The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-04-23

effect that the demand for Farmers Bulletins
was a per cent greater than during the previous
fiscal year. OF course a certain proportion Of
this percentage must be laid to the increased
number OF publications and to the increased
population, but making all allowances Il seems TO
be plain that the public was much better In
formed about the existence Of the bulletins and
much more Interested In them than ever Il had
been before.
While the department extends the usefulness
OF the Farmers Bulletins among the people by
familiarizing them with the publications. con.
tents and value. Il also sees to Il that stories are
prepared for publication that are much more
strictly news from the point OF view Of the news.
paper editors. These stories are usually warn
ings Of frauds or Of pestilence, OF 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 ONCE OF
Information the only organized method Of spread
Ing news OF this character, which is almost al.
ways Of considerable and even great commercial
importance, was to send II out through tho mails
In the form Of circulars. The delay frequently
was costly to the people and the interests con.
cerned and Il 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.
- W w hAANANHAN IA NhN ~ .ha WhN ~
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.
iect, however, had attained such proportions that
II is likely the newspapers themselves would
have secured the information through their own
representatives, but there are other cases and
many Of them, where the stories could not be
covered because II the department did not give
out the Information voluntarily nothing would be
known Of IT, A case in point which may be cited
was an elaborate attempt to palm on on the
farmers In the corn belt region a preparation
alleged to cure hog cholera. The sellers pre-
tended that the preparation was recommends
by the department Of agriculture. This fraud
was suppressed when through the ONCE 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. moreogsr
have to do, not with the farmer. but with those
who manufacture farm products into food Of
handle, store, or market them. The Department.
specialists are constantly making discoveries fol
preventing losses, devislng methods for manu-
featuring new products or improved methods fol
handling or manufacturing old products. Here
tofore Il frequently happened that one progress
sive manufacturer would learn OF these thing.
and thus gain an advantage over others In IN,
same trade who had no knowledge that the IN
formation was available. Under the presen
system the once OF information quickly CON
municates the details Of these discoveries or I'm
proyements 10 all trade papers In the class al
fected and 10 all important dafliea In the ter
ritores where such manufacture is a prominen
industry.
The ONCE OF information IN addition TO IN
service Of the character outlined prepares
Weekly News Letter" 10 crop correspondent
which has taken the place Of the "Crop Report
er" This Weekly News Letter" Is sent 70 al
the voluntary crop correspondents serving IN
department, TO inspectors, agricultural collegci
correspondents. and 10 other persons An a pos
uon 10 make use OF the material It has a eli
culation approximately Of 1O8. 600 weekly.
In all tho work OF the ONCE Of information n
effort Is simply TO place at tho disposal Of N
people the Information which the department
agriculture primarily was organized to obtain "a
their benefit In none Of the material Is there an
attempt 10 gain prominence for any Individual q
branch OF government. or to praise or 10 criilcll
80 a. aAn 600. A.