." This Weekly News Letter is sent to all
the voluntary crop correspondents serving the
department, to inspectors, agricultural colleges
correspondents, and TO other persons IN a posi-
ton to make use of the material It has cir
culation approximately of 103 600 weekly
In all the work of the Office Of information III,
effort is simply to place at the disposal of the
people the Information .hich the department II
agriculture primarily organized to obtain for
their benefit In of the material is there auv
attempt to gain prominence for any individual or
branch of government to praise or to criticize
anyone in any way to influence legislation