The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1917-09-07

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 clrcumstantial evidence CON
stitute large portion of the work of the Office
Many Of these articles, 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 others
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
u sort OF rapd-fire gun quickly unlimbered while
the 42centimeter ammunition, in the form of bull
letlns, Is being prepared 1t takes pot-shot from
the hip at insect disease plaques and thus qulets
or greatly retards the outbreaks. II quickly issues
warnings of frauds or Of pestllence, or decisions
and announcements connected with the enforce
ment of the meat-inspectOn law, the food and
drugs act, and the other 20 regulatory laws which
are administered by the department. During the
last year about 40 of these special items were
sent the papers interested. And while am on this
subject want to say that many fake. has been
exposed by such treatment Through its various
classified lists of the publications of the country It
can reach them all on short notice, 1t reach
any group of city, farm trade papers-ln short
any desired combination Of publications is possible
the distribution being governed by the range of APP
plcabilIty of the information to be sent out.
"Now, gentlemen" continued Sam, you eat your
hehl OF IL VIII ne cola. DON'T MIND about me; |
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-
qulre the minimum of editing to suit their partlcu-
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
meager.
During one month last summer a test reading
of l75 agricultural papers showed that during the
month $50, or SO per cent contained material sent
by the department. The material so published
some GOO or more articles averaging a column In
length, reached directly a very large number of my
farmers, Before the European war news occu-
pied 80 much newspaper space, material furnished
by Information appeared in month on about
SOOOOOOOO printed pages
You all remember that hot fight against foot
nnd-mouth disease, how IL got Il start in % states
and here In the District and how 1t finally was
stamped out In February, 1916 Those days were
strenuous for Information as well the whole
department The Office supplied to papers In the
regions affected exact and Immediate information
of the outbreak of the disease and 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 aI other
sections having traffic with quarantine areas were
kept Informed of each modification of the auaran-
tine, with the object of encouraging as free move
ment of live stock as was consistent with the
safety of the general local cattle industry Over
100 mlmeographed 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 informed daily by telephone.
"But II doesn't take an epoch-making event like
foot-andmouth disease To cause the office TO get
out Il series OF articles Possibly this past year
YOU have read by instaments of the control OF the
Hesslan fly, the army worm. the Gypsy moth the
Wh ~ rruh ha pot hoo
and other pests as well as conservation of food
supplies, hints for gardeners. live stock problems.
cultural methods with plants, harvesting, market,
Ing and SO ad lnfnitum.
but what about these storleS2 DO they play up
the personnel of the Department." interrupted the
congressman.
"Ahl I have been expecting that son." replied
Sam with satisfied smile. quite 10 the CON
trary. the names Of individuals rarely are men.
toned unless essential to the story. The depart
ment Is mentioned, the authority. for Il is back
Of the statements but you won't dnd among its
stories any pipe dreams to what the depart.
mCnt hopes to accomplish, statements about half.
baked experiments frcakish wrtte-ups, or articles
written to influence legislation.
The boys showed me a year or so ago that
there We're certain fundamentals in agricultural
practice which were not being regarded by many of
my farmers and which stood out like the buttons
my coat
why not postcrise the ractsY argued Inforua-
ton
Your uncle Is willing. long as you stick
closely tO the facts. You know | wouldn't be
wearing this gaudy outfit II | didn't believe In at
tracing attention mysClf"
Il had been fighting the Texas fever tick for
some years and had made good Roadway. but as |
planning To throw that work into high gear
needed 20 get before southern farmers who live in
tick-ridden district the information about the toll
which the tick takes southern agriculture. And
I 49, r,sg, hg..HT e.
tail and nail Il down Consequently. a new e,lu-
catonRl campaign Was launched with a large POS
ter, and the giSt Of what II said was Dip thar
tick
This was followed by whole brood Of smaller
posters, folders, primers, and news stories Until
comparatively recently there had been much an.
tagoniSm 10 the work Of Graduating the tick In