The Raymer enterprise., 1915-04-22

~ people through the medium OF the
! press OF the country. The attempt
has been highly successful as per
haps the readers OF newspapers do
not need to be told for the interesting and and at
times compelling writings of the service men have
been before them from day day
In the department Of agriculture there Is of.
ice OF Information which was created in June. 1913
Before its establishment there had been no active
effort 10 give directly 10 the people the results OF
the departments work. Walter II Page. at pres,
ent the American ambassador to Great Britain said
on this subject of getting agricultural information
TO the people that the department Had been reser.
voiring an enormous OF information collected
with the peoples money and which the people we're
entitled TO get"
In the past there were issued at frequent inter.
walls publications largely In bulletin FORM but with
the exception Of less perfunetory notices Of
fhelr appearances comparatively little was done to
make the public aware that they were at its dis.
posal One OF the first things that the Office of IN.
formation did. therefore, was to deyelop system
by which absolutely accurate newspaper stories
based on the material contained in these bulletins
could be sent out TO such newspaper which IL
seemed reasonable TO expect from the nature OF the
various subjects, would be interested in publishing
them for the sake OF their readers This work still
forms large part Of the activities of the office
some time ago there was criticism of what were
"eu the publicity eHorts OF the department Of agrj
culture The critics did not understand at all the
nature Of the work which was being done Tbev
seemed to think that press agency had been es
tablished simply for the purpose OF booming the
activities Of the agricultural department with view
perhaps 'as some OF the critics may have Thought
OF saying something kindly occasionally about the
omcias OF government concerned in the work
Criticism passed quickly. for congress was told IN
letter to Speaker Champ Clark OF the house or ron
resehtaiVes oil Just what the information work OF
the department consisted. and sharp line was
drawn between the nature OF the information which
was being sent out and the usual stun which ia
turned out by publicity bureau which is NOT al
all necessarily an Information bureau
In The letter TO the speaker OF the house the Gee
retary Of agriculture said this
The nation Is spending through the depart
ment many millions Of dollars in acquiring agri-
cultural information II would be little short of
criminal TO spend millions Of dollars to acquire
information and not to use every possible eff
cient agency available for placing II at the dis
posal of the people promptly as possible 1t
is the purpose Of the office 1.-THE office OF informa
tonl with as little delay as possible through
every proper medium, to give the knowledge
which the department possesses the result OF
investigations and field work to all the people
who desire II or should have it, The office un.
dertakes 10 deal solely with facts. with sugges
tons Of remedies, and OF methods OF applying
them in every field Of agriculture"
Prior to the time that the office of information
was created nearly all the printed matter con-
yeyne information was In the form Of bulletins
and circulars and the issues were not very vol.
luminous Frequently great deal OF time was
required finally TO prepare the bulletin. to print
II and to distribute it, II was inevitable for
many reasons that these bulletins could not
reach the great mass OF the people who would
be interested in them. Many farmers did not
Know that the service was at their disposal
They knew nothing about the bulletins or which
ones OF them would be helpful to them nor did
they know how to secure them. Moreover the
publications largely were technical. we're dif-
fcnt 10 interpret, to understand and to apply.
One OF the particular duties OF the depart.
ments Office Of information is to put the matter
which comes from the different bureaus in tech
nieal or scientific form into language which lay
readers can understand II seemed easier and
better TO the department officials that the Office
of information should choose the matter of spe.
cial value TO particular districts or sections Of
the Union and TO have IT distributed to such sec.
tons quickly, II had been found that delay in
Issuing the official printed bulletins and in mail
ing them often defeated the ends OF real service
In case OF the appearance in some district OF an
insect plague or OF disease that menaeed the
stock. quick action. of course, II was realized,
was necessary 10 accomplish results
The Inauguration Of the service of information
as il is at present carried ont necessated a most
efficient mailing system which would enable the
office to circulate its material among those
classes Of publications and in those sections Of
the country which could derive benefit from IT,
and at the same time avoid a distribution that
would be expensive 10 the government and use.
less to the newspapers and If they should pub.
lish II. TO their readers
Now there Is mailing system installed and
under operation by the division Of publication
and by means OF II the publications of the eoun.
try are classified geographically and by their
character. Now 1t is possible tc transmit
sorry to all the newspapers in the United States,
to all the newspapers in any city or group OF
cities, to all the farm publications in the country
or In any state. omittng the general newspapers
to the trade papers OF any one or all OF the
trades, to daily newspapers in big cities alone,
or to those In small county seats alone-in short
practically any desired combination of publica.
tons is possible.