Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-03-04
Mr.. Houston OutaeneraIed

mr. I0uSSoU OuSSSUGTdICO
Not all the clever work is accom-
plshed by the men higher up. Never
was this truer than in the case Of
subordinate in the Department Of Az
riculture who forced the secretary.
b.; means Of strategy. to give out in
form ON wanted by the livestock
men of the country, which he did not
want to give. The subordinate's
Eame is DR.. w. J. Spillman. former
chief of the Office of Farm Manage
mcnt. The details surrounding this
interesting incident have just been
made public by DR.. Spillman in an
address before the annual conference
Of the National Board Of Farm Or
CARNATIONS.
In order to fully appreciate the in
cidcnt it should be stated that the
ma jority Of the work of DR.. Spiilman's
oGice had been stopped by a letter
from Secretary Houston and that IS
letters OF authorization requested by
Spillman to enable certain parts of
the work to continue had been re-
fused. The story as told in DR.. Spill
mans own words is as follows:
Il Immediately resolved to leave the
department so as to be in position to
force the secretary to change his
mind about this work. as we'll as
other work of the office Of Farm
Management which he had discour.
aged from the first. 1t was not until
June following that was able to
complete these arrangements. Mean
while. early in January. 1918. Mr.. E.
c. Lasater came to my Office and in
Of production studies. l told him the
situation and he suggestt :. that if l
would wait little he could render
some assistance. l told him his help
would be welcome.
About the middle Of January. 1918,
the secretary received a telegram
from Mr.. Ike Pryor. president Of the
American National Livestock: Asso-
citation. reading substantially as fol-
lows: The Ameri. Mt. Livestock
Associ., in session at Salt Lake City.
would like to know the statu O. the
investigations on cost Of producing
beef being conducted by your Office Of
Farm Management. Please wire re-
ply in time for me to read it to this
row at 4.3o.'
This telegram was sent to me to
prepare a reply for the secretarys
signature. ! prepared substantially
the following: The investigations on
cost Of production referred to in your
telegram have been greatly extended
and are being pushed vigorousl-.. A
report on them will be ready by the
first OF July
About ten minutes after 1 sent this
to the secretary's Office" Or. Spillman
continued. mir. Harrison. secretary
to Secretary Houston, called me over
the phone and said. as nearly as can
remember: 'Spillman. what in the hell
do You mean by sending a telegram
like this over here for the secretary
to sign? You know damned we'll he
has ordered all those investigations
stopped Yes replied. I know he
has ordered them stopped What do
you mean by that?' responded the
astounded Mr.. Harrison I mean
Just what the words i'm ly,' was nv
rejoinder. But the telegram isn't
true insisted Harrison. 1t will be
true when the secretary has signed it =
i replied. But he won't 81 N it, said
Harrison. said 1 thought he would,
and asked Mr.. Harrison if he knew,
who Ike Pryor is. An l know re-
mere
as president of this association.
Yes said l. and that is one Of the
largest and Invest lunches Of men in
the country. and happen to know
that they know what they are after
Please tell the secretary from me that
if he values his job he will sign that
telegram
"A few minutes later l received a
courteous note from Mr.. Harrison
with copy Of the telegram. which he
said the secretary had signed and
sent. The next day renewed my re-
quest for the Is letters Of authorize
ton, and after some wrangling OBJ
tanned them"
The farmers who held on to their DO
tatoes when prices were good are nov
stuck with lot that they can't re:
GW oushel for. It's best to sell on 2
rising Pkof 80