Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-23
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUL TURE-Jx


WASHINGTON. ID. c.. April Ala
Few days ago half a dozen men from
chicago paid quiet visit to tho Secre-
tary OF Agriculture. The little call
was arranged by julius Rosenwald. of
the Council OF National Defense. and
tho half dozen Chicago men repre-
scented the biggest meat packing in
uustry In the world. They suggested
mat the Department OF Agriculture
should supervise their billion dollar
business during the period OF the
emergency. and IL necessary, fix
maximum and minimum meat prices
The results Of that suggestion stin lie
in the future. and they may well be
enormously important
IL VIII come as news to many Ameri-
cans That the department has already
the adequate foundations for IL system
winch could far more readily take
over me national problem OF food re-
quircmchts and supply than any other
organization In the country. The ma.
chinery OF this system is largely con-
centrated in the office OF markets and
rural organizations: and the chief of
inns ofiice himself is authority for the
statement that not so long ago there
were men 10 be found in positions of
nigh authority who had never even
heard OF il. Yet this office already has
nation wide system OF information
covering the meat supply and the
movement of most of the more uerish
able foodstuffs: 1t has collected the
most competent STAFF Of cxperts in
marketing and distribution to be found
anywhere; and with the help OF some
ehlargcments in its force IL could
lurhish within short time an accu-
rate statement Of all the available
commercial supply of food liz the
United States.
The Office OF markets is little known
COMPARED TO some of the other bureaus
OF the Department of Agriculture be-
iE ca
ADDITION TO the department. and even
before the war emergcncy it was
growing AT great rate. THE first
provision Tor any work Of the kind
was made in 1918. when Congress ap-
propriatcd $4,000 for the purposc
The growth Of the work is shown bv
the fact that the income OF the office
Tor the coming year Will be sl70o 900
exclusive OF any additional funds th.t
may be voted for emergency work.
me office OF markets keeps in touch
with the food supply through several
channels. 1t conducts "a market news
service by mail aud telegraph which
rs the only thin. OF it's kind main
tanned by any government. This news
service keeps track by wire OF the
movement OF every car OF pcrishable
foodsiuffs such as potatoes and onions.
IN the country Since the first Of the
year "a Geographic news service on the
shipments of live stock and the condi-
lions al all the principal live stock
markets has been operated.
Information Sent Free.
The information gathered By these
services Is sent free to any one inter
ested by mail. or II is furnished by
telcgra PHI 10 any one who cares to nav
the telegraph charges. a special force
at headquarters works all night send
ing out the daily Geographic reports.
REPORTS for tho market news ser
vice are received largely from rail
road division supcrintendents In 1916
the news service only covered the more
important fruits and vegetables but
reports were received from SIS divi-
sion suDerintcndcnts representing
225.00o miles OF railroad Reports were
received from every railroad which
handled carload lots of the fruits and
vegetables covered by the service AT
the height of the season, as many as
230 suDcrintcndcnts were reporting at
ono time There is no law compelling
the railroads to furnish such informa-
have shown themselves very willing to
cooperate.
The value Of such market news
service lies in what 1t can do for the
farmer and the ultimate consumer II
stcadies prices and eliminates waste
The distribution system for farm pro-
ducts has become enormously COM
pick, and no single farmer or asso-
citation of farmers can toll where their
goods arc needed. AS q result, with
out accurate information. some mar
kets arc flooded and others arc lief,
short. In the flooded markets. the per-
ishable products rot and decay: in the
short markets. the shortage makes the