The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-10-07
INEFFIcIENcY IN GOVERNMENT
fBy J. e. Jones)
Copyright. 1915. by u. s. Press Association
Chapter WI.

anywhere In government a better
demonstration of what can be accomp
lished in its legitimate line of effort
than is shown by the agricultural de
partment of the United States. Tween
ty-fve years ago farm life was al
most plebian, but today it is a highly
honorable calling. The agricultural
department does not stop at analyzin2
and telling what crops can be grown
in certain localities, but it follows BY
figuring upon the source of income
that will result. The department has
pursued a constructive policy; it has
also attacked many evils which in,
%luence home life, and among these is
the custom that has grown up on the
farm whereby women become prema.
turely old because of overwork. "The
overworking of farm women and their
fear as to the effect of overwork on
the children" is a universal complaint
that has resulted from inquiries adj
dressed to the housewives of 55, 900
progressive farmers in all the counties
of the United States. The humanitar-
ian federal government is working
through this department in order that
the custom of making a horse of a
woman" will become questionable.
The difficulties of securing domestic
help" says the secretary of agricul-
ture, 'are due seemingly to the fact
that daughters Of farmers no longer
take positions as home-makers, and
have added to the farm housekeeper's
burden. Many ask the department to
prove to the men that their work is
worth something in dollars and cents"
The custom seems to be quite uniform
that women, in order to ecure their
pin money" must turn their attention
to poultry, butter making, or the gar
dens in their care.
The standards in farm life have
been raised, yet the proportion of pop
u~lation. in the cities in comparison
with the farm has more than doubled
within a comparatively short time.
While tens of thousands of people
stood in the bread lines and waited
their turns for free Christmas dinners
in the big cities in December, 1914, the
farmers everywhere were enjoying the
fruits Of the seasons. The wheut crop
of 1914 was approximately S92, 000. 900
bushels, and the apple crop 259,O0O.-
900 bushels-the greatest crops ever
harvested, with good prices.
Another subject that has received
considerable attention from the gov
eminent is that of health conserva-
ton. Since the states have not been
any too forward in promoting the
public health, some of the branches of
the federal government have assumed
the task, and the result is that today
each of the ten executive departments
of the United States is engaged direct
ly or indirectly, in the administration
of one or more acts of congress de-
signed to safeguard health. The de-
partment of agriculture excels in this
work, because it knows best how to
diffuse information among the people
of the United States; and it is a sad
~travesty upon the intelligence of in
dividuals in congress that they lend
themselves to constant attacks that
are made against the employment of
publicity men" AS a matter of fact
one of the greatest features of the
work of the department is to carry
it's results into the homes of the
masses.
That this work in health conserva-
ton is not entirely theoretical is
shown by the fact that for the fiscal
year ending in 1913, the department
of agriculture transmitted to the de-
partment of justice 1,O4S cases of
violations of the pure food law, and
Of these 652 were for criminal prosecu-
tons and 396 for seizure of goods.
The conservativation of human
health seems to be an, almost new
phase in our national life, and the gov
eminent has in this work entered
upon a great task. 1t is with profound
establishment that one must consider
the import of the disclosures in the
first annual report Of the chief of the
children's bureau. 1--WE have the esti-
mate Of the ems bureau" says Miss
Julia o. Lathrop, "that u actual loss
last year was 3O0,0 900 babies under one
year of age, of whom at least half
would now have been living had we,
as individuals and communities, ap-
piled those measures of hygenic sani
t. ton which are known to be avail.
able"
There is M argument which more
forcitly points out the duties of gov
eminent, both in the national and in
it's local branches, than this criminal
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