The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-09-15

about bug they have already captured ana hog-
tied.
Making available in news form the interviews
ana contributions, and extracting from scientific
treaties thoughts of real value but which would
be lost in the of circunstantih evidence con
stitute large portion Of the work OF the ONCE
Many Of these articles or stories as the boys
call them. go to the public through the Weekly
News Letter. This is sent TO the newspapers
which are urged to reprint freely with or without
credit, TO crop correspondents. and to some DINERS
of the departments co-operators.
"But by far the greatest service Is the mlmeo
graphed articles sent to the press of the country
The office thus affords vehicle for quick action
a sort Of rapidfre gun quickly unlimbered while
the 42-centlmeter ammunition, in the form OF bull
letins is being prepared 1t takes pot-shot from
the hip at insect disease plaques and thus qulets
or greatly retards the outbreaks 1t quickly issues
warnings Of frauds of peStilence, or decisions
and announcements connected with the enforce
ment Of the meat-inspecton law, the food and
drugs act and the other % regulatory laws which
are administered by the department. During the
last year about ITO of these special items were
sent the papers Interested And, while am on this
subject, | want to say that many Il fake has been
exposed by such treatment. Through its various
classified lists of the publications Of the country 1t
can reach them all short notice, or 1t can reach
any group of city farm or trade papers-in short,
any desired combination of publications Is possible,
the distribution being governed by the range Of APP
plicability Of the information to be sent out.
"Now gentlemen" continued Sam, you eat your
meal or it will be cold. Don't mind about me; l
would rather any day tell you about getting facts
TO my people than eat Thanksgiving dinner. You
all know that editors and reporters are busy men
these days and they welcome articles which re-
quire the minimum of editing to suit their partcu-
lar paper. Many of the editors are too busy to
make /; digest of bulletins, and their facilities for
getting special stories out of the department are
meager.
During one month last summer test reading
of IT'S agricultural papers showed that during the
month 100 or SO per cent, contained material sent
by the department. The material so published,
some 600 or more articles averaging column in
length reached directly a very large number of my
farmers. Before the European war news occu-
pied much newspaper space. material furnished
by Information appeared In one month on about
3OOOOO,0 900 printed pages
''You all remember that hot fight against foot
and-mouh disease, how 1t got a start In - states
and here in the District and how it finally was
stamped out in February, 1916 Those days were
strenuous for Information well as the whole
department. The office supplied to papers In the
regions affected exact and immediate information
of the outbreak of the disease and to the press Of
the section in danger information as to the best
measures for combating the disease and preventing
its spread Daily the regions affected and all other
sections having traffic with quarantine areas were
Kept INFORMED OF edCn IuOufACdlon VI INC QuoAoAA
tine with the object Of encouraging as free move
ment Of live stock as consistent with the
safety of the general local cattle industry Over
100 mimeOgraphed statements In addition to the
departments formal publications on the subject
conveying news and directions and recommending
precautionary measures were issued. BESIDES
these the press associations and correspondents
here In the city were informed daily by telephone
"But 1t doesn't take an epoch making event like
foOt-and mouth disease to cause the of1ce TO ger
out series Of articles. Possibly this past year
YOU have read by instalments Of the control OF the
Hessian fly, the army worm, the Gypsy MOTH the
white grub the Southern cattle tick. hog cholera.
and other pests as we'll as conservation OF food
supplies hints for gardeners, live stock problems,
cultural methods with plants. harvesting. market
ing, and SO ad infnitum."
"But what about these stories7 Do they play up
the personnel of the department." interrupted the
congressman
"Ah! l have been expecting that son., replied
Sam with a satisfied smile. quite to the con-
trary the names of individuals rarely are men
toned unless essential to the story. The depart
ment Is mentioned the authority, for 1t Is back
of the statements, but you won't find among Its
stories any pipe dreams as to what the depart
ment hopes to accomplish statements about half
baked experiments, freakish Write-ups' or arucies
written to influence legislation
".The boys showed me year or so ago that
there were certain fundamentals In agricultural
practice which were not being regarded by many of
my farmers and which stood out like the buttons on
my coat
"Why not posterize the factsT argued 1nforma
ton.
".Your uncle Is willing. as long as you st1cl
closely to the facts. You know wouldn't BIZ
wearing this gaudy outfit IL didn't believe In at
tracing attention myself!
II had been fighting the Texas fever tick fol
some years and had made good Roadway, but as
%ho%1 into
needed to get before Southern farmers who 1--we II
tick-rdden district the information about the toll
which the tick takes on Southern agriculture. Anc
when got her into high wanted to step on mel
tail and nail 1t down. Consequently, new edu
cational campaign was launched with large pos
fer. and the gist of what 1t said was, Dip tina
tickr .
This was followed by whole brood OF smalle
nosters folders primers and news stories. Unit
comparatively recently there had been much an
tagonism to the work of Graduating the tick; Il