Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-08-10
FORESIGHT SAVED
FOOD SITUATION
Agriculturally America Was
Well Prepared When Forced
Into War
MACHINERY WAS READY

That the United States Department
Of Agriculture, described not long ago
by President Wilson as the greatest
practical and scientific agricultural or
ganization in the world was prepared
for the great work which fell TO it on
the declaration of a state OF war with
Germany. April 6. 1917. was due in
large measure to the generous and con-
structive Federal legislation in its be-
half during the preceding four years.
Agriculturally, America was pre-
pared for war. So generously had the
American people supported agricul-
tural legislation and development, and
so thorough was the organization Of
the Federal and State agricultural
forces that three days after war was
declared representatives of these agen-
cies, headed by the Secretary Of Agri-
culture. sat in a conference at St.
Louis and drew up a program OF food
production and conservation, the wis
dom of which has not been generally
or successfully questioned and the sub
stantial part Of which four months la
ter had been enacted into law. 1t is
doubtful If the efficiency thus demon
strated has been equalled by any other
country.
The following legislative enactments
of the preceding four years, which
since have been supplemented by other
notable agricultural war measures also
described briefly below, made possible,
to a considerable extent, the immedi-
ate mobilization of American agricul-
ture.
The Cooperative Agricultural Exten-
sion Act of May s, 1914. known as the
Smith-Lever Act, appropriated $780,
600 outright for the first year, 100000
the second year. and an increase of
$500, 600 annually thereafter until 1922
%, with the requirement that the
States make available an equal
amount. For 1929 and annually
thereafter the Federal Government
will appropriate S4,500,000 annually
which, with the States duplicating all
amounts above $4,000 a year, will
make total of $3.50, 600 year avail
able. The object of this act is to take
directly and effectively to the farmer
on his farm the information resulting
from the activities of the department
and of the State agricultural colleges
and to induce him to apply it.
The Cotton figures Act of August is,
1914, reenacted with amendments in
the agricultural appropriation act for
the fiscal year 1917, has resulted in the
establishment of definite standards for
cotton. has made possible the supervis-
ion of the operations of the future ex-
changes, and has placed cotton trading
on sounder basis.
The United States Grain Standards
Act which was included in the agricul-
tural appropriation act for the fiscal
year 1917 and 1918, is bringing about
uniformity in grading, is enabling the
farmer to obtain a fairer price for his
product and to improve it's quality,
and is preventing or diminishing ma
terially the shipment of adulterated
grain.
The United States Warehouse Act,
also included in the agricultural ap-
preparation act for 1917 and 1918 ,au-
thorizes the Department of Agricul-
ture to license certain agricultural pro-
ducts. 1t makes possible the issuance
of reliable and easily negotiable ware
house receipts, promotes the better
storing of farm products and eneour-
ages the standardizing of storages and
of marketing processes.
The Federal Farm Loan Act was ap-
proved July II, 1916. Itcreates a bank
ing system which reaches intimately
into the rural districts, operates on
terms suited to the farmers needs I'M
der sympathetic management, intro
duces business methods into farm
finances, brings order out of chaos, re-
duces the cost of handling farm loans,
places upon the market mortgages
which are a safe investment for pri-
vate funds. attracts into agricultural
operations a fair share of the capital
of the Nation and reduces interest.