The Meeker herald., 1915-04-24

was a per cent greater than during the previous
fiscal year. OF course certain proportion Of
this percentage must BE- laid to the increased
number Of publications and to the increased
population, but making AL Allowances It 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 II had
bsen before.
Whtle the department extends the usefulness.
oe the Farmers Bulletins among the people BY
famifiarixins them with the puhlications con-
tents and value. II also to It that stories
prepared for publication that are much more
strictly news from tho point Of VIEW u me nsws-
paper editors. These stories are Usually warn
ines Of frauds or Of pestlence, or decisions and
measurements connected with the endorsement
Of the meat inspection law and food and drugs
oct 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 10 almost al
ways Of considerable and even great commercial
importance was to send II 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 IL sent
out at once from the departments ONCE by tele-
phone or messenger to the press associations and
to representatives Of newspapers which are like
ly to be interested in the matter and who are
within reach
The usefulness Of this work IL 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 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 q 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 once Of in.
formation the newspapers in the territory con.
cerned received 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 dspsrtments
specialists are constantly making d,scc1ertes for
preventing losses. devfsing methods for manu-.
featuring new products or improved methods for
handling or 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
same trade who had no knowledge that the IN
formation was available. Under the pressnA
system the once Of information quickly COM
municates the details Of these discoveries or i'm
provements to all trade papers in the class At.
fected and to all important dailies in the ter.
ritories where such manufacture is q prominent
industry.
The office Of information in addition to the
service Of the character outlined prepares q
weekly News Letter. to crop correspondents
which has taken the place of the Crop Report
er This Weekly News Letter. il sent to all
tne voluntary crop correspondents serving the
department to inspectors. agricultural colleges,
correspondents. and to other persons in posi-
uon to make use Of the material It has q cir
culation approximately of 100000 weekly
In all the work Of the ONCE Of information the
enort Is simply to place at the disposal of the
people the information which the department AZ
agriculture primarily organized to obtain for
their benefit In none Of the material is there any
attempt to gain prominence for any individual or
branch OF government or to praise or to criticiss
anyone or in any way to influence legislation.