Evening star., 1915-06-20
!; !; WHAT THE GOVERNMENT Is DOING

| The first long stride toward wha,
i practically will be the making-over O,
the Department OF
Agricultural Agriculture will
Reorganization. when h Tn july l.
! ganization plan suggested to Con
gress by Secretary Houston will ee
into effect, In the opinion of Secre-
tary Houston. Assistant Secretary
| Frooman and other department officials
the changes will mark one of the most
important events in the history of the
department. and will make for greatly
increased efficiency. All the loose ends
will be gathered into the department
organization, and. as Assistant Secre-
! tary Vrooman phrases it, the depart
! ment will for the first time be given
a nervous system.
The Department of Agriculture was
organized in 1889. just 100 years after
the foundation of the federal govern
ment and the organization of the five
loriginal departments. Because of the
departme late start and the stimu-
| lation which came from the pressing
needs for it's services. it grew exceed
ingIy rapidly. Bureaus and offices
were tackled on at points that it has
now come to be seen often were the
most convenient rather than the most
logical. AS result the Agricultural
Department, which in recent years has
come to be recognized as one of the
most important of the executive
agencies of the government. has been
classed by many observers as the least
efficiently organized.
When Secretary Houston took charge
of the department, its faulty organiza-
tfon was to him one of the most prom
inent features of it's condition. He
suggested reorganization to Con-
gresS and in the agricultural appro-
Driation bill which will go into effect
July ! was given authority to carry
out his ideas.
The central and important principle
that has been followed in planning the
reorganizat ton is to assemble related
activities into groups under one direct
ing head. One of the best illustrations
of this principle is the creation of the
new states relations service. The nu-
cleus of the service will he the office
of experiment stations. which conducts
operations in cooperation with all the
states. To the new agency will also
he assigned the farm demonstration
work in the states. which has hereto
fore been conducted by the office of
farm management of the bureau of
plant industry. the home economics
work of the office of experiment sta :
tions that will be carried on in con-
nection with extension work in the
states. and the supervision of the funds
] accruing to state agricultural colleges
under the recently enacted Smith
Lever act.
! At the same time there will be sepa-
! rated from the office Of experimen
stations the general drainage and irri-
cation Investigations, which will be
| added to the old Office of public roads
| to form the new office Of public roads
and rural engineering. Similarly. the
nutrition investigations heretofore con-
\ Quoted by the office of experiment sta
| tions are to be placed in charge of the
bureau of chemistry. This arrange
| ment of activities into logical groups.
| as shown in the changes affecting the
states relations service. is being
| brought about throughout the entire
| department.
One Of the most important phases OF
| the REORGANIZATION is the setting apart
OF the office of farm management as a
Separate organization attached to the
! office Of the Secretary. where. from a
central position. it can come better
| into contact with all the varied activi-
| ties of the department. This change.
in the opinion Of officials. is one of the
most important to be made. since 1t will
| furnish the basis for the nervous sys-
tenn which will gather to the depart
ment head.