The Washington times., 1919-12-30
DEFEND NEWS
! FOR FARMERS
Agriculture Price Bulletins No
Help to Profiteers, Say
U. S. Experts.

The question as to whether the in
formation service of the Department
of Agriculture has been an cid to
profiteers and speculators was raised
before the Congressional joint COM
mission on reclassification of salaries
this morning.
This service is a thoroughly or
ganized system OF gathering prices
and other facts about cattle, vege-
tables, and other products, condi-
tions of crops and shipments. Such
news is disseminated to more than
100000 persons upon their own appli-
cation
1t was explained that when ship
ments OF vegetables and fruits leave
the growing districts they travel in
the direction of the markets, but gen.
orally without any specific destina-
ton. It was declared that they are
diverted, en- route to the most desfr-
able. markets by telegraphed instruc-
tions from the shippers, which are
determined largely by the informa-
tion gathered by the Department of
Agriculture.
Defends Service.
Herbert c. Marshall, assistant chief
Of the Bureau OF Markets, who ap-
peared as spokesman for a committee
representing marketing employees, de-
tended the information service as in
valuable to shippers and buyers.
Instead of furnishing them with
information which they might use
to the disadventage of the public, IT
has Just the opposite effect" he said
This information tends to equalize
prices and eliminate waste, rather
than to initiate prices. The big fel-
low. through private sources, gets all
the Information we give out, and
were we not to furnish IL, the smaller
dealer could more readily be gouged."
Mr.. Marshall emphasized the highly
specialized work carried on by the
employees of the Bureau OF Markets,
and presented the following salary
schedule:
Senior. marketing specialist, $1,000;
marketing specialist, IS, 400 to $1,000;
associate marketing specialist, $500
20 S5.Ioo; assistant marketing special
list, 81, 400 to $500; junior marketing
specialist $500 to s2,220.
Plead Fer rrafAe Experts.
The special business service pre-
sented a brief to the commission
chief examiner of the Interstate Com
merce Commission, as spokesman. l.
e Wiltberger, of the Navy Depart
ment, was chairman Of the committee,
and H B. Peffers, OF the Department
Of Agriculture, was secretary.
The brief declared In part: "Traf
fic and transportation rate work Is
q highly specialized service. 1t re-
quires in the first instance. as q
foundation for any employment in
which proper experience can be OBJ
tained, educational qualifications OF
no mean sort, because of the compile K
nature OF the traffic problem as IL
has been developed in this country.
But the principle factor that brings
with il qualification to do the work
of this class required by the Govern
ment, is long experience in the work
with the railroads or industrial con-
Germs. 1t is no proper economy for
the Government to employ men for
this work who are without expert
ence, and educate them, because they
can be OF relatively little use until
they have several years of expert
ence."
1t was declared that there were only
six applicants recently for examina-
ton for tariff clerks. after the ex-
animation had been advertised in
every State OF the country, because
the salary was only $1,000.